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Repairs you must pay for

Paying for the repair

We only charge for repair work if the damage is caused deliberately or by neglect.

We will not ask you to pay for a repair if:

  • the damage has been caused by fair wear and tear or because of the age of the property or installation; or
  • the damage has been caused by a crime like burglary - but the crime must have been reported to the police, and you must give us a police report number; or
  • the damage happened because you were a victim of anti-social behaviour; or
  • we had given you priority for a move to a new home because you were living in fear of violence or harassment; or
  • the damage was caused by someone inflicting domestic violence.

There may be other circumstances where we decide that you don't have to pay. You can not avoid a recharge because you have difficulty paying, but you may be able to pay in instalments.

How would you pay?

If you have to pay for a repair, we will tell you how much it will cost before we do the work. If you want time to pay the money we can make an agreement to collect it in instalments. If a tenant doesn't pay the bill, or their instalments, we can take legal action, and put the tenant on our list of people barred from rehousing.

Can you refuse to have the repair done?

In some cases 'yes'. But not if that would cause a health and safety risk or more damage to the home. You can choose to do the work yourself - but we must be allowed to come and check that it's up to scratch.

Can people avoid paying by leaving home?

'No'. We are determined to chase people who leave their home unfit for new tenants to move into. We will track down anyone who has caused damage and, if necessary, use legal action to get them to pay up. They won't be allowed to get another  home until they've paid the bill, and shown that they won't cause problems again.