Your right to repair
As a council tenant you have the right to have repair work carried out under the legal contract between the council and yourself, as set out in the Conditions of Tenancy.
You also have rights under the 1985 Housing Act. According to an amendment to this Act you can, under certain circumstances, receive compensation if certain repairs are not carried out within the prescribed time period.
Details of your rights are given in a leaflet called 'The Right to Repair', produced by the Department of the Environment. Copies are available at the Town Hall.
The regulations only cover the repairs listed below. There are also some exceptions:
- total or partial loss of electric power
- unsafe power or lighting socket, or electrical fitting
- total or partial loss of water supply
- blocked flue to open fire or boiler
- total or partial loss of space or water heating
- blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack, or toilet pan (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling)
- toilet not flushing (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling)
- blocked sink, bath or hand basin waste pipes
- tap which cannot be turned
- leaking from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern
- leaking roof
- insecure external window, door or lock
- loose or detached bannister or hand-rail
- rotten timber flooring or stair tread
- door entry-phone not working
- mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working.
