It’s important to understand your repair responsibilities and what we’re here to assist with. This section will help provide some clarity around what your responsibility is to fix as a tenant and what our team will repair.
If you’re unsure about a repair responsibility or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our dedicated technical hub team. Together, we will ensure your home is a place where you can thrive.
Are you a homeowner?
This section is just for tenants. The repairs we are responsible for if you’re a homeowner varies dependant on your agreement with us (your lease or property title). So please check your agreement with us before reporting a repair to ensure that it is covered, and you are not re-charged.
Repair responsibilities
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
- Basins or sinks – unless the damage has been caused deliberately.
- Sealant around kitchen units and sanitary fittings.
- Replacing tap washers.
- Unblocking outside waste pipes.
- Upkeep of the water supply and water pipes.
- Chimneys.
- Fireplaces, fitted fires and central heating systems, including boilers.
- Gas pipes Accent has provided.
- Servicing of gas fires and fireplaces*
*Existing gas fires will be serviced annually, but not replaced when we view them to be beyond economical repair.
- Electrical wiring including sockets and switches.
- RCD (residual current device) fuses. Often referred to as a fuse board or box which are a safety measure, acting as a trip switch.
- Any repairs or replacement items in communal (shared) areas.
- Major cracks in walls or ceilings (for example, more than 5mm wide at any point).
- Door entry systems, including handsets and phones that we have provided.
- Window handles.
- Any fixtures and fittings we have provided.
- Flooring in communal areas.
- Painting and decorating in communal areas.
- Pest control (not in your home, in communal areas only).
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Communal TV aerials and satellite dishes.
- Washing lines or rotary driers.
- Boundary walls, fences and gates that lead onto public footpaths or other public areas.
- Doors and doorsteps.
- Drains, gutters and outside pipes.
- Garages and brick-built stores (not sheds).
- Painting.
- Paths and walkways (where these are shared or form the main access to your home).
- Communal washing lines or rotary dryers that were provided or fitted by us.
- Windows.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
- Plumbing and the replacement of fixtures and fittings you have fitted.
- Replacing bath panels.
- Blocked baths, basins, sinks and showers.
- Broken toilet seats.
- New plugs and chains.
- Shower curtains, shower hoses and heads and riser rails replacements.
- Bleeding radiators and adjusting pressure.
- Replacing fluorescent tubes and starter motors.
- Re-setting trip switches in fuse boxes.
- Replacing light bulbs.
- Minor cracks in walls and ceilings (5mm or less is generally viewed as cosmetic).
- Replacing curtain poles, rails and tracks.
- Changing and re-hanging doors to allow for new carpets and flooring, including re-fixing draught excluders.
- Replacing, maintaining and fitting doorbells.
- Replacing and repairing inside doors and door 'furniture' (for example, handles and latches).
- Repairing or replacing flooring (except flooring we have provided in kitchens and bathrooms).
- Replacing lost or broken keys. We will replace communal keys and fobs, but we will recharge you for these.
- Letterbox repairs or replacements.
- Painting and decorating, including after any damage caused by a leak.
- Pest control (in your own home).
- TV aerials or satellite dishes.
- Appliances (including those Accent has provided).
- Replacing dustbins.
- Keeping gardens tidy, including looking after hedging and trees.
- Replacing and repairing fencing, gates and walls unless they border a public footpath or road.
- Sheds and outdoor buildings/storage.
These short films have been created to provide a quick and easy step by step guide to essential home maintenance and repairs
Bleeding the radiators in your home
Watch our step by step video showing you how to bleed a radiator
Cleaning your shower head
Watch our step by step video showing you how to clean a shower head
Fitting a toilet seat
A guide on how to fit a replacement toilet seat
Dealing with a gas leak
This video provides advice about what to do in the event of a gas leak in your home
Isolating your water supply
Watch our step by step video showing how to isolate your water supply
Preventing damp and condensation
Practical advice on how to prevent condensation and damp in your home
Filling small cracks in plaster
A step by step guide demonstrating how to fill small cracks in plaster
Replacing a bulb or strip light
Watch our step by step video showing how to replace a bulb or strip light
Repressuring a boiler
This step by step video shows you how to repressure a boiler
Resetting the trip switches on your fuse box
A step by step guide to showing how to reset the trip switches on your fuse box
Unblocking a basin or sink
Watch our step by step video showing how to unblock a sink
Unblocking a toilet
Watch our step by step video showing how to unblock a toilet