Tenant repairs - permission and responsibilities | London Borough of Waltham Forest

You must ask permission before doing any work repairing or altering something in a home we are responsible for. Also, all work must comply with building standards and regulations. If planning permission or building control approval is required, you must pay for this.

What you need permission for

Anything that will change the appearance of your property, eg installing a satellite dish
Repairing or altering something we're responsible for eg replacing windows or painting outside
Any major alterations, like removing a wall

All work you do must comply with building standards. If it goes wrong, you’ll be responsible for repairing it.

What you can’t get permission for

Anything that risks disturbing asbestos
Laying laminates if you live in a flat, if in doubt contact your housing officer
Anything that requires planning permission
Something that causes structural damage to the property

If you do repairs without permission

You could be asked to return your home to the condition it was before - at your own expense.
And you’ll be held responsible for any damage to other properties

How do you get permission?

To get permission, simply contact the Building Services team

Email buildingservices@walthamforest.gov.uk

Tenant responsibilities

As a tenant, some repairs are your responsibility, but others are ours.

General responsibilities

Type of repair	Who's responsible for repair?
Maintaining items you provided yourself eg furniture/ washing machine	You
Wear and tear, damage caused by you or guests	You
Minimising damp and mould	You
Communal areas	Waltham Forest
Light fittings and light bulbs	You

Bathroom/kitchen/plumbing

Type of repair	Who's responsible for repair?
Basin/sink replacement	Waltham Forest
Bath sinks and toilets – panels, blockages, plug/chain replacement, shower curtains	You
Blocked bath/basin/sink/planned replacements shower/toilet	You
Plug and chain replacement	You
Plumbing in or fitting domestic appliances	You, however it must be fitted by the Council
Sealant (kitchen work surfaces, baths, sinks)	You
Shower curtain	You
Tap washer	Waltham Forest
Unblocking external waste pipes (in houses only)	You
Water supply and water pipes	Waltham Forest

Electrical

Type of repair	Who's responsible for repair?
Electrical wiring	Waltham Forest
Fluorescent tubes	You
Fuses, plugs and light bulbs	You
Resetting trip switch	You
Type of repair	Who's responsible for repair?
Chimneys (excluding sweep), fireplaces, fitted fires and central heating	Waltham Forest
Gas cookers* (not provided by us)	You
Gas pipes and appliances provided by us - for example water heaters, boilers gas fires	Waltham Forest

* If a gas leak to a cooker is found, the cooker will be capped off. You’ll be responsible for replacement and reinstatement. Works must be carried out by a Gas Safe Registered engineer.

Inside areas

Type of repair	Who's responsible for repair?
Communal areas	Waltham Forest
Cracks (minor, thinner than a pound coin) in walls or ceiling patching.	You
Curtain pole, rail or track replacement	You
Doors: including adaptations (to accommodate carpets), frames, hinges, skirting, fitting additional locks/catches, doorbells	You
Draught proofing	You
Fixtures and fittings provided by Waltham Forest	Waltham Forest
Fixtures you have fitted	You
Floor coverings (excluding kitchen and bathroom, unless fitted by you)	You
Handles and latches on inside doors/cupboards	You
Front door keys / communal keys / fobs	You – if lost, requiring a replacement or additional fob/key, it will be chargeable. Waltham Forest – if defective
Painting and decorating	You
Smoke alarm	Waltham Forest
TV aerial, points or satellite dishes you’ve fitted	You

Outside areas

Type of repair	Who's responsible for repair?
Boundary walls	Waltham Forest
Front doors (excluding letter boxes)	Waltham Forest
Doorsteps	Waltham Forest
Drains, gutters and outside pipes	Waltham Forest
Fencing works will be carried out if the fencing provides an estate boundary, is adjacent to a public highway, footpath, open park/ grounds, cemetery or allotment	You
Garages and stores (excluding sheds)	Waltham Forest
Overall structure of your home	Waltham Forest
Paths and walkways (main access)	Waltham Forest
Roof	Waltham Forest
Walls	Waltham Forest
Washing lines or rotary dryers	You
Windowsills, catches, sash cords and window frames	Waltham Forest

If you're unable to do repairs yourself

You might not be able to do repairs yourself because of your health or age. If you can’t get a friend/ family/ contractor to help you, then you can ask us.

This is called a discretionary repair.

To get assessed, you’ll need to contact your housing services officer first. They’ll ask you some questions and assess whether a contractor can do out the work on your behalf.

To report a repair, call: 020 8496 4197

Thames Water refund

Council tenants