Repairs, maintenance and improvements


Your Homes Newcastle as managing agent for Newcastle City Council alongside yourself is responsible for looking after your home.

As a leaseholder you are responsible for decoration and for repairs to all fixtures and fittings inside your home, for example, most heating systems, and kitchen and bathroom fittings.

We are responsible for repairs and maintenance to the structure of your home. This includes the roof, walls, chimney stacks, windows and shared areas, shared services and so on. We will charge you for any repairs we carry out to your home during the year, and a percentage of the cost of repairs to the structure and shared areas. The charges will be included with next annual service invoice.

Repairs

Who is responsible for repairs?

Your Landlord (NCC) is responsible for keeping the common or shared parts of your block in good repair. This means that we will look after the structure of the building, the landings and hallways and shared services such as communal lighting, door entry systems or central heating system or hot water where you do not have your own independent system. You will in accordance with the terms of your lease be recharged your due proportion of the costs of any repairs that we carry out. The due proportion is set out in your lease.

  • Repairs that we are responsible for:
    • roofs, drains, gutters and pipes on the outside of your home
    • outside entrance doors (but not the front doors of individual flats)
    • window frames and sills (not including glass)
    • outside paint work
    • paths and steps (back and front)
    • boundary fences (except some where you or a neighbouring owner are responsible)
    • chimneys and chimney stacks
    • stairs and landings
    • garages and outbuildings, including drying area
    • installations, fixtures and fittings
    • shared water pipes, water tanks, gas pipes and electrical wiring
    • light fittings in shared areas
    • controlled door entry systems
    • decorations in shared areas.

  • Repairs that you are responsible for:

All repairs to the inside of your flat, including your front door, glass in your windows and all fixtures and fittings. Any boundaries marked with a ‘T’. Please refer to your lease plan for boundaries and rights of access to your home.

You are responsible for keeping any appliances in your home in a safe condition. All leaseholders who have individual gas heating appliances to their homes are responsible for ensuring that they are serviced annually by a ‘Gas Safe’ registered engineer. You are also responsible for any damage to the common parts and services caused by you, members of your household, or your visitors and chimney sweeping where needed.

For all of the items mentioned above you must make your own arrangements to have a competent person to carry out the repairs for you. If you or someone that you have employed is carrying out repairs inside your flat you must make sure that the work is carried out to good standard and that no damage is caused to adjoining properties or communal areas. In the case of repairs to gas installations you must employ the services of a Gas Safe registered engineer.  Click here to find out more about the Gas Servicing scheme that has been set up specifically for leaseholders by Newcastle City Council’s City Build.

We will repair and maintain the structure, exterior and communal parts of your building. You will, in accordance with the terms of your lease be recharged the due proportion of your share of the costs of these works. You are responsible for the inside of your flat or maisonette and for services which are to your home only. The table below shows what repairs each has responsibility for.

For more information about who is responsible for different types of repairs, please contact us.

How can I report a repair which is our responsibility?

When you report a repair, you will be asked for:

  • your name
  • your address
  • the nature of the problem (please try to be as specific as you can)
  • a contact telephone number (if you have one).

We will always try to make an appointment at a time and date convenient to you.  Please be aware that you may be charged a minimum fee of £40 for any callouts which prove not to be genuine emergencies

Gas safety

If you think you can smell gas ring Transco immediately on 0800 111 999 (Minicom/Textphone 0800 37 17 87).  You should:

  • turn off the gas supply at the meter
  • open windows and doors
  • call the Repairs Centre on 0845 113 888.

Please remember – don’t smoke, use naked flames, or turn electric switches and appliances on or off.

We recommend that you carry out a yearly service of gas appliances.

Subletting

If you have sublet your flat and it has any gas appliances in it, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 apply to you. This means that as a landlord you have a duty by law to your tenants and as such you must make sure that a gas safety check is carried out every year and that your appliances are properly maintained.

Landlords who breach the gas safety laws and put lives at risk face tough sentencing in the courts. You can get further information about this from Gas Safe on 0800 408 5500 or by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk. 

Maintenance

As your landlord Newcastle City Council has a duty to maintain the structure and any communal areas to the building in which you live. The works to maintain the structure of these areas will generally fall into one of three categories:

  • repairs
  • planned maintenance
  • major work and improvements. 

Major works are being carried out as part of a programme to improve the standard of all Council homes in Newcastle. The Government set a target for all housing providers to meet certain standards of fitness and design for their homes by 2010. This is called the ‘Decent Homes Standard’.

For leaseholders, this target will mean that the company will have to improve the standard of the structure and shared areas of blocks where you live, depending on its condition. In accordance with the requirements of the lease all leaseholders are expected to contribute towards the cost of these works. Visit Major works and consultation for more information.

Carrying out your own improvements

You must not do anything which is likely to damage the structure of the building or cause damage to shared services, such as plumbing, water supply pipes, electricity or gas supplies, or sewerage.

As a leaseholder you have the right to improve your home, but for some improvements it is a condition of your lease that you obtain written permission from your landlord Newcastle City Council. This is because, as landlord, the council has an investment in the block and a responsibility to the other tenants. We will not refuse permission unless we have a good reason.

You may also need to obtain planning permission and building consent before starting work. We do not need to know about minor work such as decorating, but we do need to know about any alterations which affect walls, windows, doorframes, plumbing, heating, gas and electrical services.

The outside window frames belong to the landlord and as such you must not replace your windows unless Newcastle City Council has given you written permission to do so.

What sort of alterations do I need permission for?

If you want to carry out any work which may affect the rest of the building you must first get our permission in writing. The kind of things that you will need permission for are:

  • any addition or change to the structure or services in your home, including fixtures and fittings such as heating, plumbing and kitchen units
  • aerials and satellite dishes
  • external decoration
  • installation of new windows/doors
  • loft conversion.

How do I get permission?

You must complete our Landlord's Permission form and return it to us at:

Your Homes Newcastle
Leasehold Team
YHN House
Benton Park Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE7 7LX.

Click here to download the Landlord's Permission form (word doc).

You will need to specify exactly what type of works you wish to carry out together with a plan or drawing, the name of your chosen contractor and the guarantee given by the contractor. If you are to carry out any alterations to any gas pipes or heating appliances to your home you must also ensure that your chosen contractor is Gas Safe registered and give the contractors Gas Safe registration number.  In the case of any alterations to electrical services to your property you must ensure that you employ the services of a competent person and Newcastle City Councils Planning Department can give more advice about this. 

If you start work without obtaining written permission you will be breaking the terms and conditions of your lease. Newcastle City Council has the right to put things back to the way they were and to charge you for the materials and labour.

Loft spaces

If you are interested in carrying out a loft conversion and the area does not belong to you (which is usually the case) you would firstly need to purchase the roof space. You would also have to request our written permission for the conversion of the loft space. Further information can be obtained from the Leasehold Team.

Grants you can get for improvements

Sometimes you can get financial help from the council towards the cost of home improvement work. Usually this is for people who are on a low income. For more information please contact Newcastle City Council Private Sector Grants Team, Room 26, Shieldfield Centre, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1AL or phone 0191 278 8237