Your Responsibilities

We’re committed to providing a high-quality repairs and maintenance service to ensure your home is safe and well-maintained.

Some repairs are our responsibility, but others are yours as the tenant. We’ve outlined these below to help you understand who does what.

Please note: If damage is caused by neglect or misuse by you or anyone in your home, we may charge you for the repair.

Shared areas

You're not responsible for repairs in communal areas. However, please let us know if you spot anything that needs fixing.

Kitchen repairs

We will repair:

  • Kitchen cupboards

  • Worktops

  • Sinks (excluding blockages)

You are responsible for:

  • Unblocking kitchen sink waste pipes
    (We may recharge you if the blockage was caused by someone in your home.)

Bathroom repairs

We will repair:

  • Baths and basins (except accidental damage)

  • Toilet repairs, including blockages

  • Sanitary fittings (we only replace toilet seats in sheltered schemes)

  • Waste pipe blockages (only if you've first tried to clear them)

You are responsible for:

  • Showing you've tried to unblock waste pipes (e.g. using a plunger or cleaning product)

  • Bath plugs and chains

Interior repairs and decoration

We will repair:

  • Carpentry, skirting boards, stairs, internal doors, door frames and hinges

  • Floorboards and flooring in kitchens, bathrooms and WCs

  • Plasterwork (only if damage is extensive)

  • Light fittings (excluding bulbs, tubes, starter motors, dimmer switches)

  • Domestic appliances if provided by us and included in your service charge

  • Windows

  • External decoration

You are responsible for:

  • Internal decoration (we will make good after repairs where needed)

  • Your own domestic appliances or ones gifted by Gateway or a supplier

  • Coat hooks, curtain rails and other fittings

  • Laminate flooring (unless damaged during a repair). You must get our written permission before fitting laminate.

  • Lifting and refitting your own flooring for repairs

Electrical repairs

We will repair:

  • Electrical wiring, sockets and switches (except dimmer switches)

  • Heating, hot water or electricity issues – if you have credit on your meter

Before reporting a repair, check if your appliance’s fuse is working.

Heating repairs

We will repair:

  • Central heating systems, storage heaters, and electric fires installed by us

  • Gas boilers and back boilers (we'll remove and make safe but don’t repair surrounds or grates)

  • Immersion heaters

  • Relighting gas boiler pilot lights, including resetting heating controls

Plumbing repairs

We will repair:

  • Plumbing issues and leaks (excluding your own appliances or fittings)

Before reporting a leak, check that your appliances aren’t causing the issue. If they are, you may be charged for the repair.

You are responsible for:

  • Drains (excluding waste pipes) – you must attempt to unblock them first

  • Hot water cylinder jackets

Damp and mould

We’re responsible for addressing any damp or mould in your home.

Click here to learn how to report it and steps you can take to help prevent it.

Repairs outside the home

We will repair:

  • External doors and doorsteps

  • Brickwork, garden walls, gates, boundary fences (in public/shared areas)

  • Porches (except glazing – we’ll replace glass for safety issues only with a crime reference number)

  • External door fittings (bells, knockers, handles, numbers)

  • Garages (excluding door locks – you’ll need a private locksmith)

  • Unsafe or hazardous paths

You are responsible for:

  • Front door locks (unless it’s a communal door)

  • Lost keys and arranging locksmiths

  • Garden upkeep if it's your responsibility and not covered by a service charge

  • Washing lines

  • TV aerials and sockets (unless they are communal)

  • Fencing between properties

  • Lock repairs for non-communal doors

Roof repairs

We will repair:

  • Roofs, gutters, and chimneys

Communal areas

We will repair:

  • Entry doors to communal areas

  • Lighting in communal areas or on estates

  • Shared gardens and grassed areas (where you pay a service charge)

  • Lifts

  • Damp and mould

  • Pests in communal areas or neighbouring homes if required