Canterbury area of East Kent Housing

Tenants Right to Repair

The government introduced the right to repair scheme to ensure that council tenants can get certain repairs completed quickly and easily. It sets time limits for certain types of repair, which councils must stick to.

If our contractors don't do the work in that time, you can ask them to hire someone else. If the repairs still aren't done, you may be able to claim compensation. This will be £10 plus £2 for every day the work is over the time limit, up to a maximum of £50.

Only certain types of repairs are covered by the right to repair scheme. These are called 'qualifying repairs' and they include:

  • unsafe power or lighting sockets, or electrical fittings
  • blocked flues to fires or boilers
  • leaking roofs
  • toilets that won't flush (where there is no other toilet)
  • blockages to sinks, baths or basins (only in special circumstances, for example where the blockage is in a waste shared with other homes - clearing sink traps, waste pipes etc is generally your responsibility)
  • leaking or flooding from pipes, tanks or cisterns
  • loose or broken banisters or handrails.

The Repairs Handbook has more information about the right to repair scheme, and identifies the qualifying repairs on pages 67-69. You can access the Repairs Handbook here

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