As part of your tenancy agreement, we carry out certain repairs to your home. Other repairs are your responsibility.

In general, we are responsible for the structure, exterior and common areas of the property, the fixtures and fittings, and the water, gas and electrical fittings in your home. You are responsible for minor repairs and replacements.

For full details about repairs and maintenance, download our Repairs guidance and responsibilities handbook. The handbook lists who is responsible for what, how we prioritise repairs and our repair targets. It also helps you to order the correct repair. [Link to copy of Guidance]

Reporting your repair

For all non-gas repairs
(office hours)

phone us on 020 8985 7120,
text 07535 269 269,
or email (non-emergencies only) oeharepairs@shian.org.uk

For out-of-hours emergencies:

phone us on
020 8985 7120
and follow the instructions.

For gas boiler/gas central heating breakdown (including out-of-hours emergencies)

phone Sureserve Compliance South on
020 8985 7120 (option 2),
OR 020 8269 4500
(direct line, select option 1)

Gas servicing

We are legally required to check and service every gas appliance in our properties annually, so that we can issue your home with an up-to-date safety certificate known as the Landlord Gas Safety Record.

Our engineers also test for leaking carbon monoxide. This gas is produced when natural gas does not burn fully. You cannot see, smell or taste it, but it can kill within 20 minutes.

Giving us access for gas checks is a condition of the agreement you signed when you moved into your home. Our gas contractor will send you an appointment and a number to call if you need to arrange a different time.

If you fail to give us access, we can go to court for permission to force entry to your home. We may also recharge you for a missed appointment.

We will decorate the outside of your home and the communal areas as part of our cyclical programme of works.

Decorating inside your home is your responsibility. However, if your decorations are damaged due to a repair failing by us, we will either redecorate the affected area or give you a contribution towards the cost of redecoration.

We carry out some repairs, including replacing windows, kitchens and bathrooms, as part of a planned programme. We also carry out a programme of cyclical redecoration and repairs.

If you will be affected, we will inform and consult you in plenty of time. In most cases, you can stay in your home during improvement works. Very occasionally we may need to offer you somewhere else to stay.

If we need access to your home in an emergency – for example to stop a water leak or flooding, or a suspected gas leak – we will always do our best to contact you first. However, as a last resort, we might have to force entry. Please make sure you keep all your contact details with us up to date.

If you suspect a gas leak, immediately switch off the gas supply at the meter. Extinguish all sources of ignition. Do not use electrical appliances or switches. Do not light naked flames. If necessary, open the doors and windows to make sure an engineer can safely access the premises.

If you can definitely smell gas, ring the National Gas Emergency Service freephone number on 0800 111 999.

If you have a garden or the use of a garden, your tenancy agreement will say whether it is just for your household, shared with other residents, or if it is part of the grounds of your estate.

The upkeep and maintenance of a garden for your household – including your patio – is your responsibility. However, we may need to prune trees if there are serious health and safety concerns.

Damp and condensation can cause black mould to grow in your home. It is a common problem, but we can manage it together.

It is important to start by working out what is causing your home to be damp.

Your damp problem could be caused by:

  • a fault with the building that needs to be repaired, or
  • (more commonly) too much condensation.

You may need our help to resolve either of these problems.

We provide more detailed information and advice in our advice leaflet Tackling damp, mould and condensation.