Repair & Maintenance

Table of contents

  • How do I report a repair?
  • Looking after the property
  • Alterations and improvements
  • Taking care of your garden and balcony
  • Taking care of communal areas
  • Decoration
  • General services
  • Repairs
  • Tenant’s responsibilities
  • Legal remedies
  • Condensation
  • Section 20 Major Works

The successful care and upkeep of the estate is dependent on an effective partnership between the residents and Goulden House Co-operative. It is the responsibility of residents to keep the front of their own homes clean and tidy.
All shared areas i.e.: corridors and stairwells are cleaned by the Goulden House
Co-operative, but it is the responsibility of all tenants to ensure that members/visitors of their household do not discard litter or damage any part of the property.

How do I report a repair?

Repairs can be reported either by telephoning the office between working hours of 9am – 5pm; or alternatively, visiting the office located at the corner of Winders and Shutleworth Road open to personal callers between the hours of 9am- 5pm. These hours may change from time to time. Our telephone answering service is available 24hours daily. All repair requests will be logged and a receipt with job number will be given which will acknowledge the repair, state its priority and confirm mutually convenient access. An initial inspection will take place to determine the nature of work, likely cost and responsibility, i.e.: Is it rechargeable to Tenant/ leaseholder or Council.

back to top

Looking after the property

You must look the property and the communal areas. For example, you must not put anything heavy on the balcony or roof garden that may damage the structure. You must also take care not to damage the fixtures and fittings. You are responsible for repairing any damage to the property which is caused deliberately or negligently by you, your lodgers, friends relatives, visitors or any other person living in the property. You will also have to pay for the cost of repairing any damage to any other property or to the communal areas which was caused deliberately or negligently by you, your visitors, lodgers or any other person living in the property.

back to top

Alterations and improvements

You must not make any alteration , improvement or addition to the property or its fixtures, fittings or outbuildings without our written permission. This will not be withheld unreasonably from a secure tenant. You must not alter the outside of the property in any way without our written permission. For example, you must not fix a security grille to your external doors or windows or put up a satellite dish, aerial or other telecommunications equipment to the exterior of the building. This rule also applies to garages, greenhouses, sheds, pigeon lofts, parking spaces, driveways and walls. You must not remove, alter, replace or plant any hedge, fence or tree at the property without first getting written permission.

Secure tenants
You have the right to claim compensation in certain circumstances for improvements you have carried out to the property at the end of your tenancy.

Introductory and non-secure tenants
You do not have the right to claim compensation for improvements.

back to top

Taking care of your garden and balcony

You must keep your garden and balcony area tidy and free from rubbish. You must not hang anything over the balcony walls or rails or from window, for example, washing. You must not do anything on your balcony which is likely to cause a nuisance to other people such as: allowing water to escape, holding barbecues or keeping animals.

back to top

Taking care of communal areas

You must not block these areas, or do anything that might cause problems for people using the footpaths, passages or communal areas. In particular you must keep lifts and fire exits clear and free from rubbish. You must look after the communal area such as stairways and passageways, keep them as clean and tidy as possible and clean them as reasonably requested by us.
Repairs that are the responsibility of the tenant/Leaseholder include:

  • Broken windows
  • Tap washers
  • Sink and bath plugs
  • Chains and pulls to WC cisterns
  • Blocked wastes to sinks, baths and lavatory basins
  • Damaged locks, lost keys, door furniture, knockers, letter boxes and gate catches
  • Sash fasteners, casement fasteners and window stays
  • All door and window keys
  • Fireplace tiles
  • Any other small items and any damage due to negligence

We may carry out the repairs if you and your household are not able to do or arrange the work yourself because of the age, or a disability, or other special reasons.

back to top

Decoration

We will decorate the exterior of your home, exterior wood work and communal areas as necessary. If our contractors damage your decorations during the course of any works, we will decorate or make good the damage caused and the existing standard of decoration. This does not apply where the woks were necessary because you had breached your tenancy obligations.

back to top

General services

We will take reasonable steps to keep all the lifts, communal lighting, entry-call. Shared laundry facilities, communal aerials and domestic refuse facilities in repair.

back to top

Repairs

We will take reasonable steps to keep the communal areas in good repair, tidy and free of rubbish. If you report a defect to us, we will take reasonable steps to put it right within a reasonable time. For details of the council’s Priority Repair Scheme, which gives response times for different types of repair, please contact the housing office.

Secure tenants
Your right to repair means that in certain circumstances, if we do not do certain urgent repairs in time, you can ask for another contractor to do the work. If the second contractor does not do the work on time, you may be able to claim compensation. You should contact the housing office for more information about this.

Introductory and non-secure tenants
The right to repair scheme does not apply to you.

back to top

Tenant’s responsibilities

It is the responsibility of tenants to report to the Goulden House office any defects as soon as possible. It is also the responsibility of the tenants to take care of their home and not allow negligence or abuse, either by members of the household or by their visitors. Any alterations or additions to the property or its fixtures must have the written permission from the Goulden House or the Council. If any defect arises out of such negligence or abuse, the tenant will be liable to be charged the full cost of any materials and labour used to remedy any defect or damage caused. This would include any damage to the property of third parties.

back to top

Legal remedies

By law we must remedy any defects in the property, which could damage your health. If you tell us about defects such as these, and we fail to remedy them, you have the right to apply to the courts for an order, forcing us to carry out our duties.

back to top

Condensation

What is condensation and how can I prevent it? Condensation is caused by too much moisture and not enough ventilation. Here are a few simple steps that you can take to reduce condensation.

  • Leave the windows open when you are cooking or taking a bath;
  • Do not block air vents or extractor fans;
  • Make sure tumble dryer is properly installed and have ventilation;
  • Keep a constant temperature in all rooms during winter;
  • Avoid drying your clothes on radiators without proper ventilation.

Section 20 Major Works

Wandsworth council has a guide to Major Works on their website here: https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/housing/council-tenants-and-leaseholders/repairs-and-maintenance/major-works-to-council-properties/major-works-contracts/?estate=Goulden+House&postcode=#result

For information about the communal extractor fans see:  https://www.gouldenhouse.org/major-works-extractor-fans/

Sign up to get an email when there’s an important announcement from Goulden House.