Dealing with repairs in social and private tenancies

In the course of a normal week, advisers at Housing Rights Service speak with about 150 callers who are experiencing some kind of housing problem.  Often these people are ringing out of frustration because they are having serious difficulties getting repairs done or they’re hugely disappointed with the standard of work that’s been done in their homes.

With this in mind, we’ve developed a new training course that digs into the issue of repairs for tenants.  Specifically, the course looks at who is responsible for certain repairs and what remedies are available to tenants whose landlords aren’t fulfilling their responsibilities.

Disrepair in private tenancies

While many landlords in Northern Ireland take their repairing responsibilities seriously, we hear from a lot of tenants who just can’t get their landlords to deal with problems in the property.  Tenants tell us that they constantly have to chase landlords and agents to get work done and that they’re often passed from pillar to post, without any firm commitment to deal with disrepair.

Because of the shortage of social tenancies in Northern Ireland, renting privately is becoming the only realistic option for many families.  We hear from a lot of tenants who have renovated and decorated properties without the landlord’s permission.  Often, at the end of a tenancy, people expect to be compensated for tenant improvements, as would be the case in social rented housing.  Unfortunately, people with limited experience of renting privately may not realise that, not only is the landlord under no obligation to reimburse them, but he may also insist that they return the property to it’s original condition at their expense.  We’ve had tenants call us in tears because they’ve installed new floors, windows, bathrooms and, at the end of the tenancy, they have been issued with Notice to Quit and have no right to compensation.

Repairing issues for Housing Executive and housing association tenants

We’ve heard from quite a few social tenants recently who’ve complained about the standard of work being carried out by contractors hired by the Housing Executive and housing associations.  These tenants tell us that, on making a complaint to their landlord, they’re being told to take the issue up with the contractors.

Another concern for social tenants is the speed of change of tenancy repairs.  Tenants tell us that they’ve been given keys to a new home, only to find that there are serious disrepair issues in the property.  One tenant complained of large holes in the walls and exposed wiring.

Damp, mould and condensation

Managing damp, mould and condensation is an issue which comes up almost every day on our advice line.  We get calls about it from social tenants, private tenants and even owner occupiers wondering if there’s any kind of financial assistance available to help them deal with this problem.

Damp is a massive issue in properties in Northern Ireland, but when damp and mould spores are attributed to condensation the issue is often passed back to the tenant.  Condensation is almost always seen as being a tenant-related fault, caused by insufficient use of heating systems or inadequate ventilation. Tenants may be able to get help improving insulation and ventilation through the Warm Homes Scheme.

Responsibilities and remedies

We’ll be looking at these issues and more in our training course on 2 April.  Places cost from £70 to £95 for voluntary and community groups and from £135 to £155 for private or statutory organisations.  Don’t forget that you can get 3 places for the price of 2 on any of our Housing Rights Service courses.