Your tenancy agreement outlines repairs the Housing Executive must carry out. You will usually have to repair damage that you have caused.

The Housing Executive may also carry out repairs which are usually your responsibility if you are vulnerable or receiving income support. Contact your District Office or a local advice agency if you are unsure who is responsible for carrying out the repairs.

• Repairs to the outside of your accommodation
• Electrical repairs
• Cooking and heating appliances
• Plumbing repairs
• Doors and windows
• Structural and other repairs
• Your health is being affected

Repairs to the outside of your accommodation

The Housing Executive is responsible for:

• repairing walls, roof, chimney, gutters and drains;
• repairing external doors;
• repairing external windows, but usually not the glass;
• repairing paths, fences, walls and gates that it has provided;
• decorating the outside of your home every seven years.

The Housing Executive can also replace your bin every seven years if it is in bad condition from normal usage.

You are responsible for your garden and cleaning the gratings.

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Electrical repairs

The Housing Executive must repair:

• electrical wiring;
• electrical appliances that it installed;
• ceiling roses;
• sockets and switches.

You are responsible for:

• repairing electrical appliances you have installed;
• changing door bells, plugs and fuses.

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Cooking and heating appliances

The Housing Executive must repair:

• solid fuel cookers and stoves that it has installed;
• room heaters;
• fire surrounds.

You are responsible for repairing:

• the front piece and basket of an open fire;
• cookers that you have installed.

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Plumbing repairs

The Housing Executive must:

• repair boilers ;
• repair pipes and radiators;
• clear blocked sewers;
• clear blocked drains if the blockage isn't caused by blocked gratings.

You are responsible for:

• repairing washers on taps;
• repairing plugs for baths or sinks;
• clearing air locks in pipes;
• replacing cracked baths, sinks and toilets except when the damage has been caused by normal wear and tear.

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Doors and windows

The Housing Executive must repair:

• window frames;
• defective doors and door frames;
• hinges, locks and handles on external doors;
• letter boxes.

You are responsible for:

• repairing hinges, locks and handles on inside doors;
• repairing bedroom and kitchen furniture;
• draught proofing doors and windows;
• replacing broken glass.

The Housing Executive may replace your windows if the damaged was caused by vandalism or in a riot. However, the Housing Executive will only replace your windows if the damage is confirmed by the police.

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Structural and other repairs

The Housing Executive must repair:

• walls, staircases and all structural woodwork;
• tiles if it installed them;
• skirting boards and window sills;
• timber rot.

The Housing Executive should also install roof insulation if you haven't received a grant.

You are responsible for:

• sweeping your chimney;
• repairing internal plaster cracks;
• all internal decoration.

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Your health is being affected

If your health is being affected by the condition of your accommodation, contact the environmental health department in your local council.