![CPS Homes](/_resources/files/template/cps-homes-logo.png)
Though your landlord has a lot of responsibilities during your tenancy, such as ensuring there is adequate heating and hot water, and that drains and sanitary facilities are kept in working order, contract-holders also have an obligation to look after and carry out the little jobs around the property. It's called acting in a 'Contract-holder-Like Manner' and it's part of the legal responsibilities of being a contract-holder. It basically means treating the house as if it's your home and is worded in your contract as below:
"69. As a contract-holder, you are expected to carry out the duties in and around the dwelling that are reasonably expected of you. If you report – or there is found to be – an issue that you could have reasonably been expected to prevent or resolve yourself, you will be liable to pay the call-out charge and the cost of making the issue good. This term lists a number of the duties that are deemed your responsibility, though the list is not exhaustive."
Just as if you were the homeowner, minor maintenance like changing light bulbs and attempting to unblock drains or toilets are responsibilities of the contract-holder, as well emptying washing machine filters and vacuum bags regularly. Doing this will help keep your appliances working at their optimum level.
Another thing is checking your boiler's pressure gauge if you suddenly have no hot water or heating. If it's dropped below 1.5 bars, the resolution is likely to be a quick top-up of pressure, which you should be able to do yourself.
One of the most common reports we receive from contract-holders is that their walls are developing a dark mould. The concern in this instance would be damp, but more often than not it's a build-up of condensation, which is much less of a worry! During cold weather, it's recommended that the heating is left on as often as possible, for at least three hours at a time. The warmer the house is, the less condensation will gather on the surfaces. Keeping windows open when cooking and showering, generous use of extractor fans and avoiding drying clothes over radiators will all help to keep moisture levels down and prevent mould from growing.
Want to know how much is your property worth? Fill our form below and we'll be in touch shortly
We have a full contract-holder-help guide available on our website, so give it a quick once-over before reporting any maintenance issues, as the answer to your problems (well, certain problems... we're not that good!) may well be there.
Naturally, there are going to be some things that are beyond your capabilities. After all, you're not going to be expected to go on a plumbing course just because you've chosen to rent a property! So if there's anything you're unsure of, it's always best to make contact with your landlord or managing agent and have them offer their advice.
Always be sure to report any maintenance issues you can't deal with yourself as soon as possible. Any delay may result in a deterioration in condition or, in the worst case scenario, irreparable damage, which you'd rather not be held responsible for because you didn't report it in time. It sounds outlandish, but it has been known to happen!
Bear in mind that if you instruct a contractor call-out, even in an emergency situation, you may be liable for a call-out charge that your landlord does not have to pay.
Contract-holders must report all maintenance issues immediately. Any delays may result in the deterioration of the condition or, in the worst case scenario, irreparable damage. Reports can be made in a variety of ways: in person at one of our offices, over the telephone, or online.
If a contractor attends following a report of damage or disrepair and the callout was unnecessary or as a result of contract-holder (including guest) damage, the contract-holders will be liable for their callout charge and also be responsible for fixing any damage.
By law, all Written Statements must contain anti-social behaviour clauses that state contract-holders and their visitors must not engage or threaten to engage in conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person living in the subject property or a property in the nearby area. Where they do so, the law permits the landlord to issue an immediate possession notice and commence court proceedings on the same day.
Contract-holders must not conduct activities that increase the risk of fire. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of candles, deep fat fryers, charging of e-bikes, e-scooters or any similar equipment, and smoking.
Additionally, it is vital that occupiers do not tamper with, move or adjust any firefighting equipment within the dwelling, unless for its intended use. Where any irregularities or concerns with any firefighting equipment are identified, they must be reported immediately.
To protect their own health and to comply with gas safety-related regulations, contract-holders mustn’t block ventilators provided to the property. They’re expected to immediately report brown or sooty build-up or any gas appliance.
Contract-holders are required to test all smoke and heat alarms on a weekly basis and carbon monoxide alarms on a monthly basis. Where batteries in alarms need replacing, they must replace them immediately.
To quote ‘How to bleed a radiator’ webpage and video, “in 99.99% of cases, the cure for condensation and mould growth is heating and ventilating a property. This is why tenants must take responsibility for the way they live in their home”.
The common causes for condensation are well-known:
Landlords also have a responsibility to help prevent mould caused by condensation. If the answer to any of the below questions is “no”, we ask contract-holders to let us know so that we can have a conversation with their landlord about making some changes:
Mould caused by condensation is not to be confused with damp, which is caused by a structural defect in the property. We have a Damp, Condensation and Mould webpage covering these subjects.
To prevent blockages to the drains, pipes, sinks or baths, contract-holders mustn’t dispose of sanitary products, wet wipes, food, hairs or any foreign object via sinks, toilets or external drains. In the event of a blockage, occupiers are required to unblock sinks, toilets and external drains by hand or, if required, by using bleach or specifically manufactured products.
Our webpages – ‘Dealing with blocked, slow-flushing or noisy toilets’ and ‘Dealing with blocked or slow-draining drains’’ – will help in this regard.
To prevent blockages and to ensure appliances work at their optimum level, contract-holders must empty their filters regularly. This includes but is not limited to fridges, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers and dryers. This practice can also prevent fires, especially in the case of dryers were lint collects. Additionally, occupiers must defrost freezers regularly and empty water from condensing dryers. In summary, contract-holders must follow ‘best care’ instructions for all appliances.
To prevent damage to the property by frost or ice, contract-holders are expected to take all reasonable precautions when cold-to-freezing temperatures are expected, such as leaving the heating system on a timer or a low setting to prevent pipes from freezing and potentially bursting. This includes when away from the property, such as during students’ Christmas break from university. A burst pipe can cause no-end of damage to both the landlord’s and the occupants’ contents, and could render a property uninhabitable.
If experiencing no hot water or heating, contract-holders must check the boiler’s pressure gauge and, if it indicates lower than 1.5 Bar, must attempt to top-up the pressure to between 1 and 1.5 Bar. Instructions on how to do this can be found within the boiler manual or via our ‘How to top up boiler pressure’ webpage and video. Continual drops in pressure are likely to mean a leak in the system, which should be reported immediately.
If a radiator is not working, or is only reaching a lukewarm temperature in part or in its entirety, contract-holders must bleed it. Instructions on doing so can be found on our ‘How to bleed a radiator’ webpage and video. The process of bleeding a radiator will reduce the boiler’s pressure, which must be topped-up to between 1 and 1.5 Bar after bleeding. Instructions on how to do this can be found within the boiler manual or via ‘How to top up boiler pressure’ webpage and video.
To prevent pests, contract-holders must empty bins regularly and set them out for collection on the days prescribed by the local authority: see Cardiff Council’s “when are my bins collected?” webpage. Where contract-holders report the presence of pests more than 21 days after they collect their keys to move in, our Written Statement makes them liable for the cost of any pest control or eradication services required, as by then it is deemed that they have invited them into the property through their actions (or lack of).
Our webpages and videos – ‘A guide to kerbside waste collection’ and ‘A guide to recycling’ – will help in this regard.
Where there is no electricity throughout or in part of the property, contract-holders must check their fuse board in case any of the circuit-breakers have tripped. If one is in an ‘off’ position or in a different position to the other circuit-breakers, they must return it to ‘on’ or to the same position as the other circuit-breakers.
The issue could be caused by a local outage. Refer to National Grid’s ‘power cuts’ webpage to see if an issue is affecting your area, or check with a neighbour.
To keep fixtures, fittings and furniture in a fully-functioning condition, contract-holders must tighten loose screws. We recommend that every group of occupants has a screwdriver set to hand.
Similarly, occupiers must re-fit fallen or dislodged bed slats.
Where an electrical item has stopped working due to the fuse within its plug needing to be replaced, contract-holders must replace the fuse. Our ‘How to change a plug’ webpage and video will help in this regard.
Contract-holders must keep the gardens, driveways, pathways, lawns, hedges and rockeries as neat, tidy and properly tended to as they were at the occupation date, and not remove any trees or plants.
If after reading the above points you would still like to contact us with an issue, please click the button and provide as much information as possible.