Tenant Handbook

Tenant Handbook

The Housing Association’s Tenant Handbook is given to all new and existing tenants. It contains information on the Housing Association, the type of services we provide and how to deal with maintenance issues. Click here to read our Tenant Handbook

As a tenant of the Housing Association, you are responsible for maintaining and carrying out some repairs to your home (both internally and externally). As a general rule, tenants are responsible for internal repairs and the Housing Association, as landlord, is responsible for structural repairs.

Tenant Responsibilities

Below is a list of some of your responsibilities as tenant. For a more detailed list, please refer to your Tenant Handbook, the Letting Policy or ask your Housing Officer.

Internal
  1. Any damage to windows, doors, locks or doorbells
  2. Draught proofing of rooms
  3. Repair and replacement of glazing
  4. Repair and replacement of internal doors and internal door locks, handles and hinges
  5. Maintenance, repair and replacement of letterboxes
  6. Change of locks if broken or keys lost
Electrical
  1. Responsibility for appliances
  2. Replacement of fluorescent tubes, light bulbs, smoke alarm batteries, etc.
Finishes
  1. Maintenance of curtain rails
  2. Repair or replacement of floor finishes, including adaptations
  3. Internal painting and decorating
  4. Internal plaster cracks on walls
  5. Repair of replacement of tiling (walls or floors)
Fittings
  1. Maintenance or repair of kitchen presses and counter top
  2. Maintenance or repair of wardrobes and wardrobe doors, hinges and handles
General
  1. Damage caused by a fire to personal property
  2. Maintenance or repair of stair rails or guarding
  3. Damage caused by accidents or vandalism
Heating
  1. Air locks
  2. Chimney cleaning and maintenance
Plumbing
  1. Air locks
  2. Repair of baths if damage caused (including chains and stoppers for sinks, basins and baths)
  3. Maintenance and cleaning of sanitary fittings and sinks
  4. Repair or replacement of toilet seats if damaged
  5. Repair of replacement of wash hand basin and pedestal if damaged
  6. Repair and replacement of tap washers
Windows
  1. Replacement of broken glass
  2. Cleaning of windows
  3. Maintenance, repair or replacement of window handles
  4. Maintenance, repair or replacement of window hinges, stays and catches

* Please note this is not an exhaustive list of tenant responsibilities and in some cases exceptions do apply

Landlord’s Responsibilities

Below is a list of items for which the Housing Association is responsible. These items fall under a variety of different headings including external works and internal maintenance.  If any of these maintenance issues occur, please call us on 01 223 9138 or email housing@sjog.ie or fill out the Maintenance Contact Form on the Report a Repair page.

External
  1. Maintenance repair or replacement of chimney stacks, pots and cowls
  2. Estate roads and pathways where the estate has not been taken in charge by the relevant Local Authority
  3. Structural repair of garden paths
  4. Painting of external dwelling walls (in compliance with cyclical maintenance schedule of The Housing Association)
  5. Public lighting
  6. Public sewers
  7. Repair or replacement of rain water pipes and gutters
  8. Repair and replacement of roof tiles, fascia and soffit
  9. Structural repair of sheds (if constructed by The Housing Association)
  10. Structural repair of external walls, ground floors, first floors, roof etc
  11. Communal TV aerials
Internal
  1. Communal door entry systems (i.e. to communal buildings and apartments)
  2. Cyclical painting and replacement of external doors
Electrical
  1. Responsibility for fuses
  2. Responsibility for light / cooker switches
  3. Repair or replacement of smoke alarms
  4. Maintenance, repair or replacement of sockets
  5. Repair or replacement of wiring
Finishes
  1. Replacement of ceiling
General
  1. Maintenance of internal communal areas
  2. Repair where structural damage is caused by fire
  3. Maintenance, repair or replacement of floor boards (not the floor finishes)
  4. Replacement of stair rails / guarding
  5. Structural repair or replacement of major building components
Heating
  1. Air locks
  2. Chimney cleaning and maintenance
Heating
  1. Maintenance, repair or replacement of boilers (solid fuel, oil or gas)
  2. Maintenance of central heating pumps, timers, etc.
  3. Repair or replacement of heating controls
  4. Repair or replacement of radiators
Plumbing
  1. Repair or replacement of baths
  2. Repair of burst pipes
  3. Repair or replacement of foul outlet pipes
  4. Repair of electric showers
  5. Repair or replacement of hot water or cold water supply pipes to sanitary fittings
  6. Repair or replacement of taps
  7. Repair or replacement of wash hand basin and pedestal
  8. Repair or replacement of water tank (cold)
  9. Repair or replacement of water tank (hot) including immersion
Windows
  1. Cyclical maintenance (including painting)
  2. Window replacement

* Please note exceptions to the above responsibilities apply, for example when repair is due to tenant misuse or abuse