Home maintenance

Preston City Council can advise you on how to get help with maintaining your home, whether you are a tenant or home owner.

Rented homes in disrepair

People who rent a home are not usually responsible for its structural condition and general repairs, unless this is specified in the lease. There are certain standards that a rented home must reach.

If you are a tenant and you believe your home is in disrepair, you should first write to your landlord to ask them to assess the problem and take action to rectify any defects. For more information visit the DirectGov: Making repairs in privately rented accommodation pages.

If your landlord refuses to fix a defect within a reasonable time period, despite your asking him in writing, you should contact your local Council and they will arrange to inspect the property. You can contact Preston City Council by the following methods:

• Email - housingstandards@preston.gov.uk
• Telephone - 01772 906900
• Post - Housing Standards, Environmental Health Department, Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 2RL.

The Council will then inform the landlord about defects they found during the inspection and ask them to carry out any necessary works within a certain timescale. If the landlord fails to do this then the Council can serve a notice requiring repairs to be carried out within a specified timescale.

If the landlord does not comply with the notice then the Council may carry out the works and recover costs from the landlord.

For general information on landlords and tenants responsibilities view the  repairs guide for landlords and tenants. (PDF) [423KB]