Council housing repairs

To request a repair:

Emergency repairs

Any immediate risk to the health, safety or security of you or others, or to the structure of the building:

  • report it on 0131 663 7211.

Before and during a repair

We would expect you to:

  • act to prevent further damage once a fault has been identified
  • clear the area around the repair before we arrive. This may include lifting carpets, floor coverings including laminate flooring, clearing cupboards, moving furniture. If we have to do this, we may charge you.
  • keep children and pets away from the repair area.

Gas safety checks

By law the council is responsible for carrying out an annual gas service and safety check in your property.

You must allow us access to do this. We will contact you five weeks before to discuss when the engineer will call.

If we fail to gain access after 3 attempts, a process to arrange forced entry will begin.

If you have installed any gas appliances, you are responsible for ensuring they operate properly. If during the check we find any problems, the appliance will need to be capped and you will be charged.

For more information, see your Tenants Handbook (PDF).

Right to Repair

The Right to Repair Scheme means we will pay you compensation if we don't meet the required timescales for some repairs. Right to repair scheme repairs must:

You can find more information on the Right to Repair scheme page.

Repairs you are responsible for

As a tenant you are responsible for these maintenance/minor repairs:

 Within the property

  • The fittings you have installed or accepted at the start of the tenancy, such as laminate flooring, carpets, shelves, built in furniture etc
  • Fitting additional locks and their repair
  • Bleeding radiators
  • Resetting tripped switches and replacing fuses
  • Clearing blockages in the plumbing up to and including the trap
  • Regular testing of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Repair of handles and locks on the internal doors
  • Repairing minor cracks and holes in walls and ceilings that can be filled before decoration
  • All internal decoration
  • Television aerials and reception equipment, except where it is fitted by us.

 Outside the property

  • Grounds and garden area designated to the property
  • Fences, gates, driveways and garden structures not erected by the council - you could have a shared responsibility.

Our dampness and condensation policy

Vermin

Although we are not responsible for any infestation of vermin, we do have a Pest Control Service which can carry out the work for you for a charge.

Call us on 0131 561 5284 or email contactcentre@midlothian.gov.uk.

During your tenancy

At the start of the tenancy we will provide the following, but thereafter you will be responsible for:

  • light bulbs and tubes
  • plugs and chains to baths, sinks and basins
  • external door numbers
  • draught excluders kitchen vinyl floor covering, if fitted 
  • other floor coverings.

For more information on repairs, see the Tenants Handbook (PDF).

Scottish Housing Quality Standard

The Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SQHS) is used by the Scottish Government to measure housing quality in Scotland:

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