Repairs, hygiene and waste
How to ensure a good standard of hygiene and repair and help your tenants maintain good food hygiene and waste disposal habits.
How to ensure a good standard of hygiene and repair
Regular maintenance reduces easily preventable hazards in the home.
Properties in a poor state of repair can pose a risk to an occupier’s health. Broken or missing hygiene and sanitation appliances can lead to illness, infection and can impact on tenants’ mental health.
During regular six-month inspections, you must conduct thorough visual inspections of cleaning and cooking facilities to identify broken or rotten features that may be difficult to clean. It is your duty to make sure:
- bathrooms and water closets have hand basins
- drains are be free from blockages and leaks
- broken or missing tiles or panels in bathrooms are replaced
- extraction systems are in good working order.
How to ensure good food hygiene and hygienic waste is disposal
Tenants need adequate space to store, prepare and cook food. You must:
- check the fridge and cooker are safe and working
- ensure cupboards and cupboard doors are in good repair.
- make sure food preparation surfaces like countertops and backsplashes are in good repair
- ensure there are no entry points for pests.
You must make sure there is adequate waste storage at the property and inform tenants of their refuse duties.
- check that the correct number of bins has been supplied
- show your tenant where to store bins
- show your tenant where to present bins on collection day
See our bins and recycling section for more information and the collection day bin postcode look-up.