Home maintenance
Homes often have issues that require maintenance. These issues might be caused by shoddy building work, supplies, or everyday wear and tear. For a safe and healthy home, let's look at a few of the problems you might come across.
Energy efficiency and heating
If you rent your home and you want to make it more energy efficient, contact your landlord to discuss your options. You must get your landlord’s permission to make improvements and agree what must be paid for by you.
Your landlord must meet the minimum energy efficiency standards for an energy performance certificate rating of E. View our landlord and tenancy guidance for energy efficiency.
Our home energy support pages have more information.
Damp and mould
Having a damp home can cause it to be cold and grow mould, which can contribute to sickness and allergies for you. You might experience damp and mould in your home for many reasons, such as poor or inadequate:
- design, materials, and construction of the home (for example, look for wet or dry rot and stains on walls or ceilings)
- maintenance, when damage is left to worsen
- living behaviours, such as not heating, cleaning, and airing your home as needed.
Drainage
Home drainage
If you own a septic tank or cesspit, it is your responsibility to maintain these and the connecting pipework from your building and property boundaries. If you experience issues with a septic tank or cesspit, call the Environment Agency on 03708 506506
If you experience drainage issues with the public sewer system, report it to us.
Road drainage
If a road is flooded or a drain in a road is blocked, report this to Island Roads