Repairs and Maintenance Policy

10.1. We will aim to complete all repairs in line with the category timescales listed below:

10.2. Emergency repair - timescale 24 hours

Attend and make safe within 24 hours, if possible complete the repair. Any further works will be raised as a new job and placed within the appropriate repair category.

Emergency repairs are any defects that put the health, safety or security of properties, customers, or anyone else at immediate risk. These are things like burst pipes, blocked drains, non-secure external doors, and total loss of power.

Where possible a full repair will be carried out, if this is not possible, we will arrange a new appointment at a time convenient for the customer.

If parts are not available or it is not an emergency, we will finish the repair within the relevant category and timescale.

10.3. Routine repair - timescale 20 working days

Attend and complete the repair within 20 working days. All appointments will be made for the 'next convenient appointment'.

These are less urgent repairs such as leaks to a gutter, repairing a noisy heating system or fitting a light switch. 

By law, we must fix urgent problems in your home which could affect your health, safety, or security within a certain period. There are certain qualifying repairs for this category and must be attended within a set time frame:

• heating and hot water (March to October only) - attend within 3 working days
• leak from water pipe, tank, or cistern - attend within 3 working days
• loose or detached banister or handrail - attend within 3 working days
• partial loss of electrical supply - attend within 3 working days
• leaking Roof - attend within 7 working days

All the above are highlighted to employees by a right to repair indicator within our housing system. This ensures that the repair is attended within the correct response time.

10.4. Major repair and planned repair - timescale 90 working days

Repairs within this category may need a planning visit prior to works commencing.

Some repairs require specialist materials and/or equipment and further time to complete, these will be categorised as major or planned repairs.

Major and planned works are less urgent repairs such as renewing floor tiles/floorboards or supplying and fitting a new kitchen. Some work to your home may be carried out as part of a planned maintenance or investment programme. This covers things like outside painting, replacement windows and annual gas servicing.

We will tell you in advance when any work like this will happen.

Major and planned works may need to be inspected before the work can start. The inspector will call at your property at an agreed time.

When an item in your property needs replacing, we will try our best to use materials which are the same as the existing ones.

If this is not possible, we will replace with the items we hold in stock.

For example, if you have a coloured bathroom suite and you need a new bath, we may replace it with a standard white bath which we hold in stock.

We would not replace all items, only the ones that are required.

Major and planned works may be batched to achieve value for money. In this instance we will communicate a new timescale to you.

If your repair can't wait until the programme we will carry it out within the normal timescales. 

All rubbish will be removed from the property within a maximum of five working days of completing the repair.

Planned repairs will be carried out within 90 working days. We will keep you informed of any visits to your home.

10.5. Additional support for our customers

A customer indicator is also used to identify repairs in households where there is a registered disability, protected characteristics or circumstances that need to be considered when arranging the repair appointment.

These households may require a sooner appointment or additional support to carry out the repair.

A customer care officer may be allocated to support you through more invasive repairs.

A customer can update us at any time regarding their household or individual needs.

We will work with our customers where feasible to support them during the repair process,

10.6. Batched repairs

For value for money purposes certain repairs may be batched to achieve economies of scale in delivery. In these instances, repairs such as rebuilding of brick walls, fence and boundary maintenance and non-essential roof repairs may be completed outside of the planned 90 working day timescales. We will aim to communicate new timescales to you.

10.7. Investment works

Where replacement items are required that include major works to your home such as kitchens, bathrooms, or roof replacements we may complete minor repairs only. The replacement will then be arranged via our investment team and completed as a one off or in a programme of works to your estate. 

A full replacement will only be completed by the repair service if we deem there to be a significant health and safety risk, the element is beyond repair and/or repairs cannot be completed to make the element safe. Partial replacement of elements may be completed, and these may not be a like for like replacement or match.

10.8. Demolition of structures

While we will aim to complete repairs to structures such as outhouses, garages and some walls, there may be times where we deem them as uneconomical to repair.

In these instances, we may decide to safely demolish the structure. 

If you are renting garage from us, you will be offered an alternative garage should one be available.

Please note that for outhouses and some walls we will not be held responsible for any provision of a replacement.