We are responsible for carrying out a number of repairs to your home. These include repairs to the water, gas, heating, hot water and power supplies. There are some repairs and small jobs to your home that, under the terms of your tenancy agreement, you are responsible for.
Residents can report a repair in a number of ways, but before you do please:
- Check whether you are responsible for the repair as it may be that you need to carry it out yourself
- Read through the information on this page to find out about our repairs process
- Have as much information as possible to hand when you call or email us
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What happens when you report a repair
- We will assess the repair
- We will communicate with you about the repair, including how long this will take
- We will put the details onto our system
- We will arrange the repair
- We will place an order with a contractor. If necessary, we may arrange for someone to visit your home to assess the problem before placing an order. If it is an emergency, we will ask you to stay at home until the contractor arrives. For urgent and routine repairs, our contractors will contact you directly to arrange a good time.
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Repairs appointments
We offer appointments for non-emergency repairs, and our contractors will phone you to make arrangements. It is important that you keep appointments or let us know in advance if you are unable to.
How to prepare for your repair appointment:
- Let us know if you are hard of hearing or if you will take time getting to your door
- Arrange for a responsible adult (someone who is at least 18 years old) to be at home on the day of your appointment to allow the contractor into your home and to stay in while the repair is being done
- Make sure your prepayment meter for electricity or gas is in credit. Contractors may need to use these to carry out checks
- Put away any breakable or valuable items so they don’t get accidentally damaged.
We will tell you if you need to move or protect any furniture, or if you need to take up floor coverings, such as carpets or laminate. You should do this before the contractor arrives. If you are having difficulties with this, please let us know.
When the contractor arrives:
- Check their identity card. Before you let anyone into your home, you should make sure they are genuine. If they are calling to carry out a repair service or inspection, you can also ask to see their work instructions
- Keep your children safe while work is being done and keep any pets you have in your home out of the way
- You should stop smoking before our contractors and staff arrive and not smoke whilst they are in your home. They must have a smoke-free environment to carry out the work.
For some repairs, the contractor may use the first appointment to measure for materials. They will then arrange with you a suitable time to come back to do the repair.
In bad weather we will always make things safe but contractors may not be able to carry out repairs to the outside of the building. This is for their own safety.
Contractors working in your home must:
- Show respect for you and your home at all times
- Treat all details about you in confidence
- Introduce themselves and show you their identity card
- Show consideration to the needs of disabled and vulnerable tenants
- Explain what they are going to do and how long they expect it to take
- Close doors and gates when coming in and out of your home
- Make sure that the materials and tools they use, including scaffolding and controlled substances, do not cause danger to anyone in your home
- Protect your belongings from damage, dust and paint
- Make sure that electricity, water and gas are connected at the end of the day
- Clear rubbish they have produced from your home at the end of each working day.
Contractors are not allowed to:
- Smoke, drink alcohol or play radios
- Use mobile phones, unless it is to deal with matters relating to the work
- Move your belongings without permission and without you being present
- Receive gifts (including money) from tenants or members of the household
- Be left in your home alone
- Keep keys to your home
- Carry out private work for you.
Also, they must ask your permission to:
- Use any of your belongings, such as ladders or chairs
- Use your phone
- Use your toilet or go into other rooms in your home
- Take their lunch break in your home
- Use your electricity supply.
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Emergency repairs
Repairs are considered an ‘emergency’ where there is either a risk to someone’s life or a risk of serious injury if not repaired immediately. This includes repairs that cannot wait until the next morning.
An emergency repair will be dealt with as quickly as possible. We expect tenants to remain in the property, if safe to do so, and that access will be given to our contractors.
The contractor who visits may only do the necessary work to make your home safe. A further appointment may then be required to finish the repair. If you call out a contractor for non-emergency repairs you may be recharged if those repairs are not deemed an emergency.
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Repairs service monitoring
We look at the performance of all our contractors to ensure they are giving a good service. Your feedback is very important to us. We will send you a text message shortly before your repair is due to be completed. We ask for you to respond to this text survey to confirm that the works have been completed and to a satisfactory standard. If this is not the case, we will follow up your repair with the contractor and let you know of any further action.
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Your Right to Repair
If we fail to carry out certain repairs without good reason or outside of the agreed timescales, you have the right to carry them out and claim the back money from us. You must have our permission before you start work.
This is known as your Right to Repair. There is a procedure you need to follow if you want to do this. The scheme is complicated and it is best if you seek guidance from Citizens Advice or your solicitor first. We will not make any payment unless you have our permission in writing.
For more details of the scheme please contact us.
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Planned home improvements
We carry out planned works to look after and improve our properties. This work can include the replacement of kitchens, bathrooms, windows, roofs, and improvements to energy efficiency and external decoration.
When an inspection is due, we will always contact you well in advance. We will always consult you before any works are carried out in your home.
How long will my repair take?
We group repairs according to whether they are an emergency, urgent or routine. The times are measured from the date you report the problem to us.
We may need to look at the repair before work can be ordered especially if we think it needs a spare part. We do this by appointment within the response period.
Frequently asked questions
What if I can only be in at certain times?
- When you report a repair please let us know what times of day are convenient for you. If you can’t be in during our contractors’ normal working hours, you could arrange for a neighbour, relative or friend to wait in for you. This person must be a responsible adult and must stay in the home while the contractor does the work.
What if I can’t keep an appointment?
- If you can't make an appointment, you will need to contact the contractor directly to rearrange.
If you are not in when the contractor comes to do a repair, they will leave a card telling you that your repair has been cancelled. You'll need to call us again if you still want to have the repair carried out.
What if I can’t carry out my responsibilities?
- You must take care of the inside of your home and do certain repairs. If you are elderly or disabled and have no one who can help you with these repairs, we may be able to help you or put you in touch with organisations that can help. Sometimes, for reasons of safety or security, we have to carry out repairs that are your responsibility. Where this is the case, we will charge you the full cost of the repair. Please contact us if you need further help or advice.
Do I have to pay for any repairs?
- If damage was caused by you or someone in your home (or police forced entry), we expect you to repair it or arrange for someone to do it for you. If a repair is the result of a break in or vandalism, we will only carry out work to make your home safe.
What standard of service can I expect?
- We will respond to repair problems in an efficient and helpful way. All repairs are carried out by our contractors who are committed to working to a high standard of workmanship. Anyone working in or around your home must follow certain rules of behaviour.
Do you check the quality of the repair work?
- We carry out regular checks to make sure that we are providing a good standard of service.
We also rely on you to let us know what you think of the work we do. We will send you a text message shortly before your repair is due to be completed. We ask for you to respond to this text survey to confirm that the works have been completed and to a satisfactory standard.
Can I make suggestions about the service?
- We welcome your comments on the services we provide. Although we aim to get our services right, there are times when things go wrong. We also hope that you would like to tell us when we are doing things right. Your feedback is important and helps us to improve our services.
You can provide your feedback in a number of ways:
- Contact us by phone or email
- Send us your feedback
- Through MyHastoe, the online resident portal
Can I claim for damage to my property?
- If damage was caused by our contractors, you need to report the problem to us. You are responsible for all other damage, for example accidental damage. You should take out home contents insurance to help you pay for this.
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