Services we provide

Your Question

Your housing repair questions

Are repairs dealt with at weekends?

Only emergency repairs are carried out at weekends.

How do I get a new set of keys for my council property?

If you need a new set of keys, you will need to get them cut at your own expense. If you have lost your keys and do not have a spare set, you will be charged for the cost of our workers to replace the lock.

How long will I have to wait for a housing repair?

How long it will be before your repair is carried out depends on the nature of the requested repair. You will be told by a Customer Advisor when you make the initial call, what the priority and target date is.

If my council property has been damaged by fire, who is responsible for redecoration and replacement of damaged articles?

If your council property has been damaged by fire, you, as the tenant are responsible for making good any damage. This is normally covered by standard household insurance policies, so you should make sure that you have contents insurance on your house.

What are tenants' responsibilities regarding minor repairs?

Tenants are responsible for minor repairs within their home. You must: keep your house in a reasonable state of decoration, heat and ventilate when required, maintain any garden areas. Other responsibilities include: latches and keys to doors, internal doors, smoke detector batteries and light bulbs, floor coverings, bleeding of radiators, repair of minor cracks in plasterwork, maintenance and repair of your own fittings and appliances.

What can be done about flooding by or damage from other properties in my block

Once it has been identified where the problem lies, if the property causing this issue is Council owned we will make arrangements to have the fault rectified. If the fault lies with an owner they will be approached and told to have the problem repaired. All damage caused by flooding or any other fault should be claimed through the tenant's own home insurance with the exeption of items that would require replacement such as new wall or base units, wall and ceiling boards and so on. The Council will replace these items and re-charge the the price of this work to the person who originally caused the damage.

What should I do if I have a gas leak?

Gas leaks should be reported directly to British Gas Transco - telephone 0800 111 999.

What happens if I miss an appointment to carry out a repair at my house?

A card will be left with a contact telephone number on it. Call this number to make new arrangements.

What is Right to Repair?

The Right to Repair scheme provides a minimum standard for response times for certain types of repair jobs to be carried out by the Council. The Right to Repair covers small urgent repairs costing up to £250 which, if not carried out within a specified period, are likely to jeopardise the health, safety and security of the tenant.

Do I have to pay rent if I have outstanding repairs?

Yes, it's a condition of your tenancy that you pay rent. If you decide that you wish to withhold rent because of outstanding repairs, it's important that you write to the Housing Services Manager to inform them of this.

If damage has happened to my property during domestic violence, will the repairs be rechargeable?

If you have experienced domestic violence and repairs are needed because of the actions of the perpetrator,you will not be recharged for the cost of the repairs unless there is clear evidence that you deliberately contributed to the damage.

What is a rechargeable repair?

A rechargeable repair is where a property requires repair as the result of damage or negligence caused by the tenant. So if you caused the damage, or allowed the damage to happen, whether knowingly or unknowingly, then you have to pay for it to be put right.