REPAIR RESPONSIBILITY Who does what and when?
We will maintain our homes to a good state of repair and meet our legal obligations, as well as our customers’ expectations. The terms of each tenant’s tenancy is set out in your tenancy agreement. This booklet is not part of that tenancy agreement and does not change the terms of the tenancy. If there is any discrepancy between the terms of this booklet and the tenancy, the terms of the tenancy shall prevail. Jane Keegan Asset Director - South & Greater Manchester
YHG SERVICE AIMS The Repair Service aims to: Resolve the fault at the first visit, wherever possible Deliver high quality work in a courteous manner Be cost effective and provide value for money Be responsive to customer needs and expectations 2
D E F I N I T I O N (Housemark) YHG defines a repair or responsive repair as minor / unplanned work that is reported by tenants, or which arise from damage* / wear and tear to communal areas and common parts. It does not include repairs undertaken as part of a planned maintenance programme, or those undertaken to empty properties. * Tenants will be charged for damage caused by them, their family, pets or visitors to their home. Typical examples of a responsive repair are: • Flooding, burst pipes and other general plumbing faults • Loss of electrical supply, unsafe electrical fittings or other minor electrical faults (excluding light bulb changes and tenant’s own appliances) • Joinery repairs • Roof leaks • A more comprehensive list of eligible repairs can be seen in Table 1, along with the quick reference guide, starting at page 13. Responsive repairs are not part of: • Regular maintenance programmes - e.g. lifts, electrical testing or painting • Programmed maintenance - e.g. packaged works such as fencing programmes, kitchen/bathroom/window/door replacement programmes or paving programmes • Aids and adaptations work
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R E P O RT I N G R E S P O N S I V E R E PA I R S YHG offers a range of ways for customers to report repairs: Via the YHG website - www.yourhousinggroup.co.uk Via email to - response@yourhousinggroup.co.uk By telephone to Your Response - 24 hours a day on 0345 345 0272 Local office or to a member of staff R E PA I R P R I O R I T I E S Table 1 provides an overview of how YHG prioritises responsive repairs. In addition, YHG will try and provide flexibility for customers in terms of: • Customer’s vulnerability e.g. does the customer’s situation increase the urgency • Seriousness of fault • Personal choice e.g. school run, working hours, caring responsibilities • Appointments
Table 1
Category
Response time
Description
Example of repair
Emergency
Within 3 hours
Fault with a serious risk to tenant or property
Electrics and water mixing
Priority
Within 24 hours
Where a 7 day wait is too long
No heating with no alternative available
Urgent
Within 7 calendar days
You will receive an appointment for when the repair will be looked at
Plumbing or roof leaks
Routine and minor
Within 21 calendar days
You will receive an appointment for when the repair will be looked at
Minor gutter leaks, door adjustments
Improvements
Certain types of work will be grouped together
New kitchens or bathrooms
All timescales in Table 1 are subject to access being provided by you to YHG employees and contractors. What is an emergency repair? An emergency repair will be undertaken when the fault carries the risk of immediate injury to people or major damage to property. We will visit the property on the same day of the report to make the situation safe. Further work may be required to complete the repair satisfactorily. Examples of emergency repairs are: • Electrical fittings in contact with water • Live or bare electric wiring • Sewage overflowing into the home • Burst storage tanks, cylinders or pipes • Failure of all lights or all power • Failure of all communal lighting • Gas escape or fumes – tenant must call the NATIONAL GRID on 0800 111 999 and then report to Your Response, if safe to do so. What if an emergency repair occurs outside working hours? We will attend the property as described above. What is a priority repair? A priority repair will be attended to within 24 hours. Such repairs like the ones described above, but by careful management, do not pose a serious threat to you, your visitors or the property. 5
Examples of priority repairs are: • A fitting that sparks when turned on or off • A blocked toilet* • Failure of some lights or power to certain parts • Failure of heating systems in severe weather and where no alternative is available • Failure of some communal lighting e.g. stairwells * If the blocked toilet has been caused by you, you will be charged for this repair
What is an urgent repair? An urgent repair will be attended to within 7 calendar days. Examples of urgent repairs are: • Fault with an electrical fitting • Fault with water heating circuits • Fault with electrical heating systems • Ball valve faults at storage tanks or WC cisterns • Small leaks in WC flush pipes, waste pipes, traps, valves or radiators • Blockages in sewers or drains* • Major water penetration at external doors or windows • Failure of some lights or power to certain parts • Failure of heating systems * If the blockage is found to be caused by you, you will be charged for this repair 6
What is a routine or minor repair? A routine repair will usually be completed within 21 calendar days. The exception to this is where we already have a planned programme of maintenance that will include your repair. Examples of routine repairs are: • Cleaning or repairing gutters or downpipes • Easing or re-fitting doors or window-sashes • Plasterwork repairs • Repairs to floors or floor tiling • Repairs to internal or external doors or frames • Chimney pots, stacks, cowls or caps • Roof tiles or lead flashings • Working kitchen fittings and work tops YHG RESPONSIBILITIES As your landlord, we are responsible for the structure, services and common parts of the property including: • Drains, gutters and outside pipes • Roof • External walls, doors and windows (excluding the glass) • Communal aerials • The installations for supplying water, gas and electricity and for the removal of sanitation • The installations and appliances for heating the property and for hot water • Fixtures and fittings that YHG has installed
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• Pathways and steps providing access to the front and back door of the property • Garages and outside storage • Lifts and other communal facilities • External painting of woodwork/metalwork R E PA I R A P P O I N T M E N T S Individually agreed appointments will be made with customers for all nonemergency, non-communal responsive repairs. We will try and meet all the appointments we make and if we have your telephone number, we will text you to remind you of the appointment. If we need to change your appointment, we will give you at least 2 hours notice and you should tell us if you need to change the appointment given. Appointments are available as follows
08:00 to 13:00
12:00 to 17:00
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Appointments available until 20:00
Friday Saturday Sunday 8
Out of hours service Out of hours service, includes all Bank Holidays
Out of hours appointments are available every day in cases of emergency
R E S O LV I N G FA U LT S / R E PA I R S It is our aim to resolve the majority of faults/repairs within one visit. However, this is not always possible if the repair turns out to be more complex than first thought. Examples of where a responsive repair may require more than one visit are: • When an emergency repair has been undertaken to make the situation safe but further work is required to fix it e.g. mend a ceiling after a leak • Follow on work may be required if specialist parts are needed or the initial repair uncovers further work e.g. a blocked drain uncovers a drain collapse You will be kept informed and additional appointments made to inspect and carry out work to resolve the fault. Our aim is to ensure that the cause of the initial repair is resolved and that you are made aware of any further work required or whether further work will be undertaken in a future programme of work. It is our intention to resolve all repairs of this nature within 30 days of the initial repair diagnosis. In a minority of cases this may take longer if specialist items are needed, for example, a new external door or specialist equipment.
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CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES Under the terms of your tenancy agreement, you have a number of obligations relating to your home once you accept the keys. These include, but are not limited to: • Keeping the property to a good standard of cleanliness, repair and decoration • Decorating the inside of your property • Reporting a repair as soon as you notice that it is needed and to avoid the situation from getting worse • Allowing access to your home to allow repairs to be carried out, annual safety checks to be done (for example gas safety checks), any other services and for any inspections that may be required • Ensuring external air bricks and internal vents are free from any obstructions to ensure suitable ventilation for gas appliances, solid fuel appliances and condensation issues 10
• Keeping any shared areas e.g. communal hallways, stairways, landings, lifts, balconies etc. in a tidy condition and unblocked • Seeking YHG’s permission prior to making any improvements to your home, or any additions or alterations to YHG’s installations, fixtures and fittings. Reasonable requests will not be refused but you must ensure that appropriately qualified people install your new fixtures and fittings. For example, you might want to replace or install a new gas cooker. A gas safe registered engineer must undertake this work and the appropriate paperwork must be supplied to YHG. Failure to do so will mean that YHG will charge you for checking your new installation. • Clearing away rubbish • Taking action that will prevent and control condensation. For example, opening windows to allow fresh air to circulate • Taking action to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting
You will also be responsible for minor repairs to your home These include but are not limited to: • Replacement of electrical fuses and light bulbs
• Replacement of keys/fobs if you lose them
• Care of electricity, gas and water meters
• Replacement and repair of window glass
• Keeping the general appearance of the property and gardens in good condition
• Replacing clothes lines and posts (except in communal areas)
• Internal decoration • Draining of the water supply when away for any extended period, particularly in the winter months from October to April • Clearing outside surface drains e.g. leaves from grids • Replacing plugs and chains to wash hand basins, baths and sinks • Replacement of toilet seats • Repair and replacement of internal door furniture, locks, latches and coat hooks • Replacement of any items damaged by you, your family or any visitors
• Infestation clearance e.g. mice/rats etc • Internal and external clearing of domestic pet foul from cats, dogs or other pets • Items gifted to you at the start of the tenancy If you leave your property, it should be returned to YHG in the condition you received it, so that someone else can move straight in. Any repairs we find that are your responsibility or which have been carried out in an unsatisfactory manner, will be charged to you.
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F O R S TA F F What is included under repair and maintenance contracts? • Repairs to the structure and fabric of the property, including any communal areas and including windows, roofs, doors, pipes and gutters • Structural fixtures and fittings of the building, including internal doors, kitchen units, sanitary ware, internal joinery, cupboards and fireplaces • All water, gas, electric, sanitation, space and water heating systems installed by YHG • Communal lighting • All fire fighting and detection equipment supplied by us Which repairs are NOT included? • To replace one window would be covered under the repair and maintenance contract but what if 12 are requested at the same time? They would not be acceptable to our partners and should be put into a planned programme of work
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• Any work that could be deemed not to be a responsive repair e.g. fitting new curtain poles, fitting of a new door entry system, replacing a garage door and frame, the replacement of items that are deemed to be beyond economic repair • Work that should be put into a planned programme e.g. multiple window replacement, multiple storage heater replacement, fencing programmes, roofs etc. What is a rechargeable repair? • Rechargeable repairs are those which the tenant has responsibility for, whether they live in general needs, supported or sheltered accommodation. The list shown under Customer Responsibilities gives a clear indication of what should be charged to a tenant, their family or visitors to their home who have caused wilful or accidental damage.
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE - WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? YHG is responsible for maintaining:
• Any communal areas
• The structure and outside of your home
You are responsible for the repair if:
• The fixtures and fittings we have provided
• You, your family or visitors cause the damage
Bathroom / Kitchen / Plumbing Type of repair
Who is responsible YHG
YOU
Basin or sink replacement Bath panel replacement Blocked bath, basin, sink and shower Broken toilet seat Plug or chain replacement Plumbing/fitting your own appliances. Must be undertaken to Gas Safe or NICEIC Regulations and certification provided to YHG Sealant replacement for kitchen units and sanitary fittings Shower curtain replacement Tap washer replacement (to stop dripping) Unblocking of external waste pipes Water supply and water pipes
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Gas Type of repair
Internal Who is responsible
YHG
YOU
Type of repair
Bleeding radiators and relighting a pilot light
Communal areas (unless damage has been caused by you)
Chimneys Fireplaces, fitted fires and central heating systems
Cracks (minor in walls or ceilings. Generally smaller than the edge of ÂŁ1 coin)
Fires fitted by you
Cracks (major in walls or ceilings)
Gas pipes and appliances provided by us Water heaters
Curtain pole, rail or track replacement Damage caused by you to the property, fixtures or fittings
Electrical
Door changes to accommodate carpets, including re-fixing of any draught excluders
Electrical wiring including sockets and switches
Door bell replacement or fitting (including batteries)
Fluorescent tubes and starter motors
Doors and frames
Fuse box - resetting of a trip switch Fuses and light bulbs
Door hinges and skirting Draught proofing Fixtures and fittings provided by us
Who is responsible YHG
YOU
Internal Type of repair Fitting additional locks, catches, safety devices (spy hole, safety chain, burglar alarm etc) Fixtures you have fitted (flooring, shelves etc) Handles and latches on inside doors and cupboards Keys or fobs Painting and decorating including papering, woodwork and coving Pests – general infestation of a neighbourhood Pests – individual property Smoke alarm (battery powered) testing or replacement
External Who is responsible YHG
YOU
Type of repair
Who is responsible YHG
YOU
Boundary walls and fencing Doors Door steps Drains, gutters and external pipes Dustbin replacement Garages and stores (excluding sheds) Overall structure of your home Painting Paths and walkways where shared or main access to property Roof
TV aerial or satellite dish you have had fitted
Walls
TV aerial or satellite dish we have fit for communal use
Washing lines or rotary dryers
Walls, floors and ceilings
Window sills, catches, sash cords and window frames
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