Handbook contents

Download the full Tenant Handbook (PDF — 385kb)

Whose responsibility?
We are responsible for carrying out all repairs and maintenance, however minor, to your home and to any furniture or fittings that we have provided. We will do this even if the repair is needed because of damage or neglect caused by you but, in that case, would almost certainly charge you for the cost of the repair.

We aim to complete repairs within a set time, according to the nature and urgency of the work needed:

• Emergencies - make safe within two hours
• Urgent repairs — within one working day
• More complex repairs - these are carried out by external contractors and we would normally try to get them completed within one week

Ordering repairs
Please report all repairs needed to the office as soon as you can. You can do so either by calling in person or by phone or e-mail. If you notice a fault or defect, even if it does not affect your own flat, please do tell us. Quite often relatively minor defects such as blocked or leaking guttering can turn into major problems if they are not tackled early on, and of course they cost more by this stage and will cause more disruption to you and your neighbours. Please do not report repairs to staff if you meet them on the estate. They will not be in a position to take all the details nor can they order the repair for you. By reporting repairs direct to the office, we can get the job moving, monitor progress and take any follow up action that might be needed.

If you need to order a repair please complete our Repairs Form

Complaints about repairs
If you have asked for a repair and are not happy with the amount of time we are taking to complete it, please discuss this with our housing officer first. If, after this, you are still not satisfied, you should take up the second then, if necessary, third stages of our complaints procedure. If you have not been able to use part of your flat or a major service like electricity has been cut off because of the disrepair, you may be able to claim financial compensation. If you want to apply for compensation, state this clearly when you register your complaint. You have a right to compensation if we fail two times to carry out urgent or emergency maintenance within the timescale above.

Emergency repairs
If an emergency repair is needed when the office is closed, please phone 07860 867 265. One of our maintenance staff will call as quickly as possible to deal with the situation. Please do not misuse this service by calling our maintenance staff in situations that are not genuine emergencies. A real emergency is a hazard that threatens the health and safety of the residents, for example burst pipes or electrical faults. Our staff will be very pleased to help you in a genuine emergency but, like you, they work hard and deserve their time off. Misuse of this service will result in a charge being made.

Gas repairs - If a gas leak is suspected then you call Transco on 0800 111999, who will be able to deal with any emergency gas problems you may have.

Decorations and planned repairs
We have a planned maintenance programme of regular repairs and decorations. We aim to paint the inside of our properties before a new tenant moves in. Because most of you will move on within two years, this is usually enough to keep the decorations in good condition. We do not allow you to decorate your home yourself because we have found that this makes it far more expensive to redecorate when you move out and it pushes up rent levels. We also carry out bulk repair programmes on a regular basis because this is cheaper than doing one-off repairs when you come in to report them.

Getting into your home to do repairs
We keep a spare set of keys for all our homes. Before you moved in, we asked you to sign a form saying that you agree to let our staff use these keys to get into your home if we need to carry out repairs. We find that this is by far the simplest way of getting repairs done quickly. It also means that you don't have to sit around at home waiting for our contractors to turn up.

Showers
All our properties are fitted with showers. Please make sure that the water does not run onto floor areas.

Keeping drains and sinks clear
Never put anything down drains that might block them. Do not pour fat or tea leaves down the sink. In addition, never put anything bulky down the toilet. Disposable nappies, sanitary towels and plastic bags will all cause blockages. These are difficult and expensive to clear and we may have to charge you if we find that you caused the problem.

Condensation
Most of the complaints we get about damp homes turn out to be caused by condensation. Condensation happens when warm moist air or steam reaches a cold surface and deposits some of its water there. Doing the washing usually causes it, hot baths or drying clothes. Condensation on walls and ceilings may cause mould growth that can damage clothes, bedding and floor coverings. If you have persistent condensation and it seems to be beyond your control, please contact our housing officer.

Tips for avoiding condensation

• Paraffin and liquid gas heaters give off water while they burn so can help cause condensation. They are also a fire risk. For both reasons we have banned the use of these heaters
• Dry clothes outside if you can. If it has to be done indoors, keep a window open
• When cooking, shut the kitchen door and use the extractor fan, if there is one fitted, so that steam can escape directly without getting into other rooms
• When having a bath or shower use the extractor fan. Keep the bathroom door closed and the window open so that the steam can escape outside
• Make sure there is sufficient heat in your flat to avoid putting cold surfaces in the path of water vapour
• Make sure there is some ventilation in each room. Never block up air bricks or other vents
• Always leave a space at the back of shelves and wardrobes and do not overfill cupboards and wardrobes. This lets air circulate around your clothes so helps prevent condensation

Satellite dishes
We will not let anyone put up a satellite dish or attach one to any of our blocks of flats because of the damage this would do to our building. All the blocks on Ducane Road have been wired for satellite television and there is a satellite dish on the top of the building. Information about satellite services and how much they cost is given in your tenants’ folder. If you live in a street property and want to get satellite television you will need our written permission first.