Repairs & Maintenance Policy

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The Repairs & Maintenance Policy aims to ensure we deliver a responsive service to tenants and maintain our housing stock in optimal condition, in line with the decent homes standard.

To provide a quality service we need to be efficient, effective, economic and act in the best interests of the tenant. We will meet legal responsibilities, including having appropriate insurance, and should comply with current good practice.

Where a tenant, a member of their family or a visitor causes or allows any part of the home to be damaged, we will seek to recover all the costs of any necessary repairs or renewals from the tenant.

The Decent Homes Standard aims to ensure that all social housing meets a minimum quality threshold. Specifically, it seeks to:

• Ensure homes are in a reasonable state of repair: This includes addressing any structural issues and ensuring that key building components are in good condition.
• Provide modern facilities and services: This involves ensuring homes have up-to-date kitchens, bathrooms, and adequate heating systems.
• Offer a reasonable degree of thermal comfort: This means homes should be properly insulated and have efficient heating to keep them warm.
• Meet health and safety requirements: This includes addressing hazards that could pose a risk to tenant’s health and safety.

Overall, the standard aims to improve living conditions and ensure that tenants have safe, comfortable, and well-maintained homes.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the repairs handbook.

• The structure and fabric of the building inclusive of mains underground drainage systems, gutters, external waste pipes
• Carcasses and installations associated with supplying water, gas, electricity, lifts/similar mechanical installations, sanitation systems i.e. baths, basins and toilets, space and water heating facilities where owned by the Association
• Communal areas and associated installations which directly or indirectly serve tenants’ homes
• Permanent fixtures and fittings which the tenant is not entitled to remove from the home.

And for ensuring that:

• Adequate fire precautions are taken
• Insurance and third-party liability insurance is in place
• Properties are fit for human habitation and are safe and not deemed ‘injurious to health’
• Relevant regulation and legislation are observed and maintained
• Repairs are completed well, economically, in good time and by appropriately qualified contractors
• Appropriate materials are used and meet British Standards
• The quality of repairs is monitored and, where appropriate, post-inspected.

• Keeping the interior of the home clean and in good condition
• All internal decorations, including associated repair and preparation work
• All internal doors and locks
• Replacing fuses, light bulbs, door/window keys, sink plugs and chains, toilet roll holders, personal doorbells, all other batteries and maintaining private gardens.
• Ventilating and heating the home to minimise condensation risks
• Unblocking and cleaning internal drains, wastes, traps and external gullies
• Repairing any fixture or fitting which the tenant is not entitled to remove, or which has been damaged by the tenant, family or visitors and any element/component of the structure or service installations damaged or disturbed whilst carrying out their own improvements
• Treatment and removal of vermin within your own home i.e. wasps, cockroaches, ants, mice etc.

All repairs carried out are prioritised according to the following criteria: