Repairs & Maintenance

As a tenant of Villages Housing, you can expect a prompt and efficient service when repairs are needed in and to your property. Your Tenants Handbook gives full details about our obligations for home repairs. Alternatively, you can download the Government's Right To Repair leaflet for more information. Please note that the leaflet refers to 'The Council', although the information also applies to Housing Associations.

Reporting a Repair

When you call us, give us the following details:

• Your name, address and telephone number
• Details of the problem
• How and when we can gain access to your home to carry out the work
• You can expect an emergency job to be completed within 24 hours, an urgent job within 5 working days, and a routine job within 20 working days.

For more information on our repairs service you can download our Repairs Service Standard.

If you would like to report a repair online you can easily sign up to our Open Access Service.

Female Operatives

A limited number of female operatives are available upon request for our tenants who are vulnerable (for example: a female living alone, or an elderly person, or someone with special needs).

Our contractors will endeavour to provide a feramle operative wherever possible. If this is not possible, we can arrange for a female member of Villages' staff to accompany the male operative, when they are carrying out the repair, If you request this service.

As appointments are required for such visits, please give us as much time as possible to make arrangements. We would prefer if you would make the request when reporting your repair.

Repair Priorities

What sort of job would be classed as an emergency, an urgent or a routine job?

Emergency
Break-in or breach of security to property
Tenant locked out of property
No electrics - total power failure
Structural damage to property
Burst pipe/flooding
Faulty fire system

Urgent
No heating/hot water
Other electrical faults
Re-glazing
Plumbing repairs

Routine
Minor plumbing repairs
Joinery works
Rainwater
and guttering repairs
Plastering
Repairs to fittings
Repointing
Planned repairs
Fencing repairs
Minor repairs

You can download our Right To Repair and Right to Compensation Following Improvements leaflet or you can download our Repairs Service Standard for more information.

Rechargeable Repairs

The vast majority of our tenants keep their homes in good condition but there are a few who cause damage deliberately or through neglect. Where works are required to rectify this damage, we call these 'rechargeable repairs'.

We do not want the tenants who look after their homes to pick up the bill for those other tenants have not. You are responsible for repairing damage which has occurred as a result of neglect, carelessness, accidental or wilful damage by the tenant, other residents, visitors or pets.

Typical tenants' repair responsibilities include:

• Re-glazing windows and doors
• Broken or damaged doors
• Lock changes when keys are lost
• Replacing lost keys, lock changes when keys are lost, and the cost of re-entry if tenant(s) is/are locked out
• Replacing plugs and chains
• Replacing clothes line or rotary dryers
• Maintaining the gardens and clearing rubbish
• Any repair to installations or improvements made by the tenant
• Internal redecoration
• Replacing batteries in smoke alarms
• Any other damage which Villages Housing deem to have been caused deliberately or maliciously.

What if I end my tenancy and leave the property?

When you give us notice to end your tenancy (or if you are transferring to another Villages Housing property), we will inspect and assess the condition of your property before you leave and should any damages be discovered, we will send you a letter advising you of the costs and give you the opportunity to repair or replace any damage or pay Villages Housing to do the work. Should you fail to do this, a recharge will be raised.

If we are unable to gain access until the property is empty, we will inspect and assess any damage after you have left and any costs to remove abandoned belongings, rubbish or repair any damages will be recharged to you.