Repairs Policy Consultation

Roofs, chimneys, walls, ceilings and floors

Windows, external doors and staircases

Drains, soil and waste pipes, gutters, fall pipes and external pipes

Essential services, such as water, gas, and electricity supply systems

Gas pipes, boilers, and heating and hot water systems

Electrical wiring and installations

Bathroom and kitchen fixtures including sinks, baths, wash-hand basins, toilets and internal pipes

Internal plastering and external rendering

Investigating and fixing damp and mould issues

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms provided by the Council

External decoration

Communal areas such as hallways, stairways and shared spaces including associated lifts, door entry systems, shared television aerials, shared lighting and fire detection/prevention systems

Access and perimeter paths to properties only

The Council will maintain fixtures and fittings (at the time of letting) unless they have been installed by a tenant, with or without permission

Report the need for repairs to the Council promptly, including problems with other homes causing damage to their home

Allow the Council access to carry out repairs.

Keep the home clean and tidy and ensure a safe environment for Council employees and contractors to work in

Keep the exterior of the home within the boundary in good order

Use fixtures and fittings properly and not cause deliberate or negligent damage. This includes family, relatives, friends and pets either living at, or visiting the home

Repair and maintain their own installations

Ensure adequate ventilation to avoid condensation

Tenants have a responsibility to undertake some minor repairs (These are stated below throughout the document)

Cooker electric, replacement or repair of built in hobs and ovens in Independent Living Centres only. (Repairs not to exceed £50)

The Council is not responsible for cookers and refrigerators in Independent Living Centres.  

A telecare served bungalow is not part of an Independent Living Centre

Flooding

Gale - damage caused by gales

Garage door insecure, repair, renewal

Garage roof repair, renewal

Lift, hoist and other adapted facilities not working, make safe, repair to meet a medical need

TV points - Independent Living Centres and communal areas only where there is no alternative source

The installation of washing machines, dishwashers and tumble driers. Includes waste, supply pipes and vents. 

Where the Council has installed a new kitchen as part of a Major Improvements Programme, they will be responsible for the re-fixing of appliances

TV - individual aerials, satellite dishes or broadband (not communal aerials)

Bath leak, repair, renewal

Shower repair, renewal - where provided by the Council

Tap repair, renewal

Waste blocked

Bath panel repair and renew

De-scaling and cleaning of baths

De-scaling of showerhead

Plug & chain for baths

Tap - mixer tap provided by a tenant

Investigate and complete emergency hazard safety work and further required work regarding damp and mould

Takes account of the introduction of Awaab’s Law October 2025, to improve safety and accountability in the social housing rented sector. 

Decoration - external

-

External door - repainting of external door and frame

Other than via pre-paint programme

Decoration - internal

-

Internal door frames

-

Internal fire doors - repairs or replacement

Internal door - all repairs or replacement 

Excludes frames and internal fire doors

Foul water drains within curtilage of dwelling blocked, leak, repair, alterations following make safe

-

Gulley unblock

Tenant responsible for keeping gulley grates clear of leaves and debris.

Gulley grate renewal

Soil-stack leak, blockage, renewal

Soakaway unblock, repair, renewal

Electric fittings and appliances installed by tenant 

The Council will make safe where necessary and recharge tenants

Fuses and resetting trip switches

Except where a tenant has a specific need or requires a reasonable adjustment

Lightbulbs, including fluorescent tubes, strip-lights

Except where a tenant has a specific need or requires a reasonable adjustment

Plug (electric)

Canopy - make safe, repair, renewal

Where not erected by tenant

Clothes post

Coalbunker repair or renew existing only

Leak - investigate underground leak and make temporary repair, where Council responsibility only

Manhole cover - repair or replace broken cover where Council responsibility only

Paths, paved/concreted/tarmac areas, access and perimeter paths to properties provided by the Council - repair or renewal

Porch repair - where specifically erected by the Council, or where the porch was built as part of the main dwelling’s original structure

Clothes airer or rotary dryers

Except where a tenant has a specific need or requires a reasonable adjustment

Extensions - any structure built by a tenant with/without approval

 -

Paths, drives, other than access and perimeter, paved areas and hard standings not provided by the Council

Where tenants have created/constructed their own paved, concrete or tarmacadam area then this will be their own responsibility

Porch repair – any porch/structure not specifically erected by the Council, or not where the porch was built as part of the main dwelling’s original structure

This is the tenant’s own responsibility to maintain

Porch or secondary door - external. Where the tenant has erected a second external door to enclose an area or to form a porch

The only exception is if the porch has been left in situ at the point of the property being vacated and relet, and has been adopted by the Council

Shed or garden fixtures - repair or replacement, unless installed by the Council

 -

Gate - where access for public right of way or open space

Repair if possible, otherwise make safe

Gates wooden / metal repair, renewal

Renewal only if a health and safety risk is identified, otherwise completed as annual planned works

Fencing repair or replace

Repair where possible. However, to meet Council’s commitment in maintaining Decent Neighbourhoods and where an existing fence cannot be economically repaired, any replacement will be in timber 3ft high where possible, to match what is already in situ, otherwise in timber fence panel and posts. Where replacement is identified but there is no health and safety risk then works will be completed as annual planned works.

Gate - hinges and latches (excluding metal gates)

-

Floorboard, timber flooring, concrete flooring repair

-

Floor renewal of solid/concrete or timber floor

Flooring repair or replacement – only if supplied by the Council

Floor tiles repair or replacement – only if supplied by the Council

Floorcoverings, unless provided by the Council

-

Gas leak

Via Council gas contractor

Re-glazing – external doors

Recharged to tenant, except where a crime/incident number is provided

Where caused through vandalism, work will only commence once a police crime/incident number has been provided specific to the repair.

Re-glazing - windows

Recharged to tenant, except where a crime/incident number is provided

Where caused through vandalism, work will only commence once a police crime/incident number has been provided specific to the repair

Re-glazing – internal

Recharged to tenant

Boiler (including back boiler) repair, renewal

-

Cylinder renewal for all heating types

Fire appliance glass repair, renewal

Fire parts, grates, bricks, fire-backs etc

Flue blocked to heating appliance or open fire

Fireplace surround & hearth renewal

Fireplace surround & hearth tiling

Fumes (fumes, smoke, gas or solid-fuel boiler)

Heating programmer renewal

Heating repair (total or partial loss of space or water heating)

Hot water cylinder leak

Immersion heater repair, renewal

Pump - heating pump repair, renewal

Radiator leak, repair, renewal

Cylinder jackets

Radiator valve top renewal

Bannister, grab rail or handrail – repair, renewal

-

Pipe-boxing repair, renewal

Skirting board re-fix, repair, renewal

Stair tread repair, renewal

Toilet door will not close or stay closed

Coat and hat hooks or rails

-

Curtain rails or battens

Draught excluder (installing or renewing existing)

Shelving

Kitchen unit repair

A colour match may not be guaranteed

Kitchen unit renewal

Renewed for health and safety reasons only, otherwise completed as annual planned work. A colour match may not be guaranteed

Worktop refix, repair, renewal

A colour match may not be guaranteed

Feed tank renewal

-

Overflow

Pipe leak

Pipe work repair, renewal

Stop tap leak, repair, renewal

Tank leak

Valve leak, repair, renewal

Pipe - internal blocked

-

Pipe - internal frozen (excludes solid-fuel heating systems) unless exceptional weather conditions are identified

Wastepipe - refix or loose external wastepipe, applies to ground floor only

Plastering to walls and ceilings - cracks above 6mm and holes above 25mm

-

Plastering to walls and ceilings

Sill tile refix, renewal

Wall tile re-fix, renewal, including splash-back tiles

Plastering to walls and ceilings (small holes and cracks) - cracks less than 6mm and holes less than 25mm

Only if causing damage to property, otherwise will be completed as annual planned works

Wall tiles (individual wall tiles to wash basins and kitchen sinks only. Not baths and showers)

Chimney pot or cowl refix, renewal

-

Chimney stack make safe, repair

Fascia’s, soffits and bargeboards repair, renewal

Roof leak repair

Roof tile repair, refix, renewal

Sink repair, replacement of sink waste, fittings or brackets

-

Sink unit top re-fix

Sink unit repair, renewal

Tap - repair or replacement

Does not include mixer taps fitted by tenant

Wash basin re-fix or renewal

Waste blocked

De-scaling and cleaning of sinks and wash basins

-

Plug & chain for sinks and wash basins

Tap (mixer tap provided by a tenant)

Smoke detectors (repair or replace as necessary) hard wired only

-

Smoke alarm and batteries (if battery operated)

-

Toilet flush, flush pipe, leak, repair

-

Toilet handle re-fix, renewal

Toilet pull chains, cords to high-level cisterns

Toilet seat and flap refix, renewal - where tenant is senior citizen, where reasonable adjustments are needed, or in properties with adaptations

De-scaling and cleaning of toilets

-

Toilet seat and flap refix, renewal

Brickwork make safe

-

Replacement of missing bricks

Brickwork repair

Brickwork repointing

Rendering repair, renewal

Walling repair, rebuild sections of walling

Repair only where there is a health and safety issue if not attended to. Otherwise works will be completed as annual planned works

Vents - hit and miss air vents, excluding gas vent

-

Water supply – total, partial loss

-

Sill repair, renewal

-

Window insecure and boarding up

Window repair, renewal

Communal external door insecure

-

entry system (communal)

fitting to communal stairwells and areas

Maintenance to communal areas

Stair tread to communal stairwell

For situations posing a danger to either the occupants or public, or if left unattended could cause serious damage to the building, a same working day response will be initiated.

Emergency repairs are to be completed within four hours of report. 

Very Urgent Response - within one working day

Risks to health and safety, but with no immediate danger to the occupants, public or property are responded to within one working day. 

For situations posing an immediate danger to occupants, the public, or the building, emergency make safe work/repairs will still be completed within four hours of a report.

Urgent Response - within three working days
Works to be carried out quickly to overcome serious inconvenience and damage to the property. 

Non Urgent - within 15 working days
Non-urgent routine repairs that will not cause damage to the property.

Non Urgent - within 30 working days
These are still non-urgent routine repairs that will not cause damage to the property and will now be carried out within 30 working days, by appointment at the tenant’s convenience.

This is to enable the Council’s Repair Service to complete repair work on the initial visit wherever possible, rather than relying on further follow-up work which has to be re-ordered and causes delays to repairs. This has resulted in many enquiries and complaints from tenants.

Planned Repairs - within 13 weeks
For individual items which through assessment have been identified as a risk to Health and Safety or Security if not repaired or replaced in the short term. Usually of a higher cost and in many cases requiring specialist contractors or materials to be manufactured, these works require planning.

Programmed Repairs - within 13 weeks
The same repairs will now be classed as ‘Programmed Repairs’, not ‘Planned Repairs’.

Planned Repairs (R52) – Within 52 weeks
The same repairs will now be classed as ‘Planned Repairs’, not ‘Major Programmed’ repairs.

Out of Hours - within 2 hours
Situations outside of normal working hours posing a health and safety or security risk, or danger to either the occupants or public, or if left unattended could cause serious damage to the building.

Out of hours repairs (Call outs) - within 4 hours
Out of hours response times for emergency work will be 4 hours and re-aligned with ‘Emergency’ 4 hour work as above. 

Where imminent hazards are identified or to help tenants in meeting a particular need, the Council may still prioritise work for a response time of 2 hours. 

In addition, to assist tenants, flexibility may be applied at times regarding which out-of-hours work can be done, depending on individual circumstances and needs.