Repairs FAQ

Below is a list of our most frequently asked questions regarding repairs.

What repairs are Wyre Forest Community Housing responsible for?
What repairs are tenants responsible for?
What are the priorities for repairs?
How to report a repair
Who carries out the work?
How long will it take to carry out the repair?
What should you do in an emergency?
What if work takes longer than expected?
Servicing heating systems
What if you are out when the contractors call?
Checking the standard and quality of the repair work
Will I be charged for any improvement or repairs?
How much does it cost?
Planned maintenance
The modernisation and improvement programme
Can I carry out improvements to my home?
What happens if you refuse to give me permission?
Will improvements I carry out increase my rent?
Will I have any money back for the improvements when I leave?
Helpful advice

1. What repairs are Wyre Forest Community Housing responsible for?

We are responsible for repairs to:

the structure of your home
services to your home from your meters (such as water, gas and electricity)
shared areas

If a repair is not our responsibility, we will tell you why.

2. What repairs are tenants responsible for?

You must take reasonable care of your home, and report any repairs or faults to us straight away. If you have applied to buy your home, we will only carry out basic repairs the law asks us to do. Once you have bought your home, you are responsible for all repairs. You are also responsible for any changes you make or agree to take on as part of an exchange.

3. What are the priorities for repairs

There are different priorities for repairs.
Priority 1 – we will make safe within 24 hours
Priority 2 – we will complete within 3 working days
Priority 3 – we will complete within 7 calendar days
Priority 4 – we will complete within 15 working days
Priority 5 – we will complete within 1 calendar month
Priority 6 – planned maintenance work (we will tell you when this is due to be carried out)

4. How to report a repair

You can report a repair at any area office, online here or by calling the Freephone Repairs Hotline on 0800 169 5454. Give your name, address and as much detail as you can about the problem.

5. Who carries out the work?

We have our own Property Services Team to carry out our repairs. Inspectors we employ often carry out inspections, before we arrange work, to decide exactly what we need to do. If the work needs to be done by a specialist contractor, we will let you know who that will be.

6. How long will it take to carry out the repair?

Once we have received notice of your repair, we aim to contact you on the next working day to arrange a time for us to visit your property and carry out the repair. If we are not able to carry out the work when we visit (for example, because we need special materials which we do not have with us), we will arrange a new appointment with you and make sure that the work will be completed within our normal timescales. The repairs chart will give you an idea of when this will be.

7. What should you do in an emergency?

If you have an emergency repair during our normal working hours of 9am to 5pm, you should call our Repairs Hotline on 0800 169 5454. After 5pm, you should call 01562 850053 to be connected to our out-of-hours emergency service.

Emergency repairs are ones which are needed to avoid a serious health and safety risk or prevent serious damage to the structure of your home. They include repairs for the following problems.

Burst pipes
Gas or electrical faults
Fire damage
Blocked toilet drains and a blocked toilet (if a home only has one)

We usually respond to emergencies within three hours but definitely within 24 hours. Sometimes, we will only carry out a temporary repair and do the full repair soon after.

8. What if work takes longer than expected?

If we need more time to complete a repair, we will make another appointment with you before we leave. Some complicated repairs may take longer if parts need to be ordered or made. If this is the case, we will keep you up to date with what is happening.

9. Servicing heating systems

We will service your gas heating system each year to check that it is working efficiently and safely. Our contractors will tell you when they are in the area. If this time is not convenient, you can rearrange their visit for another more suitable time.

We also check electric and solid-fuel (for example, coal) systems each year.

When you first move into your property, you or your housing officer will need to make an appointment with our contractors for them to carry out a 'test and commission' on your gas system. This makes sure that the gas appliances are safe to use. We will need to do this before you use the system. You will need to make sure that you have both gas and electric supplies on at the property and that they are both in credit before our contractors visit.

10. What if you are out when the contractors call?

If the contractors have a contact telephone number for you, they will leave a message on your answerphone. If you do not have a telephone they will leave a card through the door to tell you that they have called and asking you to contact them to make another appointment. If you know in advance that you can not keep an appointment which has been made for you, simply call the Repairs Hotline on 0800 169 5454 and we will make another appointment with you.

If one of our employees fails to turn up for an appointment without giving you 24 hours' notice, we will pay you compensation in line with our compensation policy.

11. Checking the standard and quality of the repair work

We expect our teams to carry out the work in your home without causing too much disruption or nuisance, and they should leave your home clean and tidy. To check the quality of the work, we inspect around 10% of the repairs we do, to make sure the work has been done well. If our teams or a contractor have caused damage while they were working your home, you must let us know. We also rely on you to let us know if you are not happy with any part of the work we have carried out.

12. Will I be charged for any improvement or repairs?

If repairs are needed because you have neglected your home or deliberately damaged it, we will charge you for the cost of the work. We will tell you within two working days if we plan to charge you for repairs and why. Once we have completed the repairs, we will send you a statement of the costs within 10 working days.

If we improve your home through the modernisation and improvement programme, we will increase your rent to cover the cost.

13. How much does it cost?

We aim to give you value for money, while providing a high-quality service. We use the National Housing Federation Schedule of Rates for work our own teams carry out, and look for competitive quotes for the work we need to be carried out by other contractors.

14. Planned maintenance

We aim to visit homes in your area every six years to carry out planned maintenance. The sort of work this covers includes the following.

Outside painting
Repairs to outside woodwork
Repairs to gutters and pipework

15. The modernisation and improvement programme

We usually carry out major improvements outside of the normal repairs system. This is called the modernisation and improvement programme. These schemes can include fitting central heating, new kitchens and bathrooms. The work is carried out through our Asset Management Team.

16. Can I carry out improvements to my home?

Yes, every tenant has the right to improve their home. You need permission and you must carry out the work to the guidelines we give you. We will only refuse permission if the work could cause us expense or difficulty letting the home in the future. You must ask permission for most changes you make to your home. Just follow these simple guidelines.

Contact your Area Office for an application form. Normally we will let you know within 10 working days if you can go ahead with the work. You need our permission before you start any work.
Get building and planning permission if necessary
Follow the advice and guidance notes your housing officer gives you
You are normally responsible for repairing any damage to your or your neighbour’s home, and repairing, maintaining or replacing any part of the improvement work
Let your housing officer know when the work is finished so we can inspect it. We will need to do this if the work involved making changes to the structure of the property
When you move home, leave fittings in good condition or replace them
Follow the advice we give you before you start work. If the work does not reach the necessary standard, or if you cause damage to our property, we will charge you for any work we have to carry out

Here are a few examples of the types of improvements you will need permission for

Decorating the outside of your home
Putting in extra electric sockets
Installing more room heaters
Building a shed, greenhouse or pigeon loft
Fitting a new bathroom suite
Fitting new kitchen units or replacing existing ones
Installing or changing central heating
Building a garage or hardstanding for a car
Building a fireplace
Changing windows
Putting up a satellite dish

17. What happens if you refuse to give me permission?

We will not refuse permission without a good reason and only in cases where, for example, it could affect the safety of your house or cause us extra expense. If we do refuse permission, we must give you our reasons in writing. If you think our decision is unreasonable, you can challenge it or take us to court.

18. Will improvements I carry out increase my rent?

No.

19. Will I have any money back for the improvements when I leave?

As long as you get permission for the improvements and make them to the necessary standard, you can claim compensation when you leave your home.

20. Helpful advice

Electricity – to have your electricity supply connected or disconnected, you will need to contact your electricity provider. They generally need 48 hours’notice. You are responsible for all charges.

Circuit-breakers – some homes are fitted with circuit-breakers or miniature circuit-breakers (MCBs), which switch off the power if there is a fault. Unplug the appliance you think has caused the problem, then reset the switch. If the circuit-breaker continues to switch off, call the Repairs Hotline on 0800 169 5454.

Gas – when you first move into your home, you will need to contact your housing officer to arrange for a ‘test and commission’. You will need to make sure that there is credit in both your gas and electricity meters. You are responsible for all charges. Gas appliances need either a flue or enough fresh air to work safely. Do not block air vents.

Water – make sure you know where to find your stopcock to turn off your water supply at the mains. It is often under the sink.

Overflows – if overflows from the water cistern or toilet do not stop dripping, call the Repairs Hotline on 0800 169 5454.

Mould and condensation – condensation is caused by too much moisture in the air. When the moisture hits something as cold such a window or wall, it turns back to water. This is condensation. You can reduce problems with condensation by keeping your home warm, and by limiting the amount of moisture in your home. You can do this by keeping your home well ventilated, not drying clothes indoors, and keeping doors to kitchens and bathrooms shut when you are cooking or bathing. For more advice, please contact us.

We can give you a booklet which provides help and practical advice on how to deal with condensation. If mould is growing inside your home as a result of problems with the structure of the property, we will arrange for these problems to be repaired. If you are not happy with the quality of the work we do, or if things go wrong, we want to know. If we fail to keep our promises, phone us on 0800 169 5454 and we will deal with the problem.

If you are still not happy, contact the Repairs Manager on 0800 169 5454. They will investigate your complaint and put any problems right.