Council Housing Tenant Handbook
Repairs and Maintenance
We know that our repairs service is very important to you. We aim to do all necessary repairs to your home quickly and, whenever possible, complete the repairs in one visit.
Any repairs that are the council's responsibility must be reported promptly. In many cases this may stop the matter becoming more serious for you and more costly for the council.
Wiltshire Council is responsible for keeping the structure, exterior of the property and any communal parts in a good state of repair, including the water supply and sanitation facilities and installations for heating, hot water gas and electricity.
You are responsible for minor work and repairs like decorating the inside of your home, changing light bulbs, unblocking sinks and arranging the replacement of broken window glass.
Further information on repairs reporting and handy hints can be found in the repairs reporting guide for tenants. If you do not have one please contact us and we will send one to you.
How to order repairs
Repairs can be reported in a number of ways:
Tel: 0300 456 0117 - option 2
Emergency repairs should always be reported by telephone.
Report a non-urgent repair:
Email: housingrepairs@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)
Website: https://ihousing.wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)
Write to us or visit us: Housing Management, Wiltshire Council, Council House, Bourne Hill, Salisbury SP1 3UZ
What happens next?
This will depend on the nature and severity of your repair. If the repair is fairly obvious and straightforward to remedy, the job will be recorded on the computer system and a works order issued to the contractor.
Where the repair is more difficult or extensive to rectify it may be necessary for a repairs surveyor to visit the property to assess the problem to confirm what work needs to be ordered. Once this has been done the work will be recorded on the computer system and a works order issued to the contractor.
At the same time that the order is issued to the contractor, confirmation will be sent to you.
When will the work be done?
How long a repair will take will depend on the urgency of the repair. You will be advised of the priority of your repair when you report it.
Emergency repairs are dealt with within 24 hours of being reported to us. An emergency repair is anything that puts your health and safety, or security at immediate risk, or something that adversely affects the structure of the building. Some, but not all, repairs in this category will be done out of hours. Our contractors may have to make the area safe by doing a temporary repair, and will let us know if they need to do further work to complete the repair.
All other repairs are prioritised according to the level of discomfort, inconvenience or nuisance that's caused.
For example; water coming from the overflow of a toilet will be repaired within 5 working days, where as repairing a kitchen cupboard could take up to 20 working days.
What you can expect from us
We will:
- offer flexible appointments for all non-emergency jobs; morning, afternoon and avoiding school runs
- make sure workers are neat and tidy and show their identity cards
- try and complete the repair at the first visit with minimal disruption
- leave your home clean and tidy after the work has been completed
What we ask from you:
- to keep appointments and let us know as soon as possible if you have to cancel
- to make sure our workers can get into the property and safely access the work area
- to keep children and pets away from the work area
- to refrain from smoking inside while our workers are in the property
Rechargeable repairs
The rent you pay each week covers the cost of repairs unless they are due to damage or neglect by you, your family, visitors or pets. If the repair is the result of neglect or damage we may do the work and charge you for it.
Health and safety testing and inspections
Whilst we want you to be able to enjoy your home, we also want your home to be a safe place for you and your family to live. As a landlord we are required by law to carry out certain inspections and servicing. You will be contacted in advance to make a convenient appointment for our inspectors or contractors to visit.
You must comply with any request to inspect, test or service as these are legal requirements and are there for your safety. Failure to allow access on or before the service due date will result in the council taking action through the courts to gain immediate access to your home, which will involve either an Injunction Order or a Court Warrant. Any costs incurred by the council in gaining access will be recharged to you.
Gas safety inspection and service
Under law, gas appliances must be fitted by a suitably qualified person, who is a registered member of 'Gas Safe'. Tenants must ask permission from the council before installing any gas appliances and must agree to the appliance being inspected as part of the council's servicing contract.
- know where your gas meter is located and ensure that you have an access key
- if you have a Calor gas heater do not put it in a hallway or corridor
- if you have an open flue appliance, such as a gas fire with a back burner installed in your living room(these appliances will never be installed in bedrooms, bathrooms or garages), then you should not allow anyone to sleep in that room.
Organisation | Contact details |
---|---|
Gas Safe Register | General enquiries - 0800 408 5500 |
Gas emergencies | 0800 111 999 |
Gas Safe Register | enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk (opens new window) |
British Gas | Wiltshire Council tenants only - 01722 413344 |
If you smell gas in your home you must:
- turn off the gas at the meter or emergency control valve
- put out all naked flames including any cigarettes
- open all windows and doors
- do not operate any electrical appliances by turning them on or off (including door bells and light switches)
- call the national gas emergency number on freephone 0800 111 999
- contact Wiltshire Council repairs on 0300 456 0117 Opt 2. Any calls outside of office hours will be diverted to the out of hours service.
The council's responsibilities
- Wiltshire Council has a legal responsibility to make sure that any gas appliances it supplies are safe. It therefore needs to service all of its gas appliances at least once a year. By law the contractor should give you a copy of the Landlords Gas Safety Certificate when your appliances are checked. Our contractors will carry out any necessary repairs to your appliance. Telephone: 0300 456 0100 Textphone: 01225 72500 Web: www.wiltshire.gov.uk
- We will repair any gas appliance supplied by the council. If you have a gas appliance that is not working, switch it off and contact the repairs service. Do not try to mend it yourself or get a friend to mend it.
Your responsibilities
- You must allow us access to your house or flat to service and repair any of the gas appliances supplied by us. We will force access, using legal means, if you do not give us access for gas servicing and your gas supply will be disconnected. The cost of this will be charged to you.
- You must not block up any ventilation or airbricks or allow plants to do so
Electrical test and inspection
As a landlord we are required by law to carry out, on a regular basis, electrical testing and inspection of our properties to ensure the electrical system remains safe.
Oil fired and air source heating appliances
It is our policy to have all oil fired and air source heating appliances inspected and serviced annually to ensure they are safe and efficient.
Solid fuel safety
All solid fuel heating appliances will be serviced annually, which will include sweeping the flue servicing the appliance. Sweeping of individual flues not serving a solid fuel appliance is the responsibility of the tenant. Every room containing a solid fuel appliance will have a carbon monoxide alarm in it. If you think there may be a problem with alarm please contact us as a matter of urgency.
- Do not use petrol, paraffin or any oil to ignite a solid fuel appliance.
- If you have an enclosed room heater or boiler follow the manufacturer's instructions and brush the smoke outlet every month.
- Burn only the recommended fuels.
- Ensure there is adequate ventilation and do not block or obstruct fresh air ventilators.
- Draught proofing helps cut fuel bills but do not seal off the air supply to the room in which the fire is located. Fumes may build up and cause you to become ill or in extreme cases can be fatal.
The Right To Repair
The government's Right to Repair Scheme gives council tenants with a secure tenancy additional rights when requesting repairs to their home. The scheme covers small urgent repairs, costing up to £250, that are likely to put a tenant's health, safety or security at risk. If qualifying repairs are not carried out within the specified timescale, compensation may be payable. A list of qualifying repairs can be supplied on request.
How does it work?
A tenant reports a repair; if the repair has not been completed within the target time stated the tenant can ask the council to appoint a second contractor to complete the repair.
What happens then?
The second contractor has the same amount of time to complete the repair as the first contractor. If the second contractor fails to complete the repair within the time limit the tenant is entitled to compensation of £10, plus £2 a day until the repair is carried out. The most compensation you can get for any one job is £50.The council will pay you compensation unless you already owe it some money. If you do owe money to the council it will take away the amount you owe from your compensation.
How do I know when the repair should be completed?
Under the right to repair scheme local authorities are required to notify tenants of the appointed contractor and the target time when a qualifying repair is reported. Wiltshire Council does this by sending a receipt for every repair.
What about the second contractor?
The council already uses second contractors under its existing system. When the work has been issued to a second contractor you will again be sent a card indicating who the contractor is and the target date for completion of the work.
For further details of the Right to Repair Scheme you can contact us;
Tel: 0300 456 0117 - option 2
Email: housingrepairs@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)
Post: Housing Management, Wiltshire Council, Council House, Bourne Hill, Salisbury SP1 3UZ