Repairs Service

  

We try to deal with repairs quickly. Sometimes there are circumstances that prevent an early response such as extremely bad weather or when maintenance contractors are exceptionally busy. There are three categories of repairs:

Repair Type Description
Emergency
These are repairs where a delay is likely to result in danger or injury to people and/or serious damage to the property. Emergency call out workers will normally make your home safe and arrange for full and proper repairs to be undertaken during normal working hours.
Priority These are repairs, which significantly affect your home, or your comfort or convenience.
Routine These include less urgent repairs that can wait a short time before
being dealt with. The list includes:

We aim to do the work within the following time scales.

Type of Response Timescale The types of work include:
Emergency Within two hours  
    Burst water pipes
Gas leak
    Severe storm damage
Broken window,door or lock
    Unsafe electrical fittings
    Flooding
    Loss of electricity supply
    Loss of water supply
Priority Within 3 working days  
    Partial loss of electrical power
    Blocked sink/ bath or basin
    Minor electrical faults
    Partial loss of water supply
    Leaking roofs
    Loose or detached banister or hand rail
Routine Within 15 working days  
    Repairs to walls,fences and paths
    Repairs to plaster work
    Repairs to doors window and floors
    Repairs to roof slates and tiles


Whose responsibility is it?
Your tenancy agreement gives details of the items that we will repair and maintain. These include the structure and exterior of your home, drains, gutters and external pipes, gas and plumbing systems, baths, sinks and toilet, and the heating and hot water supply equipment. We will repair damage to our property caused by storms, flooding, fire, break-in or vandalism. In the case of the last two examples, you must report the damage immediately to the Police as well as to us, so that an insurance claim can be made to cover the cost of the repair. In some instances you may be charged for a repair - these are known as "rechargeable repairs".
A rechargeable repair is a repair that:

  • is your responsibility
  • is needed to repair damage to the property that is a result of deliberate damage, neglect, misuse, or abuse by you, your family or visitors to your property; or
  • is needed when you move out of the house to bring it up to an
    acceptable standard, which is your responsibility.

We will charge you for a repair if any of these apply.

  • When an item is rechargeable, we will let you know at the time
    you report the repair;
  • We will tell you the estimated cost of carrying out the repair; and
  • We will give you the option of carrying out the repair yourself or
    getting us to carry it out for you.
  • We may charge you if you fail keep an appointment you made to allow access for a contractor to carry out the repair.



The following table outlines both our and your responsibility for repairs and maintenance in your home.

ITEM Responsibility
Us You
BATHROOM    
Bath  
Shower unit (if we fitted it)  
Shower unit (if you fitted it)  
Toilet pan  
Toilet seat  
Washbasin  
     
CENTRAL HEATING    
Chimney and flue (the structure)  
All gas-fired central heating (we fitted it)  
Heating systems you have fitted if there is a problem during the first 12 months from the date you fitted them
  
Heating systems you have fitted if there is a problem after 12 months from the date of you fitting them
  
     
DOORS    
External doors, including handles, locks and glass (if you have not damaged them)
  
Internal doors, including handles, locks and glass (if you have not damaged them)
  
Lost keys  
Door bell  
Security chains (if we have not fitted them)  
Draught excluders and draught strips to
external doors only		  
     
ELECTRICAL    
Shared TV aerials  
Immersion heater  
Light fittings we have installed  
Extractor fans  
Smoke alarms  
Carbon-monoxide detectors  
Power sockets  
Light switches  
Light pendant  
Shared hall and stair lighting  
Individual TV aerials and aerial outlets  
Electric fires (if you have fitted them)  
Plugs and fuses  
Fluorescent light tubes  
Outside lights to the front and back of the house (if we have fitted them)  
     
KITCHENS    
Cooker  
Cooker socket  
Kitchen units  
Sink bowl and drainer  
     
PLUMBING    
Drains blocked outside  
Drains blocked inside  
Cold-water supply and storage tank  
Rainwater pipes and gutters  
Hot-water supply and storage tank  
Sink plug and chains  
Blocked sink (if you have caused it)  
Blocked toilet (if you have caused it)  
     
STRUCTURE    
Ceilings and walls  
Damp-proof course  
Floors (not carpets, vinyl or other floor coverings)  
Outside woodwork  
Roughcast to outside walls  
Staircases inside  
Entrance steps  
Roof structure and covering  
     
WINDOWS    
Catches on windows, including double- glazing units  
Window sills  
Window ironmongery (locks, handles, hinges and so on)  
Window frames (timber and PVC)  
     
MISCELLANEOUS    
Clothes poles and rotary dryers  
Outside decoration  
Fencing (if we have put it up)  
Paths (if we have fitted them)  
Garages (if we have provided them)  
Clothes lines and cords  
Minor infestation of pests  
Your own sheds, garages and fences  
Any alteration or improvement you have carried out to the property  


Right to Repair
The ‘right to repair’ scheme allows you to have certain small repairs (called ‘qualifying repairs’) carried out within a maximum time set by the Scottish Executive. When you report a qualifying repair, we will explain your rights under the scheme and will let you know the maximum time allowed to carry out the repair. We will give you information about the scheme each year. We will also give you a list of the contractors who are prepared to carry out the repair if we fail to do it. If this is necessary we can make the necessary arrangement, however, you are entitled to contact the second Contractor directly if you wish. The second Contractor must let us know if they are taking over the responsibility for the repair. Qualifying repairs and their required response times are shown
below.

Qualifying Repair Working Days
blocked flue or boiler One
blocked or leaking foul drains, soil stacks or toilet pans where there is no other toilet in the house One
blocked sink, bath or drain One
insecure external window, door or lock One
significant leaks or flooding from water or heating pipes, tanks or cisterns One
loss or partial loss of gas supply One
loss or partial loss of space or water heating where no alternative heating is available One
toilet not flushing where there is no other toilet in the house One
unsafe power or lighting socket, or electrical fitting One
total loss of water supply One
partial loss of water supply Three
loose or detached banister or handrail Three
unsafe timber flooring or stair treads Three
mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working Seven

If these response times are not achieved, you may be paid compensation. The amount of compensation is £15 plus £3 for every extra working day it takes to complete the repair after the date originally set. The maximum amount of compensation is limited to £100 for any one repair. Compensation may not always be paid. For example, when circumstances are outwith our control that prevent the repair being carried out in time.