When should you expect the repair to be completed?
General repairs
Most repairs are split into two main priority categories depending upon the urgency of the work. Each category has a target time limit to complete the job:
- Emergency 24 hours (2 hour response to make safe and prevent danger if required, with additional works completed within 24 hours)
- Normal priority (20 working days)
Emergency repairs are generally those that have serious effects on people or damage to the home, such as:
- A severe water leak that cannot be contained in a bucket
- Total loss of electricity (not caused by the utility supplier)
- Total loss of water supply (not caused by Thames Water)
- Fire damage
- Major structural damage
- Serious blockages to main drains
- Blocked toilet if it is the only one in the property
- Repairs to allow access if the door entry system is not working
- Making secure external doors or windows as result of break in or vandalism and where there is a security or injury risk (the council will need a crime reference number from the Police)
- Total or partial loss of heating where no alternative heating is available (we will usually provide temporary heating)
- Removal of offensive or discriminatory graffiti
- Complete loss of lighting to communal areas
- Loose banisters and handrails
Our commitment is that you will not have to wait more than two hours for the contractor to come to your home to ‘make safe’. Making safe is not intended to be a full repair and in many cases, it will be necessary to return later to complete the repair.
Normal repairs are those that may cause inconvenience but are not of an urgent nature and do not pose an immediate health and safety risk, such as:
- Minor leaks and blocked drains and pipes
- Faulty electrical fittings and minor electrical faults
- Repairs to outside walls
- Repairing and replacing kitchen units and worktops
- Replacing door and window furniture (where there is no safety or security risk)
- Repairs to plasterwork
- Minor plumbing work and repairing taps
- Repairing and clearing guttering and down pipes
- Kerb repairs
- Repairs to gates, fences and locks.
- Repairs to communal TV aerials
- Repairs to door entry systems including individual door entry phones
Our commitment is that you will not have to wait more than 20 working days for completion of this type of repair.
Please note that a small number of repairs will fall outside the above two categories, for example if they require parts to be specially made or scaffolding put up.
We are responsible for repairs in communal areas such as stairs, lifts, fire alarm systems and emergency lighting, door entry systems, security gates, TV aerials, lighting, drains, windows, bin storage areas, fencing, walls, paving and gardens.
Communal repairs are split into four main categories depending upon the urgency of the work. Each category has a target time limit to complete the job:
- Emergency 24 hours (2 hour response to make safe and prevent danger if required, with additional works completed within 24 hours) and usually have a serious effect on people
- High priority (7 working days) usually not an immediate health and safety risk but still have an effect and include darin covers, faulty lights where other lights are working, damage to concrete steps
- Normal priority (20 working days)
- Extended priority (60 working days).
