How fast will we respond to queries?
How fast will we carry out repairs?
What are we responsible for and what are tenants responsible for?
How are repairs ordered?
How are repairs carried out?
How should our staff act within tenants' homes?
Is compensation given for work not done?
Are there any charges for repairs?
How we will we service and look after properties?
What standards must Vale Housing Association properties meet before they are let?
We will reply to all correspondence and web enquiries in full within 5 days.
We will answer the phone within 5 rings.
We will deal with visitors at reception within 5 minutes.
We will complete all our repairs within the following times:
| Priority | Time |
|---|---|
| Emergency (Priority 1) | within 24 hours |
| Urgent (Priority 2) | within 5 working days |
| Routine (Priority 3) | within 10 working days |
| Programmed (Priority 4) | within 20 working days |
| Planned (Priority 5) | within 13 weeks |
Emergency repairs are repairs which could affect your health, safety or security or cause serious structural damage to properties if not attended to.
Urgent repairs are also repairs which could be health or safety hazards but are not serious enough to be classed as an emergency, for example partial loss of hot or cold water.
Routine repairs are most larger, non-urgent repairs.
Planned and Programmed repairs maintain the general condition of properties and particular fittings provided by us including general repairs to fences, paths etc.
We have an emergency phone number (0845 450 8244) for repairs which occur during the evenings or at the weekend and cannot wait till normal office hours.
We are responsible for the structure, exterior, fixtures and fittings of properties. This includes the roof, gutters, exterior walls and exterior painting. Within the home it includes plasterwork, electrical wiring and electrical fittings. It also includes water and heating appliances if they are supplied and fitted by us and sanitary ware (provided you or your visitors are not responsible for the damage). Page 19 of the Tenants Handbook gives full details of who is responsible for what.
Repairs can be ordered by visiting our office, telephoning, writing to us or returning a pre-paid repair card to our offices. Click here for more details about reporting a repair.
We send written acknowledgements of repair requests.
The Association has its own Works Division at East Hanney to undertake the routine day to day repairs. We also use outside contractors for specialist planned and programmed work. All of the Association staff and contractors who visit tenants' homes to check on, or carry out repair work, carry identification. All our workforce will have their name sewn on their burgundy work-clothes.
Our staff and contractors, such as those who carry out repairs in tenants' home, should:
They must not:
We use the Housing Corporation's National Compensation Scheme. If a repair is one of those to which this scheme applies (see page 29 of the Tenants' Handbook to find out which repairs apply) then we should attend within the number of days stated. We have two chances to meet this target.
If we fail to meet the first target date you must inform us. We will then give you our new target date. Again this should be within the number of working days stated for the repair.
If the repair has not been done at the end of this second target date, you have the right to claim compensation, as follows:
Free Repairs
We will carry out most repairs for free, as long as it is on an article which is our responsibility (see What are we responsible for and what are tenants responsible for?) and is caused as a result of fair wear and tear. This is made clear in the tenancy agreement.
Repairs we will charge for
We will do work not included in the terms of the tenancy agreement, but we have to charge for it. This will include repairs resulting from misuse, accident, negligence or wilful damage caused by a tenant, or one of their visitors, or caused by a faulty appliance owned by a tenant.
If you request one of these jobs:
Normal hours are: Monday - Friday 8.00 am - 5.00 pm
Outside hours are: Monday - Friday 5.00 pm - 8.00 am
Weekends & bank holidays - Anytime
At regular intervals we will carry out decoration work, gas and electrical servicing and maintenance of common land owned by us. This table shows what we are responsible for and how often we will carry it out.
Service Frequency
| Activity | How often is it done? |
|---|---|
| Redecorate communal areas within flats | Every 5 years |
| Redecorate communal areas within Sheltered Schemes | Every 5 years |
| Redecorate the outside of properties | Every 5 years |
| Redecorate garages | Approx 1700 garages over 5 years |
| Activity | How often is it done? |
|---|---|
| Service and maintain boilers | Within every 12 months |
| Test boiler carcasses | Within every 12 months |
| Inspect electrical systems in common areas | Every 5 years |
| Inspect fire fighting equipment (Sheltered Schemes only) | Once a year |
| Inspect automatic doors (Sheltered Schemes only) | Every 6 months |
| Service and test lightning conductors | Once a year |
| Service fire alarms and emergency lighting (Sheltered Schemes only) | Every 3 months |
| Service lifts (Sheltered Schemes only) | Every 3 months |
| Door entry phone maintenance | If the system fails |
| Activity | How often is it done? |
|---|---|
| Communal Grassed Areas | Mow general areas. Mow rough grass and banks 33 cuts March to October26 cuts March to October |
| Clear litter | As above (collect before grass cutting) |
| Remove weeds and moss from hard surfaces and footpaths | Spray as and when necessary |
| Tidy the base of hedges, remove weeds and litter | 4 times a year |
| Hoe, weed and tidy shrub beds | 12 times a year |
| Prune and fork over shrub beds | Once a year |
| Maintain trees (trim back low branches growing over footpaths and property) | 4 times a year |
| For General Areas: | |
| Mow Communal Grassed Areas | 12 cuts March to October |
| Clear litter | As above (collect before grass cutting) |
| Hoe, weed and tidy shrub beds | 12 times a year |
| Prune and fork over shrub beds | Once a year |
| Maintain trees (trim back low branches growing over footpaths and property) | 4 times a year |
Before a tenant moves into one of our properties, or within four weeks of their move, we will have brought it up to our "Lettable Standard". The list below shows what we will typically do before we let a property.
We will…
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So we can let you into your new home as quickly as possible, we may do some of the minor works after you've moved in. If you find anything missing from this list, please discuss this before moving in.