Your Repairs Service
We know that the repairs service for your home is important to you. These pages provide details of how to order a repair, how long you can expect to wait and your rights.
What happens after I have reported a repair
What type of repairs are your responsibility?
Improvements and modernisation programmes
Can I make my own home improvements?
If your house needs a repair, contact your Housing Office or telephone the Customer Contact Centre on 0161-909 6511. Most repairs are free and we will always let you know if there is a charge.
You can report a repair over the phone, by post or in person by visiting your housing office. We will need to know as much information as possible about the repair, how to contact you during the day and when we can make an appointment.
For your security and peace of mind, whenever you report a repair you will be asked if you would like a password. This can be any word of your choice. Only employees or partners of New Prospect will have knowledge of this password and access should only be given on submission of this password.
If you need to report an emergency repair when our customer contact centre is closed (after 6.30pm or before 08.30am, or at weekends or holidays), you can ring 0161 794 8888. The emergency repairs service is for situations when there is a danger to you or others, or if it is likely that considerable damage will be caused to your property by not acting straight away. If you are unsure we will be able to advise you, but we will only attend repairs which are a genuine emergency. This is to help us to keep our costs down and ensure that we have adequate operatives available to deal with all genuine emergencies.
What happens after I have reported my repair?
a) We will send or give you a receipt.
b) If we need to gain access to your home, we will make an appointment with you, either for the repair to be carried out, or for the repair to be inspected. We will ensure the appointment is made at a convenient time for you. If you are unable to be in for your appointment, please let us know because when we do not gain access to properties it affects the length of time other tenants wait for their repairs to be done.
c) If the repair is an emergency, an appointment will not be made as you can expect a repairs contractor to respond within 2 hours and the repair will be completed within 24 hours.
d) If the works are extensive or necessary parts need to be ordered a further visit may be required to complete the repair.
e) If the repair is categorised as routine and therefore issued on a planned priority, the work will be programmed by the relevant partner, and you will be contacted to agree a convenient date for the work to be carried out.
It is important that you keep the receipt which you will receive, as it will have a job reference number on it. If you have any further enquiries about the repair work, we will be able to provide a much quicker response if you quote this number.
A customer satisfaction survey sheet will be provided to you by the operative who carries out the repair. It is very important that you tell us what you think of our repair work and our service. This sheet can either be completed and handed back to the operative, or alternatively can be sent back to us in the pre paid envelope which is provided.
We hope you will return the survey as it keeps us aware of how satisfied you are with the current service that we provide. It also gives you the opportunity to tell us of any changes that you feel we can make to improve these services. Anybody who returns a repairs satisfaction survey will be entered into a monthly prize draw and could win £50.
Please tell us if you are unable to be in for your appointment, as when we do not gain access to properties it affects the length of time other tenants wait for their repair.
We will carry out repairs as efficiently as possible. There are four different priorities of repairs, and we will inform you which priority your repair comes under.
We will visit your property within two hours from when you report the repair, and will complete it within 24 hours. Emergencies are usually repairs that represent a danger to the occupants of the household, or members of the public or may cause damage to the property itself. Typical examples of emergencies are:
These repairs will be completed within three working days of being reported. Typical examples of these types of repairs are;
These repairs will be completed within 10 working days from being reported. These are minor repairs of a non-urgent nature which if left for a prolonged period of time, may cause further damage or affect others. Typical examples include;
These are jobs that are routine repairs. They will be completed within 40 working days. These are repair jobs are of a low priority because there is no immediate threat to safety or to the structure of the building and include:
These are routine jobs that require the replacement of fixtures or fittings where these are nearing the end of their useful working life. They will be completed within 100 days and the jobs will generally involve measuring up and ordering materials. Jobs in this category include:
When we are fitting new kitchens or external hardwood doors, we will offer a choice of colour or style.
We can only complete your repair in the timescales given above if we gain access to your home at the first attempt. If we don’t gain access to your home to do the work, we will leave a card. You will then have to contact the customer contact centre to rearrange the work and appointment date.
When repairs contractors or staff arrive at your home, they will have an identification card with them. This card will include details such as their job title, a photograph of themselves and their company logo. You should not allow anyone access to your property without checking their identification beforehand. Also, the person attending your property should be able to provide you with your specific password details if this was requested on ordering the repair.
If you are in any doubt about the validity of the identification please contact the call centre immediately to confirm that they are genuine.
What type of repairs are your responsibility?
Some small repairs are your responsibility. If a repair has been caused by neglect or damage it will also be your responsibility and the costs can be recharged to you. The damage may have been caused by yourself, a member of your household, your pets or visitors to your home. If a repair has been caused by vandalism you must report it to the Police and note the crime reference number before you report the repair to a housing office. If a repair is your responsibility you can arrange for the work to be completed yourself, or ask us to arrange for the work to be done and recharged to you.
For a brief guide on the types of repairs you are responsible for, please consult your tenants handbook.
Under the Government’s ‘A Better Deal for Tenants - your new Right to Repair’ leaflet we must give you a date when we expect a repair to be completed. If the work is not completed on time you may be able to ask for a different contractor to carry out the repair. Whether you can do this depends on the type of repair you are waiting for (if it is a qualifying repair) . If the second contractor is also late you may also be entitled to compensation. This again depends on what the work is.
To find out more about what you are entitled to, please contact your Housing Office who will provide a government leaflet ‘A Better Deal for Tenants - your new Right to Repair’ that will explain it to you.
Improvements and modernisation programmes
Some maintenance work will be part of larger schemes involving a number of properties. Schemes cover works such as replacing roofs, upgrading heating systems, replacing windows and door frames. When your property is included in one of these schemes you will be given full details before the works start.
It is a condition of your tenancy agreement that you must give access to New Prospect’s representatives to inspect and repair your home. Normally we provide reasonable notice i.e. 24 hours, except in the case of emergencies. (e.g a burst water pipe). If you do not give us access to your home, in these circumstances we may apply for an injunction against you and/or start legal proceedings against you
Can I make my own home improvements?
If you want to carry out any alterations on your home, it is essential that you inform your Housing Office about your plans before you start the work.
You will need written permission from your housing office for any improvements and conditions may be attached, or the request turned down if it is unreasonable (e.g. it would make the property dangerous.) You may need planning permission or building regulation approval. The Council’s Building Control section will be happy to advise you on building regulations.
If you have not obtained written permission for your improvements, you could end up being recharged for the cost of putting right any unsafe or substandard work. Always check with your Housing Office even if you just want to do something simple like replace a front door or install kitchen units.
If you live in a property that is not served by a communal system you need to get our written permission to install a satellite television dish or aerial. If you have access to a communal aerial system you will not be allowed to install your own system.
The Government’s "Your right to compensation for improvements" may mean that you can get compensation for any improvements you have made to your home when you move out. Ask at your housing office for the Government leaflet on this.
We are required by law to service gas appliances in your home on an annual basis. You benefit by having safe and efficient appliances and there is no charge for this service. Please ensure that when you receive details of this appointment that you are in at the time given or that you contact us to make alternative arrangements - either another appointment or a neighbour who will be able to let us in.
We take these appointments very seriously and are prepared to take legal action to gain access to service gas appliances.
A range of suppliers now provide gas to your properties, but in the case of gas emergencies phone TRANSCO on 0800 111999.
In such emergencies (for instance if you smell gas) please:
Condensation can be quite a problem and can result in mould growth. There are some straightforward remedies and guidelines, for example:
If you follow the above guidelines for dealing with condensation, mould should not appear. However, on finding mould in your home you should take the following steps:
The only way of avoiding severe mould is to prevent dampness.
© Copyright Salford City Council 2008.
Please read our disclaimer and privacy statements.