Repairs Responsibilities

Repairs Responsibilities

Repairs responsibilities Responsibilities for repairs are outlined in your tenancy agreement. The information in this leaflet provides a guide to who is responsible for what repairs in your home. If you are unsure who is responsible for carrying out a repair please call us on 0300 123 2222. Please note this information is only relevant for tenants. Leaseholders and shared owners have different repairs responsibilities. We are responsible for: Maintaining the structure and exterior of your home and keeping it secure Ensuring water, gas, electricity and heating supplies are maintained Looking after any communal areas Keeping all fixtures and fittings we have provided in good condition You are responsible for: Keeping your home clean and in good condition Keeping your garden clean and tidy and free from rubbish 2 Carrying out minor repairs - see following pages for more information Not doing anything that may block pipes and drains Pest control - such as wasps nests or mice Preventing damage to or misuse of your home and the fixtures and fittings If you find it difficult to keep your responsibilities you can try the following: 1. Ask any family members or friends to help - you may find that they know how to 2. Follow a how to guide and carry it out yourself. You can find instructions and videos on how to carry out most tasks by doing a simple online search 3. Contact us and book an appointment for our handyperson service to carry out the work for you. We charge up to 20 an hour and you will need to supply the materials for any work, but you can ask them to carry out several jobs to fill a whole hour 4. Use a local tradesperson. You can find details of local companies in the yellow pages or online If a member of our repairs team visits you and discovers the damage was deliberately or negligently caused by a member of your household or visitor, or the repair is your responsibility, then you will be recharged for the cost of this work. Reporting a repair If you need to report a repair to your home please do so as soon as possible to allow us to fix it quickly. You can report a repair in a number of ways: Online at www.merlinhs. co.uk/report-a-repair Call us on 0300 123 2222 By email to repairs@merlinhs.co.uk In person at a Merlin office By letter Arranging your repair appointment When you report a repair we will give it one of three categories which will determine how quickly we carry out the work. The categories are: 3 Emergency responsive repair - we will respond and make the situation safe within 24 hours Routine responsive repair - we will attend and complete the repair at a mutually convenient date within 20 working days of you contacting us Small scale maintenance - we will attend and complete the work within three months We will arrange a date with you to carry out the repair and will offer you an appointment slot for that day. We offer the following appointment slots: Morning - between 8:15am - 12noon School day - between 10am - 2:30pm Afternoon - between 12:30pm - 4.15pm All day - between 8:15am - 4:15pm If you need to rearrange or cancel your appointment please contact as soon as possible on 0300 123 2222. If you are not in at the time of your agreed appointment, we will attempt to reschedule the repair on another date.

Kitchen Kitchen units and worktops including handles to drawers and cupboards Cooker socket Extractor fans The sink and taps Leaking pipes and taps The water supply - unless the fault is caused by the water company Floor coverings that we ve fitted Cooker and other kitchen appliances Replacing sink plugs Clearing blocked sinks Washing machine, dishwasher and tumble dryer fittings and connections Repairing leaks from your washing machine or dishwasher Turning off the water supply at the stop tap if a water pipe has burst Floor coverings that you ve fitted 4 5

Bathroom Toilets, baths and basins Leaking pipes, tanks and taps Bath / shower screens Bath rails Showers that we have installed Shower tray and door The water supply - unless the fault is caused by the water company Extractor fans Floor coverings that we ve fitted Bulk head lights Replacing plugs to baths and basins Clearing blocked baths, showers, basins and toilets Replacing the toilet seat, lid and hinges Toilet rail handles Bath / shower curtains Showers that you have installed Descaling the shower head Locks to the bathroom door Turning off the water supply at the stop tap if a water pipe has burst Floor coverings that you ve fitted 6 7

All rooms Large cracks (bigger than the width of a 1 coin) Rising or penetrating damp Repairing hand rails and banisters for stairs Keeping your home in good condition and keeping rooms clean Redecorating rooms Filling small cracks in the plaster or small holes in the wall Your own floor coverings, ie carpets, vinyl or laminate flooring Your own appliances and fittings Curtain rails and fixings Preventing condensation and treating and cleaning any mould. This could include making changes to your lifestyle to reduce condensation, making sure extractor fans are working properly and making sure vents do not get blocked 8 9

Heating and hot water Carrying out annual safety checks to gas heating systems Repairing your heating system if it breaks down Radiators Leaks coming from your heating system Chimney sweeping Repairs to coal bunkers Reporting suspected gas leaks to the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 Maintaining and repairing appliances you have had installed Resetting heating system time clocks Relighting gas pilot lights Bleeding radiators 10 11

Electrics Restoring power unless it is caused by the electric company or by using faulty electrical equipment Repairing or renewing fittings Repairs to the consumer unit Repairing extractor fans Wired-in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors Communal TV aerials and satellite dishes Bulk head lights in bathrooms Replacing light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and starter motors Resetting trip switches and if necessary turning off the mains supply Testing and cleaning smoke detectors and replacing the battery when it runs out Replacing the battery in carbon monoxide detectors Any appliances you have bought for your home Replacing plugs and fuses to your appliances Fitting and repairing door bells TV aerials and satellite dishes 12 13

Doors and windows External and internal doors and frames Fixing external door locks and chains Communal doors Communal door entry systems Windows that do not open or close Window frames and cills Failed seals (causing misted glazing) in double glazed window units Window locks and fittings Letterboxes Arranging access to your home if you are locked out Replacing lost or broken window or door keys and getting extra keys cut Adjusting internal doors to allow for new carpets or floor coverings Handles, bolts and catches for internal doors, including repairing any additional locks you have fitted Fitting and repairing door bells Smashed / cracked glass in doors and windows - unless you have a police crime reference number 14 15

Online at www.merlinhs.co.uk/report-a-repair Call us on 0300 123 2222 By email to repairs@merlinhs.co.uk 16 17

Outside The roof and walls of your home Repairs to the guttering Drains and soakaways The chimney Steps and pathways that provide direct access to your home Existing fencing next to roads, public footpaths or communal areas Existing fencing along the left hand fence of the main garden Front and rear gates Garages Brick sheds or outbuildings Communal clothes lines and rotary driers Maintaining garden paths, except the one leading from the property boundary to the front door Clearing leaves and rubbish from gully grids Looking after your garden and keeping it in good condition, including caring for and maintaining trees and shrubs Repairing any timber sheds and greenhouses Replacing and repairing gate catches and latches Repairing any side gates Fencing that you have installed Replacing keys or locks when you have lost keys to garages, sheds and outhouses Repairing and replacing clothes lines and rotary driers Garden features such as ponds, patios, decking or garden paths Fencing The responsibility for fencing and boundaries around your property is split between us and you as the customer. This guide applies when repairs are required to existing fencing. It does not apply to customers installed fencing or bushes / shrubs which may constitute a boundary. Back of properties n Customer responsibility n Private property responsibility n Our responsibility 18 19

Garden area Guttering 20 21

Roof and chimneys If you are unsure who is responsible for carrying out a repair please call us on 0300 123 2222 22 23

0300 123 2222 Merlin Housing Society Building 1, Riverside Court Bowling Hill, Chipping Sodbury Bristol, BS37 6JX www.merlinhs.co.uk