Leeds Jewish Housing Association. Property Repairs. Being responsible for your own home, and making it your own

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1 Leeds Jewish Housing Association Property Repairs Being responsible for your own home, and making it your own April 2012

2 Who is Responsible for What? LjHA are responsible for keeping the following items in good repair unless the work has been as a result of wilful or negligent damage caused by you, members of your family or visitors in which instances you are responsible for the cost of the repair: Drains, gutters and external pipes; The roof (but not including any aerial or satellite receiver or similar equipment erected on it by you); Outside walls, outside doors, windowsills, window catches, window frames including necessary external painting and decorating but not including glass; Internal walls, floors and ceilings, doors and door frames, door hinges and skirting boards but not including internal painting and decoration; Chimneys, chimney stacks and flues; Plasterwork; Pathways, steps or other means of access; Boundary walls and fences; Basins, sinks, baths, toilets, flushing systems, waste pipes and drains (but not plugs or appliances); Electric wiring including sockets and switches, gas pipes and water pipes; Water heaters, fireplaces, fitted fires and central heating installations. Shared Ownership Tenants are responsible for all internal repairs to their property - LjHA are responsible only for repairs to common areas of the premises. Q: We put a hole in the bedroom door when we were moving furniture - will you fix it? A: Sorry, but no. You will have to replace the door yourself or fill and make good the damage so it looks as good as before.

3 Drains - The Association is responsible for the drains unless it is as a result of your behaviour e.g. if fat, grease. rice, pasta etc is poured down the drain, you will be responsible for the cost of removing the blockage. Similarly, if items are disposed of down the toilet, then you will be responsible for the cost of removing the blockage and any damage caused. Communal Repairs - The Association is responsible for the repair and maintenance of any common entrances, halls, stairways, lifts, passage ways and any other common areas including their electric lighting. These items are maintained by the Association and the costs are recharged via the service charge which is set annually. How to Report Repairs - Please report any repairs to the Repairs Service at LjHA s offices as soon as you become aware of the need. Telephone - (0113) This is a dedicated line just for reporting repairs. On reporting your repair an appointment will be made with you on a day and time suitable to you during office hours. - repairs@ljha.co.uk Upon receipt of your you will be contacted to arrange a suitable appointment. Emergency Out of Hours Repairs - Telephone This telephone is answered by our Sheltered Housing Support Worker on duty at the time and is for emergencies only. Emergency calls are passed to our on -call manager who will arrange for a contractor to attend. If the call is not an emergency we will not attend but the repair will be reported the following working day to our routine repairs service. Sheltered Housing tenants may report repairs to the Housing Support Worker on duty who will contact the Repairs Service on your behalf and arrange an appointment for you. The Housing Support Worker will let you know when someone will attend. Response Times Emergency Repairs - these are repairs which pose a threat to life or property and someone will attend within 24 hours. When they attend they will make the threat safe although they may not necessarily be able to complete the repair. Urgent Repairs - these are repairs which pose a serious inconvenience and someone will attend within 7 days. Routine Repairs - these are repairs which need carrying out but which are not deemed to be an emergency or urgent and someone will attend within 28 days. Sometimes parts or special materials are required to complete a repair and, depending on the manufacturer may take some time to arrive. The Association tries to obtain parts and materials as quickly as possible but is entirely dependent upon the manufacturer.

4 You are responsible for - treating the property as your own home and to report any repairs to us promptly. In return we will endeavour to fix them promptly. This is what we expect you to do: Make sure that everyone in your home treats it carefully and with respect; Get contents insurance in case of accidents; Keep your home clean and garden tidy; Decorate the inside regularly. We will repaint the outside of your house regularly; Fill smalls holes and cracks in plaster; Replace light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and strip light starters; Pay for additional and/or replacement keys, locks and fobs; Trim internal doors to fit over carpets; Unblock sinks, waste pipes and toilets if it is your fault that they are blocked; Supply floor coverings, furniture and equipment; Light fittings other than basic pendant fittings provided by the Association; All white goods (cookers, washing machines, fridge/freezer, cooker extraction hoods); Repair your own fixtures and fittings, or those that were gifted to you when you moved in; Deal with infestations of insects or rodents and pay for professional treatment if needed. The Council will treat rats for free - call them on (0113) Q: Can I decorate my home as I like? A: Yes, as long as it s is easy for the next tenant to decorate it how they want to. Please do not glue dado rails or coving to walls, as they leave glue behind or damage the plaster when removed. Do not use Artex or ceiling tiles and never paint gas fires.

5 Maintaining your home - If you look after your home with some simple DIY, you will avoid problems like kitchen cupboard doors falling off or door locks not working. This is the kind of regular maintenance we expect you to do. Oil doors and window locks. Do this about once a year - a quick squirt of WD40 or 3 -in-1 oil, available from hardware shops and DIY stores. Tighten screws on kitchen cupboard doors and door handles. If you are not sure how, ask our maintenance officer to come and show you. Clean extractor fans. Use the soft attachment on your vacuum cleaner to hoover out the dust. Wipe off any grease with a damp cloth and a bit of washing up liquid. Remove weeds from around your home. Tenant recharges - If a repair is your responsibility and you ask us to do it for you, we will not order our contractors to do it until you have paid us in full. It may be cheaper for you to get your own contractors to do the work. Sometimes we have to repair things that are not our responsibility. For example, if you leave your bath running and it brings the ceiling down, it is your responsibility to fix it. However, LjHA might have to repair it quickly because of health and safety. You are still responsible for the cost and will have to pay us back. We call this a Tenant Recharge. If our property is damaged because you have failed to report a repair (e.g. a water leak damages woodwork over time) you may have to pay for putting it right. Protect yourself, get insured - Accidents happen. Children let baths over -run, pipes burst in winter, doors get put through, windows get broken. To protect yourself from the cost of repairing this kind of damage, you need to get insurance. CASAC Check Point for contractors - If you need to get some work done, but don t know a reliable contractor, call CASAC on They have a register of reliable, honest contractors.

6 Making your own improvements - If you wish to make alterations or improvements to your home at your own expense you need the written permission of the Association. Please write in to our Technical Services Manager with your request. We are not being over protective - we are simply trying to protect future tenants who may not want to live with your changes. Think ahead - do you want to have to take your improvement out when you move? If it s good quality, we may let you leave it for the next tenant. However, if it s poor quality or an acquired taste, we will ask you to remove it and pay to put it right. You don t need permission to: Put up shelves or pictures. Please take them down and fill in any holes when you move. Plant flowers or small shrubs (as long as you don t share your garden with other tenants). Put up curtain rails or blinds. You do need permission to: Replace doors, tiles or light fittings. Get satellite or cable installed. Put in laminate flooring or fitted wardrobes. Put up new fencing or window leading. Build a shed, lean -to or conservatory. Lay paving, decking or a parking area. Fit a burglar alarm or shower. Replace any of LjHA s fittings (e.g. taps, fires) Do any structural work. If you want to do something that isn t on the above list, check with us work, just in case. before you do the

7 Sheltered Housing Handyman Inspections From April 2012 LjHA has organised for regular (six monthly) inspections of all sheltered housing properties. The cost of these inspections will be covered via the service charge. These inspections cover the following checks: Electrical Ref Item Description of works 1 Front door Check correct operation of Electromagnetic Fore Closer (if fitted) by isolating power for 5 seconds, reset door after test. 2 Consumer unit Test RCD by pressing the test button. Important - advise the tenant about temporary loss of power. 3 Extractor fans Remove and clean filter where fitted. Clean the inlet and front face. Check that it is opening correctly. 4 Environment ventilation system Check correct operation 5 D2 Light bulb where fitted Change 6 General Do a visual inspection of all electrical fittings, lights, sockets etc. Change any D2 light bulbs in kitchen.

8 Sheltered Housing Regular Inspections - continued Joinery Ref Item Description of works 7 Front door Lubricate hinges and latch. Check door opens, closes and locks correctly. Check door and letterbox. 8 Internal Doors Lubricate hinges and latch. Check door opens and closes correctly. 9 Windows Lubricate hinges. Check window restrictor is fitted (where required). Check correct operation. 10 Kitchen Check cupboard doors and drawers operate correctly. Tighten any loose hinges or runners. Check silicone around worktops, sink. Check vinyl floor is in good condition. 11 Store cupboards Check shelves are secure.

9 Sheltered Housing Regular Inspections - continued Plumbing Ref Item Description of works 12 Kitchen Sink Check under sink for leaks. Check correct operation of taps. 13 General Inspect any visible pipe work for leaks. 14 Toilet Check correct operation. Remove cistern lid and check fill level is correct. Check inlet and waste for leaks. 15 Basin Check correct operation. Inspect under basin for leaks. Check temperature of hot water and record result (41 C maximum). 16 Shower Operate inlet valves and check individual flow rates of hot and cold water supplies. Check maximum flow temperature and record result (41 C maximum). Remove, clean and disinfect spray head. Check shower hose joints and flexible fittings. Operate thermostatic shower valve with cold water turned off to establish fail safe operation. Clean and unblock waste outlet trap as necessary. Clearing the outside drains is also included in the service.

10 Rechargeable Repairs Repairs which are the tenant s responsibility can be organised via the usual reporting system. The tenant will need to pay the contractor before the work is carried out. Below is a list of standard charges for works. These prices are inclusive of VAT and are correct as at 1 April 2012 and will be reviewed annually in line with inflation. These prices are for normal working hours. If any of these works are requested out -of-hours or as an emergency then an additional cost of will apply. Standard Repairs Change light bulb/starter Renew double socket outlet Renew single socket outlet Renew smoke alarm Renew ceiling rose and test Minor electrical work, per circuit Renew internal door Renew external door Renew external composite door Renew wash hand basin Renew waste fittings Renew bath Renew WC Renew WC and cistern WC seat and lid New door furniture New door lock New handles New Yale lock Garage lock and Handle

11 Repairs - continued New Bulldog lock Glazed tiles (white 6 x 6 ) per tile 8.00 New mortice lock New rim lock Internal cupboard door catches, handles and hinges Electrical faults arising from the use of faulty appliances Repair minor plaster cracks Garden paths, other than those leading to main door, per metre Garden fences need to be inspected before a price can be given T.B.A. Boarding up windows to make safe, per square metre Gaining access Unblocking drains where problem is caused by tenant Unblock toilet, sink, bath or wash basin Callout to contractors where no fault is found Clearance of property - small Clearance of property - part Clearance of property - Full Refused access i.e. gas check Missed appointment You may get your own contractor to carry out any of these works but they are subject to inspection by LjHA and should any of the works fail to meet the required standard the cost of rectifying bad workmanship will be your responsibility. Do please be very careful when asking people to carry out works on your behalf. Always check that they are properly qualified and carry adequate insurance just in case things go wrong.

12 What Happens if things go wrong? LJHA takes all concerns seriously. Our intention is to rectify any issues you may have as quickly as possible and use what you tell us to improve our services. How to make a complaint? In the first instance, please contact our Technical Services Manager who will contact you to discuss the issue and hopefully resolve it. If you are not satisfied with the response you have received please contact Pat Collinson, Director of Corporate Services either in writing, by telephone or via e -mail detailing your concerns. Every effort will be made to respond within 10 working days but if a full response cannot be given within this timescale, you will be advised. If you are still not satisfied then you may contact the Appeals Panel in writing and the letter addressed as follows: Private and Confidential, For the attention of the Appeals Panel LjHA, 311 Stonegate Road, Leeds LS17 6AZ The Appeals Panel comprises of three independent individuals appointed by LJHA who are not related or involved with those concerned with the complaint. If you are not happy with the outcome of the Appeal, you can contact the Independent Housing Ombudsmen : Housing Ombudsman Service 81 Aldwych London WC2B 4HN Tel or or (minicom) Fax info@housing -ombudsman.org.uk Please be advised that this can be a lengthy process and the decision made by the Independent Housing Ombudsmen is final. On leaving your property If you leave your property you need to leave it in a clean and tidy condition with neutral internal decorations. Any rubbish or items left behind will be disposed of and you will be charged for this disposal. Similarly any cleaning, decorating or rectification works for which you are responsible should be carried out by you otherwise we will undertake the works and charge you for them. To avoid any confusion please contact the Repairs Service to arrange an inspection when you first give notice so that you can be informed of what you need to do before you leave.