Repairs, improvements, safety and security THIS LEAFLET IS RESIDENT APPROVED

Transcription

1 Repairs, improvements, safety and security THIS LEAFLET IS RESIDENT APPROVED

2 Reporting repairs This leaflet has information about our Repairs Services - it tells you how to report a repair, the types of repairs we will carry out, when the repair will be done, the types of repairs you must do yourself, and what to expect from our service. Over the phone Press 1. Calling our landline number may be cheaper from a mobile. repairs@lewishamhomes.org.uk please include your name and property address. Online In writing Lewisham Homes Repairs Services FREEPOST (No stamp needed) SE6 4TW In person At your local housing office Repairs Operative Paul Whitter

3 Lewisham Homes is responsible for Leaks to baths, basins, sinks or toilets Blocked toilets Toilet not flushing Repairs to front / back entrance doors Kitchen units, work tops and draws Repairs to windows All structural repairs Roof leaks Loss of electrics Under your Tenancy Agreement you are responsible for Replacing batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, indoor fluorescent tubes and other light bulbs Fencing repairs to individual properties, unless the fencing is one installed by us or where it is a health and safety hazard Repairs to fixtures, fittings and equipment not provided by us (for example curtain rails, ovens and garden sheds) Repair/replace toilet seats, bath panels, plugs and chains on baths, basins, or sinks Glazing repairs to internal doors and cupboards (but not security glass). Replace glass in windows, unless it is caused by vandalism or a break in. Replace keys and locks when keys are lost or locked out (unless you live in sheltered or extra care housing) Repair/replace electrical plugs (not socket outlets) and fuses Repair/replace internal doors and locks, door furniture such as handles, letterboxes, cupboard catches and hinges Other than where such items have been fitted by us, fit waste and supply pipe work for washing machines and dishwashers and vents for tumble driers safety and security * repairs Loss of water supply Faulty locks installed to doors / windows Repairs to kitchen/ bathroom doors Keep gully grids clear of leaves and rubbish Unblocking waste pipes to sinks, basins, and baths where the blockage is in your home Repairing minor plaster cracks and internal decorations and maintain wall and floor tiles Easing/adjusting internal door, locks and window hinges Your responsibilities are also outlined in your Tenancy Agreement. You are responsible for any damage caused by you, members of your household, or your visitors, and you must fix any damage. If you do not do this, Lewisham Homes can enter your home to carry out the work and recharge the cost

4 Repair appointment times Monday Friday: Morning 8am 1pm; Afternoon 12 noon 5pm We can also provide early morning, evening and Saturday morning appointments on request. We can also give you a password so you can ensure that the operative is working for Lewisham Homes. All authorised operatives carry identity cards and they should show these before entering your home. If you have any doubt over their identity please contact us before letting them into your home or press 1 If you give us a mobile phone number when you request a repair we will send an appointment confirmation text immediately, and text you before we are due to arrive. If we cannot gain access to your property at the agreed time, we will phone you. If we are unable to contact you, we will leave a card saying what time we visited. You will need to contact us to rearrange the appointment. Once the job is completed we will contact you by text, phone or post and ask you to complete a satisfaction survey. Out of hours emergency service An emergency repairs service is available outside normal office hours, during the weekends and bank holidays.. If you report an emergency repair to us out of hours we will come and make the situation safe. The next working day we will order any follow on works that are needed and these will be carried out in normal working hours. See the table for further details of how repairs are prioritised. Contact us if you have any questions or press 1 Repair priorities We have set targets for the time you should have to wait for a repair job, the following schedule shows the most common repairs. Also refer to the Right to Repair at the back of this leaflet.

5 Response time Emergency repairs - attend within two hours No drinking water or loss of mains water Communal door entry phones not working Loss of communal heating or lighting Lift breakdowns Total loss of electrical supply Make an area safe after criminal damage Major blockages, surging drains, stacks Blocked toilets (where there is only one in the property) Dangerous structures and ceilings Major water penetration and flooding Change locks with a crime reference External door/window that cannot be secured Uncontainable leaks Blocked flue to open fire or boiler Next working day Total or partial loss of space or water heating (31 October to 1 May) Blocked refuse chute Partial loss of electrics Bathroom or communal doors that cannot close Renew WC (where only one in property) Toilet not flushing (where only one in property) Re-secure loft hatch or intake cupboard Leak from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern Within three working days Total or partial loss of space or water heating (30th April to 1st November) Roof leaks Faulty TV aerials Defective flooring or stair tread where there is a health and safety issue Re-glaze window or door Repair gutters and rain water pipes Containable leaks Reseal around bath/sink/basin Communal stair tread repairs Electrical extractor fans Loose or detached banister or hand rail safety and security * repairs

6 Response time Within 20 working days Re-glaze of boarded windows Repairs to kitchen cupboards and fittings Fencing and gates (installed by us or health and safety hazard) Water hammer, defective tap washers Gulley grid Inspection chamber and or cover Plastering to ceiling or wall Reseal window or door Garage doors Mould treatment Communal floor or wall tile repairs Duct panels Joinery works Renew extractor fans, storage heater, bath, kitchen units, flooring, hand basin, WC where property has two, water tank Brickwork and concrete repairs Gas servicing It is a legal requirement that we service your gas appliances every year. This is to make sure you are safe in your home. We will get in touch with you to arrange for this work to be done. It is a condition of your tenancy that you must allow us access to your home to carry out this work. The free appointment takes about an hour or press 1 gasaccess@lewishamhomes.org.uk Make sure we can get to your gas meter - it should not be covered by boxing, furniture or other items. Try to avoid using your gas appliances the day of the service or they will be too hot to service. If we cannot gain access after repeated attempts, we will take legal action to gain access and carry out the service. This is for the safety of you and your neighbours. You will be billed for the cost of the legal action. If you suspect a gas leak: u Call National Grid s Gas Emergency u Open all the doors and windows

7 u Shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve It is illegal for anyone to use a gas appliance if they suspect it is unsafe. Turn the appliance off and do not touch it until it has been checked by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. Lifts The majority of lifts have a voice communication device fitted. If the lift breaks down, press the alarm button and it will automatically connect you to our 24 hour call centre. We will aim to arrive within 30 minutes. Many lifts break down because of misuse or vandalism. Please help us by reporting offenders to us. Please do not: u Allow children to interfere with lifts u Play with the winding gear u Block lift doors open u Drop litter in the lift u Go into the lift plant room or shaft Asbestos Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material that has been a popular building material since the 1950s. Asbestos is found in many products used in buildings, including ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, boilers and sprayed coatings. As long as the asbestos is not damaged or located somewhere it can be easily damaged it won t be a risk to you. If you are carrying out work in your home you should contact us first to enquire about our asbestos register. safety and security * repairs ask for Health and Safety lewishamhomes.healthandsafety@lewishamhomes.org.uk Improvements to your home If you want to make improvements and alterations to your home, you must get our written permission before you do any work. If the work you want to carry out needs building and/ or planning permission, it is your responsibility to get this permission. If you do not, you could be asked to restore the property to the original condition at your own expense. Vulnerability Lewisham Homes is committed to assisting people who are vulnerable to enable them to live independently in their homes. There are a number of ways Lewisham Homes can help vulnerable customers. We can: u Provide arrears, welfare benefit and debt advice

8 u Order repairs and additional security measures u Provide basic adaptations to make day to day tasks easier u Decorate two rooms Aids and adaptations If you or someone you live with finds it difficult to get around your home, you may be able to get help to maintain, or improve your independence. Lewisham Homes can provide some basic adaptations to your home, for larger works an assessment from Lewisham Council s Community Occupational Therapy Service is required. Contact us for information or to request a copy of our Aids and Adaptations leaflet. Decoration scheme We can assist elderly or vulnerable tenants to redecorate their homes, free of charge, if they have had no decorations carried out by either the Council or Lewisham Homes in the preceding eight years. You must be a Lewisham Homes tenant who is: u Registered disabled u Elderly or an older person who is over 70 with support needs, or has a long term or terminal illness, mental health or learning problems which cause you difficulty with everyday activities. Tenants unable to carry out decorations themselves must not have someone living with them who can do the decorations (i.e. someone who does not meet the above criteria). Linkline Linkline is Lewisham Council s 24 hour support service for elderly or vulnerable residents. Linkline helps to give these residents the freedom to live their life independently knowing that they can call for help when needed. The service is available to anyone who feels at risk linkline@lewisham.gov.uk Staff in our Repairs Services Contact Centre Satellite dishes Lewisham Council has installed Integrated Reception Systems (IRS) on all blocks with 12 or more flats. IRS means that residents of blocks fitted with this system will not require a satellite dish to receive Sky and Freeview signals. Residents are not allowed to install a

9 satellite dish. Condensation and moisture You are responsible for repairing and preventing condensation in your home, unless the condensation has been caused by work carried out by us. Tips for reducing condensation u Cover pots and pans when cooking u Do not use bottled gas heaters u Dry washing outdoors if possible, vent tumble driers to the outside air u Avoid putting too many things in cupboards/wardrobes as this stops air circulating u Close kitchen and bathrooms doors, and open windows or use fans when in use u Do not block any air vents in your home u Wipe excess condensation off windows and surfaces with a towel Safety and security It is advisable to make sure that your home and its contents are safe and secure. u Close windows and lock doors when going out or to bed u Join a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in your area u Report anything suspicious to the Police u Don t leave valuables where they can be seen from outside u Ask to see ID for workers entering your home u Get contents insurance for your home safety and security * repairs Fire safety There s no better way of dealing with a fire than prevention. There are many steps you can take to prevent fires and stay safe in and around your home. Fit smoke alarms and test them regularly - London Fire Brigade carry out free fire safety checks and alarm fitting Plan an escape route and meeting point Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully Take care with candles and keep them away from curtains and fabrics Keep fire lighting equipment out of reach from children Don t overload electrical sockets, and check the fuse is adequate Report any electrical faults to us Remember in a fire, dial 999 immediately. If you live in a block of flats or sheltered accommodation, there may be special fire procedures. Make sure you are aware of information signs in estate blocks

10 Right to repair The Right to Repair is legislation that sets out that landlords are responsible for doing small urgent repairs if they are likely to affect health, safety or security. It includes repairs that cost less than 250. If we fail to complete the work on time, you may have the right to ask us to employ another contractor to do the work. In the first instance you should contact our Customer Relations team. Arrangements may be made for another contractor to undertake the repair in the same amount of time to complete the work as the original contractor. In the event that the second contractor also fails to complete the work on time you may be entitled to compensation under the Statutory Right to Repair Scheme. Only some repairs qualify under this scheme, a full list is shown in this leaflet. The compensation entitlement is 10, plus a further payment of 2 per day for every day that the repair remains outstanding, up to a maximum of 50 for any one job. Lewisham Council is entitled to offset this compensation against any debt you may owe to the Council. The Right to Repair only applies to Qualifying Repairs. Government Statutory Right to Repair These repairs are covered by Government legislation and must be completed within the following schedule, providing that the total cost of the work does not exceed 250. In certain cases we will complete these repairs more quickly than the statutory time limit. (See repairs priorities on page 4). Defect Prescribed period (in working days) Total loss of electric power Partial loss of electric power 3 days Unsafe power or lighting socket, or electrical fitting Total loss of water supply Partial loss of water supply 3 days Total or partial loss of gas supply Blocked flue to open fire or boiler Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 31 October and 1 May Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 30 3 days April and 1 November

11 Defect Blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack, or (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling-house) toilet pan Toilet not flushing (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling-house) Blocked sink, bath or basin * Tap which cannot be turned off Leaking from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern Leaking roof Insecure external window, door or lock Loose or detached bannister or hand rail Rotten timber flooring or stair tread Door entry phone not working Mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working Prescribed period (in working days) 3 days 3 days 7 days 3 days 3 days 7 days 7 days * Note, sink, bath or basin blockages are the tenants responsibility as outlined in the Tenancy Agreement. safety and security * repairs

12 We can give you this information in any other way, style or language that will help you access it. Please indicate which language you require and provide your name, address and telephone number in the box below. For other formats tick the appropriate box below: n Large print n Audio tape n Braille Nous pouvons vous fournir ces informations d'autres façons, dans d'autres formats ou dans d autres langues pour vous aider à mieux les comprendre. Veuillez indiquer vos détails ci-dessous. REPAIRS V0510 Lewisham Homes FREEPOST (no stamp required) London