Your Right to Repair The guide explains what repairs are covered, how you can report them, how long we have to complete the work and what you can do if we don t manage to undertake the work in time. Your right to repair 1
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This guide explains about Your Right To Repair - a scheme to ensure certain small urgent repairs which may affect your health, safety or security are done quickly and easily. The guide explains what repairs are covered, how you can report them, how long we have to complete the work and what you can do if we don t manage to undertake the work in time. How can I get my repairs done? You need to tell us what repairs you need done. We may need to send someone to your home to check the problem first. If the repair comes under The Right to Repair scheme we will do the work in the set timescale and will send you a copy of the repair notice. This notice will show information that will include: Confirmation of who is doing the repair and how to contact them. (Usually it will be Bernicia but occasionally it may be a contractor); The arrangements made for whoever is doing the repair to attend. What the repair is; and When the repair should be done by. Your right to repair 2
How long do I have to wait for you to carry out these repairs? This depends on the type of repair you need and the information is provided at the back of this guide. Qualifying repair times are set by law - not by ourselves. Normal repair timescales Type of Repair Total loss of electric power Partial loss of power Unsafe power or lighting socket, or electrical fitting Total loss of water supply Partial loss of water supply Total or partial loss of gas supply Blocked flue to open fire or boiler Total loss of space or water heating (31st October & 1st May) Partial loss of space or water heating (31st October & 1st May) Blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack, or toilet pan (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling) Timescale Toilet not flushing (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling) 3 Your right to repair
Normal repair timescales Type of Repair Blocked sink, bath or hand basin waste Tap which cannot be turned Serious leak from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern Leaking roof Insecure external window, door or lock Loose or detached banister or hand-rail Rotten timber flooring or stair tread Minor water leaks Door entry-phone not working Extractor fans Timescale 7 days 7 days 7 days 7 days Your right to repair 4
What happens if you do not do my repair in time? If we don t carry out your repair in time, you can opt for a secondary contractor to attend instead. The second contractor has the same amount of time to do the repair(s). If the repair is not completed in time after the second attempt, you will receive 10 in compensation. For every extra day that you wait, you will get another 2 up to a maximum of 50. We will pay the compensation to you unless you owe us any money for things such as rent arrears or re-chargeable repairs. If this happens we will deduct the compensation from the amount that you owe. Sometimes there may be a good reason why a repair can t be done. For example, if you didn t allow us into your property, we won t have to pay you compensation. 5 Your right to repair
What repairs are covered? You can get certain small urgent repairs done (up to the value of 250) if they are likely to affect your health, safety or security. These are called qualifying repairs and include: Unsafe power or lighting sockets or electrical fittings; Blocked flue to open fire or boiler; Leaking roof; Toilets which don t flush; Blocked sink, bath or basin; Leaking from a water or heating pipe, tank or cistern; Loose or broken bannisters or handrails. Please note that upon attending a repair there may be occasions when the repair will take longer to remedy than the target timescale due to factors beyond our control. For example, cuts to power or water supplies. This will not qualify the repair as The Right To Repair but we will keep you informed of the approximate time to remedy it. Where a repair will take longer than the target timescale, the repair will be made safe and another repair raised to complete the works. Your right to repair 6
Everyone asks How do I find out more? If you would like to find out more about the right to repair, please contact us in any of the following ways: Telephone our Customer Contact Team on: 0344 800 3800 Email: info@bernicia.com Website: www.bernicia.com In writing to: Bernicia Oakwood Way Ashwood Business Park Ashington Northumberland NE63 0XF 7 Your right to repair
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Repairing your home, quickly and efficiently Your right to repair 10
All our publications can be made available on request in large print, braille, or audio and in other languages. Bernicia Group Ltd Oakwood Way Ashwood Business Park Ashington Northumberland NE63 0XF T: 0344 800 3800 F: 01670 819844 E: info@bernicia.com www.bernicia.com Information provided by the Bernicia Group: Bernicia Group Limited is a Registered Society in England and Wales under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 No. 30268R. Affiliated to the Federation of Housing Associations. Registered under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. Registration No. 11 L4512 Vat Your Registration right to repair No. 733 8036 38