A Better Deal for Tenants: Your New Right to Repair

Your Right to Repair

As part of the Citizens Charter scheme, a new Right to Repair scheme was introduced for council tenants from 1 April 1994. It makes sure that certain small urgent repairs which might affect your health, safety or security, are done quickly and easily. Councils are be told by law to carry out these repairs within a certain time.

 

If the council does not carry out your repair in time, you can request that they get another contractor to carry out the repair. If then, the second contractor does not carry out the repair in time, the council will pay you compensation. The council will inform you what repairs come under the new scheme and how long they have to carry them out. Repair times vary depending on the type of repair. For example, if your toilet is not flushing, the council usually has one working day to come and repair it. They have three working days to mend a loose bannister rail and seven working days to mend a broken extractor fan in your bathroom or kitchen.

What repairs can you get done?

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.

 

Qualifying repairs include:

• unsafe power or lighting sockets
• 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

Your council will have a full list of repairs which come under the scheme. It will be able to tell you if a repair you need is included in the scheme and how long they have to get the repair done. The council will also be able to tell you how they deal with repairs which are not covered under this scheme.

How can you get your repairs done?

You should inform the council what repairs need to be done. The council may need to send someone to your home to check the problem first. If the repair comes under the Right to Repair scheme, the council will request a contractor to do it in the set time. The council will also send you a copy of the repair notice it sends to the contractor. The notice will show you:

• the name, address and telephone number of the contractor who will do the repair
• the arrangements made for the contractor to do the repair (the date and time)
• what the repair is, and
• when the repair should be completed by

You must let the council know when someone can be at home to let the contractor in.

How long has the council got to carry out these repairs?

This depends on the type of repair you need, but the council can always inform you how long it should take. Qualifying repair times are set by law - not the council.

What happens if the first contractor doesn't do your repair in time?

If the first contractor doesn't do your repair in time, you should phone the council and ask them to get a second contractor to carry out the work.

 

Unless there is a good reason why the work hasn't been done, the council will request a second contractor to carry out the repair. You will receive a copy of the second repair notice - which the council sends to the second contractor. The second contractor then has the same amount of time to do the repair as the first contractor had.

Compensation

If the second contractor does not carry out your repair in time, you will receive £10 in compensation. For every extra day you wait, you will receive another £2. The most compensation you will receive for any one job is £50. The council will pay your compensation - unless you already owe them some money. If you do owe money to the council, they will deduct the amount you owe from your compensation.

How to find out more

Contact the Maintenance Section at your Council's Housing Department.

 

This leaflet is one of a series of three, dealing with the new tenants rights (Your New Right to Manage, Your New Right to Repair, and Your New Right to Compensation for Improvements).

 

These leaflets are free and are also available in Welsh, Bengali, Hindu, Urdu, Greek and Vietnamese.

 

A Better Deal for Tenants - Your New Right to Repair

 

Product Code: 02 HC 0427

 

Printed: August 2002