Repairs and investment

13. Repair

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13. Repairs and investment

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Repairs and investment

www.stockporthomes.org

We operate anemergency repairs service outside officehours, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

IntroductionStockport Homes aims to provide all its customers with ahigh-quality, efficient and comprehensive repairs service.This section of the customer handbook explains how to reportrepairs to us and offers advice on other aspects of lookingafter your home.

Essential informationYou’ll find more details about our repairs service later in thesection, but this summary gives you a quick checklist.

How to report a repairYou can report a repair from 8am to 4pm by:

• calling the Repairs Contact Centre on 0161 217 6016;

• visiting our website at www.stockporthomes.org;

• emailing the Repair Contact Centre at [email protected];

• text messaging from a mobile telephone on 07797 806626;

• faxing 0161 217 6020; or

• minicom on 0161 217 6024.

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Repairs charterThe charter tells you about the standard of service you can expect from us, so that you can decide if we are doing a good job. If we are not achieving our standards or quality of service the charter tells you how you can let us know and how we will respond. The charter is our commitment to the quality of service we aim to provide.

Our aim is to provide you with:

• a high quality;• efficient; and• comprehensive repairs service.

We carry out about 50,000 repairs each year,so we are fully committed to the quality of service we provide.

Our planned objectives are to:

• Consult you and involve you with decisions about the standard of the repairs service to your home and estates and monitor this service.

• Increase the life of our housing stock. • Make sure your home is warm and

comfortable, in good and safe repair, and meets the requirements of the Decent Homes target set by the Government.

• Achieve high standards of customer care.• Provide a prompt, efficient and effective repairs service.• Reduce the time a home is empty.• Monitor and continue to improve the performance of staff and contractors, taking into account your feedback.• Reduce costs on day-to-day repairs and increase investment in planned

maintenance.• Agree to legal duties, carry out examples of best practice and ensure value for money.

To achieve this we will:

• Provide an emergency repair service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for genuine emergencies, for example, where there is a risk to your safety. We will respond within four hours to make safe or carry out a full repair, if it is urgent.

• Carry out repairs for which we are responsible, or if they have been caused by fair wear and tear.

• Tell you when you request a repair, whether we need to inspect your home before work is carried out.

• Get back costs from you if you have wilfully damaged or neglected your home.

• Carry out repairs within sensible target times, to keep down the costs of urgent repairs. You will normally wait up to 20 working days following your request for routine repairs or an inspection. In most cases we would be able to carry out the repairs sooner.

• Aim to make appointments where practical for routine repairs and to give you the choice of a morning or afternoon appointment for weekdays. Provide the option to avoid ‘school runs’ and an early evening appointment at least one day a week. We also provide a Saturday morning appointment option for certain types of repair.

• Send you a letter, text or leave a voicemail message within 24 hours confirming your repair request, if it is not urgent.

We will give you: • details of the repair you requested; • the name of the contractor who will carry

out the repair; • the date we will complete the repair;

and • a phone number if you have any

questions about the repair.• We may send you a letter with a

questionnaire or phone you after the contractor has completed the repair, asking you:

• how well the job was done; and

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• what you thought of the quality of service you recieved.

• Tell you if your repair is cancelled and give you the opportunity to re-arrange a convenient time and date.

What to do if something goes wrong

If, for example, there has been an unacceptableor unexplained delay in carrying out the repair,or if it has not been done to your satisfaction,please contact the Repairs Contact Centre.

The staff will help you to resolve the immediateproblem. If you feel that we did not resolve the issue satisfactorily, we have a complaints procedure that you can use. We will investigate your complaint within ten working days and tell you what action we will take.

Your views

We aim to carry out repairs to a satisfactorystandard and in a way that causes youminimum inconvenience. We want to hear yourviews about the quality of the service you get,so your feedback will be logged and actioned where practicable.

If you have a repair you want to report, phone0161 217 6016. For minicom users, pleasephone 0161 217 6024. If you have hearingdifficulties the Repairs Contact Centre also provide a mobile number for texting purposes, which is 07797 806626.

Investment charterWe are committed to improving the standard ofour homes within the Borough and seek toensure that all homes maintain the DecentHomes Standard that was achieved in 2010.

This charter provides details of the agreed

standard of service you can expect to receivewhile this programme of work is being dealtwith.

Our commitment to you

We will:• make sure that at all times our dealings with you are friendly, courteous and confidential;• respond promptly to all enquiries received;• work with you and tenants’ associations to improve the service provided; and• make sure the contractors are suitably skilled and qualified to carry out the amount of work they have been employed to do.

Before we start the work

We will:• give you the details of the work to be carried out and the amount of work to be done;• let you know when the work will start and how long it will take to complete;• explain if there is to be any disruption caused during the work;• advise you of any preparations you need to make before we start the work;• ask your permission before we come into your home and if necessary make suitable arrangements for access;• give you a choice (wherever possible) of the type, colour and position of fixtures (if applicable);• discuss and help you with any of your questions; and• give you the name and phone number of the Customer Liaison Officer.

During the work

We will:• let you know the progress of work;• continue to deal with any questions you may have or help you may need; and

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We will carry out a customer satisfaction survey and use these results to help, develop and improve our future services.

• make sure the contractor carries out the work safely, and does not allow you or your home to be at risk.

After the work is completed

We will:

• carry out a customer satisfaction survey and use these results to help, develop and improve our future services; and• work closely with the contractor responsible for carrying out the work to resolve any problems that may have happened, promptly and effectively.

If you need to discuss this programme of workor you have any questions, please contact theinvestment programme advice line on0161 474 4407.

Dealing with emergenciesTo minimise damage - do you know where the stop taps areon your water supply? Use the ‘Repairs guide’ to store thelocation. Pick up a copy from your area housing office.

Emergencies outside office hours:We operate an emergency repairs service outside office hours,24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For an emergency repair:Call our Repairs Contact Centre on: 0161 217 6016.A telephone message will tell you where your call is beingdirected.

For emergency gas appliance repairs (excluding cookers):Always call the Repairs Contact Centre on: 0161 217 6016.

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Stockport Homesaims to provide allof its customerswith a high-quality,efficient andcomprehensiverepairs service.

Other emergencies (at any time of the day):

For gas leaks:Turn off the gas supply.Telephone National Grid Gas on Freephone: 0800 111 999.

For water leaks:Turn the water off at the stop tap.For internal water leaks contain the leak as much as possibleand call the Repairs Contact Centre on 0161 217 6016.For external water leaks, call United Utilities on 0800 330 033.

Describing your repairWhen contacting us please tell us:• your name;• your address;• your contact telephone number and the best times to contact you;• what repair is needed;• as many other details as possible (for example, type and make of appliance, types of material); and• the days and times when someone will be at home, or other arrangements to get into the property.

If you have a copy of the ‘Repairs guide’, please use it to helpreport your repair by using the pictures as an aid.

If you are a leaseholder and need to report a repair, please referto your ‘Leaseholder Handbook’.

AppointmentsWe offer an appointments service for non-urgent repairs so that they can be carried out, wherever possible, at a time that suits you.

• Where we need to gain access to your home to carry out a repair we will agree an appointment date and time with you.

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We offer an appointmentsservice for non-urgent repairs.

• We will make an appointment for an inspection by a Technical Officer if one is needed.• We will make sure you are left a card if work has been completed to the external fabric of your property when you were out.• We will text your mobile phone or send a message to your landline telephone number to confirm and remind you of your appointment (you need to make sure we have your

number on our system).• We will contact you to say we are on the way (you need to

make sure we have your number on our system).

We want to complete repairs as quickly as possible, so it is important for you to be at home at the agreed time.

Acknowledging your repair

For routine repair requests we will either post a confirmation letter or leave a text or voicemail message for you within 24 hours, giving details of:• the repair you requested;• the name and contact number of the contractor who will carry out the repairs;• the arrangements made with you for access; and• the category of repair and how long it may take to complete.

Please let us have your feedback on the repairs to your home- it’s important to us and enables us to improve our service toyou in future.

Do I have to prepare for the work to be done?

If the repair involves work to the floor, it would be helpful toremove all floor coverings. For work on any area of your home,please remove everything valuable or breakable. Our staff arenot responsible for moving any furniture or floor coverings. Ifyou need special help with this, please contact the RepairsContact Centre so they can arrange it.

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The Governmentintroducedregulations underthe Right toRepair Scheme,which givestenants the rightto have certainrepairs completedwithin statedtime limits.

How long do repairs take?

When you report a repair it is automatically categoriseddepending on the type of repair and its urgency. Each category has an agreed time limit for the job.

Stockport Homes’ responsibilities

We are responsible for repairing:

• foundations;• external walls;• external doors and door frames;• window frames;• roofs and chimneys;• gutters and rain water pipes;• drainage;• water services;• basins, sinks, baths and toilets;• electrical services;• gas services;• central heating and hot water systems; and• communal areas (such as lifts and stairs) in multi-occupied properties.

Right to Repair

The Government has stated regulations under the Right toRepair Scheme, which gives tenants the right to have certainrepairs completed within specified time limits. You can get aleaflet about the scheme from your area housing office.

Which repairs qualify for the scheme?

A qualifying repair is one that appears in the list aboveand costs £250 or less. If we need to inspect the repair first,the completion times listed on page 130 counted from theday after the inspection.

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It may be advisable to leave a spare set of keys with aneighbour or a family member who you trust.

What happens if the contractor does not complete the repair within the time limit?

If the repair is not completed within the time limit, you can askfor another contractor to carry out the repair. We will thenallocate your repair to another contractor.

What happens if the secondcontractor does not complete therepair within the time limit?

If the second contractor does not complete the work withinthe time limit, we will pay you compensation of £10 plus £2per day until the repair is completed, up to a maximum of £50.

How will I receive the compensation?

The compensation will be credited to your rent account.

Are there times when the Right toRepair Scheme will not apply?

Yes if:• you tell us you no longer require the repair;• you do not give us any access details for your property;• you do not allow us into your property to do an inspection at the agreed time; or• you do not allow the contractor into the property to do the repair at the agreed times.

Your responsibilities

You are responsible for:

• interior painting and decorating (except communal areas);• cracked and broken glass (unless caused by vandalism);• fixtures and fittings damaged by you;• interior furnishings, if supplied by Stockport Homes; and

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When you report a chargeable repair to the Repairs Contact Centre, we will tell you its approximate cost.

• any fittings, appliances or alterations supplied or carried out by yourselves, including TV aerials (unless communal TV aerials), plumbing in washing machines and dishwashers, and adapting doors to accommodate carpets.

Chargeable repairsWe will ask you to pay for repair work to your home if the workhas been caused for example by:

• any act of vandalism, unless a crime number is obtained;• damage to interior furnishings if supplied by Stockport Homes;• any act of negligence including repeated lock changes; and• removal of rubbish left in the property, loft, outhouse or garden area once a tenancy has been terminated.

When we order or carry out a chargeable repair, we will informyou that you need to repay us the costs of the repair. We will tell you the different ways of doing this. If the repair is non-urgent we will give you the option of doing the repair yourself – as long as you allow the option of a member of our technical staff to inspect it afterwards.

When you report a chargeable repair to the Repairs Contact Centre, we will tell you its approximate cost. Any damagerequiring a repair caused by criminal activity must be reported to the police and a crime number obtained. This must then be forwarded to your area housing office.

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Repairs: Priority levelsThese are the different repair categories and the types of repairs in them:

When it is not possible to complete the work in one visit, the contractor will make your home safe and reinstate any essentialservices to prevent damage. The contractor will make a note of any follow-up work required and inform the relevant Repair 1st planner who will order the work.

We want to carry out all repairs as quickly as possible but our urgent repairs service is for genuine emergencies only. High-priority repairs are expensive. You can help us to keep down the costs of this type of repair by only asking for a high priority repair if it is absolutely necessary. Please make sure you stay at home for the repair to be carried out, otherwise you may be charged for a missed appointment.

When it is not possible to complete the work in one visit, the contractor will make your home safe and reinstate any essential services to prevent damage.

These include anything that is dangerous, a health risk or likely to cause serious structural damage.

This is the most common type of repair. The RepairsContact Centre will agree an earlier appointment if available. Routine repairs include all other day-to-day repairs.

External repairs and work in communal areas.

Repairs more suited to gathering into a minor programme, such as fencing, roofing or re-pointing.

Urgent (U) - High priority repairs torespond and make safe in four hours.

Priority A - Routine repairs which require anappointment within 20 working days.

Priority N - Routine repairs which do notrequire an appointment.

Priority P - Planned repairs completed withinsix months.

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If you return your comments within 21 days, you will beentered into a quarterly repairs draw with first prize winning £100 in vouchers and two runner-up prizes of £50 in vouchers.

Please note you may be charged for any repair reported as a high-priority, when it is not the case.

Right to Repair timescales

Qualifying repairs Timescales(working days)

Total loss of electrical power. 1

Partial loss of electrical power. 3

Unsafe power to lighting socket or electrical fitting.

1

Total loss of water supply. 1

Partial loss of water supply. 3

Total or partial loss of gas supply. 1

Blocked flue to open fire or boiler. 1

Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 1 November to 30 April.

1

Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 1 May and 31 October.

3

Blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack or toilet pan (where there is no other toilet in the property).

1

Toilet not flushing (where there is no other toilet in the property).

1

Blocked sink, bath or basin. 3

Tap that cannot be turned. 3

Leak from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern.

1

Leaking roof. 7

Insecure external window, door or lock. 1

Loose or detached banister or hand rail. 3

Rotten timber flooring or stair tread. 3

Door entryphone not working. 7

Mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working.

7

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Should you feelany contractorworking in yourhome does notadhere to thiscode of conduct,please call theRepairs ContactCentre on 0161217 6016.

Whenever a repair is carried out to your property you mayreceive a letter confirming what repair work has been done.The letter will also include questions about your experience ofthe service. Please let us know by returning your answers tous in the freepost envelope, which will be enclosed with theletter. If you return your comments within 21 days, you will beentered into a quarterly repairs draw with first prize winning£100 in vouchers and two runner-up prizes of £50 invouchers.

Operatives code of conductAll contractors working for Stockport Homes have undergonetraining on the code of conduct expected when working inyour home.

Our operatives will:

• wear the appropriate dresswear and safety equipment (if applicable);• introduce themselves to you and explain the nature and duration of the work they are there to complete;• clearly display their company identification badge;• use clean dust sheets to protect your belongings;• ensure disruption is kept to a minimum;• keep materials and equipment safe within the working area;• keep you informed of progress and arrange to make further appointments if the job cannot be completed in one visit;• inform the Customer Liaison Officer of any grievance you may have;• clean up thoroughly and ensure your property is left clean and tidy at the end of the working day;• ensure your property is secure at all times;• be courteous to you and your guests;• respect your privacy, belongings and garden;• observe health and safety regulations and current codes of practice; • appreciate that they are working in your home not on a building site; and• only access parts of your property to complete the repair.

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Our operatives will not:

• leave unfixed materials in the property;• work outside permitted working hours without your permission and that of their manager;• smoke;• use bad language;• use your tools or equipment;• use a radio or personal stereo;• use your facilities, unless you have given permission; and• be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance.

Other types of repairs and maintenance

Gas boiler safety checks and servicing

Every year we will arrange a safety check and service of your gas boiler, and any other gas appliances we provide.

When the annual service and safety inspection is due, our contractor will write to you to arrange an appointment. When you get the letter, please contact the contractor to arrange a suitable time for them to visit you. If you don’t allow access for gas servicing, you will be breaking your tenancy agreement.

Please note: These regular checks are very importantfor your safety and we have a legal duty to do them.Please help us to ensure your safety by making andkeeping appointments as above. We will take legalaction (and charge all associated costs) against anytenant who does not allow reasonable access to theirproperty for the check.

Heating repairsPlease note: you should check the following before calling outan engineer:• Is the thermostat turned down too low, stopping the boiler coming on?• Is the gas supply still on?• Has the gas supply been cut off?• Is the electric supply switched on?

When the annualservice and safetyinspection is due,our contractor willwrite to you toarrange anappointment.

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Electrical checksWe will arrange to check the electrical supply in your home atleast once every ten years.

Programmed repairs / improvementsProgrammed repairs can include redecorating the outside ofyour home every so often, or replacing roofs. Improvementscan include installing new heating systems or PVCu windows.If programmed work will be starting shortly in your area, wemay hold back certain routine repairs until then. They can thenbe completed with the programmed repairs or improvements.Your area housing office can tell you what programmed workis due for your property. The timescales we give you forimprovement work will be our best estimate at the time -unfortunately sometimes delays occur, but we will keep youinformed.

Investment TeamThe Investment Team manage the major improvement works to your homes. This includes work such as replacement orupgrade of:• kitchens;• bathrooms;• heating;• solar panels;• roofing;• windows; and• doors.

The investment programme is developed using an extensiverange of information sources ranging from our information onthe condition of our stock through to stakeholders’ views, andimportantly, has been guided by the choices and thepreferences expressed by our customers.

When planning the investment programme stock conditioninformation, funding, legislation and regulation remains keydrivers however it is recognised that this cannot be the onlyconsideration. Customers’ aspirations and the needs ofneighbourhoods, views of frontline staff, long-term housingdemand and the growing importance of the green agenda areall considered in the planning of the investment programme.

The InvestmentTeam managethe majorimprovementworks to your homes.

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The Investment Team includes Delivery Managers, AdaptationsOfficers, Project Leaders, Clerk of Works and CustomerLiaison Officers. This team manages the performance of thecontractors employed to carry out the works to your home.

Whilst excellent customer satisfaction is our overall desire, health and safety arrangements for you and your family is a primary aim of the team. We have highly trained officers and partner contractors that are selected partly on their ability to deliver a safe system of working within your home.

We plan to deliver the programme with you, the customer, at theheart of our decision-making. This includes providing you with a choice of various elements included within the works such as floor and wall tiles, kitchen doors and drawer fronts and where appropriate, a full bespoke design is carried out.

To ensure that you are aware of details for dates and areas for the programme, they are made available within our newsletters, at area housing offices, in leaflets and on our website. We are working with our capital programme delivery partners to evaluate each scheme and to learn from successes and difficulties encountered in order to improve what we do year-on-year.

Contractors employ Customer Liaison Officers who workalongside our own staff to provide assistance and reassuranceat all stages of the works. These officers ensure that access ismade available, appointments are kept and staff areappropriately informed and trained where necessary on thenew systems / fitments. They also assist in helping our oldercustomers with arrangements to cope with works carried outwithin their homes.

Prior to any works starting a letter is sent detailing the length oftime the works will take, type of works, advice on preparations and disruption that may be caused are also offered.

Once on site, a robust quality control process is put in place.The Investment Team understand that whilst a large amount ofwork is being undertaken across the Borough, the work that iscarried out within each individual home is the most importantaspect to each individual customer.

Each project is assigned a Project Leader and a CustomerLiaison Officer. If it is a project which brings potentialdisturbance to the customer, for example, kitchen and bathroomreplacement, then an additional resource will be provided by

Customers arecurrently involvedin monitoring theprogress ofinvestmentworks throughattendance at thecontractorprogress meetings.

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the contractor to work alongside Stockport Homes’ staff. ADVD / video is also issued on particular areas of work, tocustomers outlining the process and level of disruption.

A Clerk of Works is assigned to each contract who approvesworks at ‘handover’ stage and instruct further works if thereare any ‘snagging’ (defects) issues that need to be completed.

Customers are currently involved in monitoring the progress ofinvestment works through attendance at the contractorprogress meetings. Where possible the customers who attendthese meetings feed back to their local tenant and residentassociation. Details of how to attend these meetings are heldat your area housing office.

We understand that nobody likes upheaval in their home.However, some of the works to be carried out are extensiveand it is inevitable that disruption will be encountered. We willalways do our best to keep any mess and generalinconvenience to a minimum.

The Investment Team is also responsible for carrying outplanned maintenance and cyclical works to your home andthe surrounding neighbourhood.

Planned maintenance can include redecorating the outside ofyour home every so often, communal fencing works orremodeling of landscaped areas.

The Investment Team can also carry out adaptation works toyour home, details can be found on page 63.

On completion of all works, customers are asked to completea satisfaction form relating to the works carried out. The results of these surveys are published in the Stockport at home customer newsletters and at customer meetings.

Major repairs

Some repairs, such as damp or structural defects, take longerto investigate and remedy. If your home needs major repairs,we will inspect the property and tell you what is involved andhow long it will take.

A Clerk of Works is assigned to each contract who approves works at ‘handover’ stage and instruct further works if thereare any ‘snagging’ (defects) issues that need to be completed.

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Looking after your home

Home contents insurance

We strongly advise all tenants to take out household contentsinsurance. Many tenants believe that their furniture, belongingsand decorations are automatically insured against theft ordamage from fire or burst pipes. This is wrong. We do not.Unfortunately some people only realise this after damage hasoccurred.

It is easy for you to insure your belongings under the homecontents insurance scheme we offer to all of our customers. Ifyou wish to join the scheme, please visit your Area HousingOffice or contact the Customer Finance Team. Contact details can be found in the ‘Accessing our services’ section of this handbook on page 10.

Further information is available on Stockport Homes’website www.stockporthomes.org

Smoke detectors

Smoke detectors will be installed in all our properties over thenext few years. We have an annual servicing programme for smoke detectors that we have installed. Please contact your area housing office for further information if you do not yet have a detector.

If you have a smoke detector supplied by us it will be either:• a battery-powered detector; or• a detector wired to your property’s electrical supply.

Here’s how to ensure that your smoke detector works effectively:

• Remove the cover once a year and vacuum the dust off the sensor inside. If you have a smoke detector supplied by us, you will not need to do this once it has had its first annual service.

• Test the detector each week by pushing in the test button.• On battery-powered detectors, change the battery as soon

as the buzzer starts to sound intermittently - this indicates that the battery is due for replacement.

Many council tenants mistakenly believe that their furniture, belongings and decorations areautomaticallyinsured againsttheft or damagefrom fire or burst pipes.

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• If your smoke detector is connected directly to your electrical supply, the battery will not need to be changed.

• If we have supplied your smoke detector and it develops a fault, please contact us to arrange its repair.

How to ensure that your electric fire works effectively

The area around the fire should be kept free of any materials such as lint or house dust (in other words, animal hair / carpet fibres) that could be drawn into the internal workings of the appliance and hence affect the performance. We recommend that you clean arround the fan grill housing at regular intervals. This can be done using a standard vacuum cleaner and suitable attachment.

Condensation

There is always some moisture in the air but it cannot normallybe seen. When the air gets too full of moisture or when it getscold, droplets of water / condensation will form on windows, walls and even beds and furnishings.

You can reduce and prevent condensation by taking the following steps:

• Air the rooms that people use the most. You can improve air circulation by keeping a small window ajar or a window ventilator open in the room.

• Reduce the amount of moisture in your home by covering pans when cooking, drying clothes outdoors (not on radiators), and venting tumble dryers to the outside.

• Improve ventilation in your kitchen and bathroom by opening the window when cooking or taking a bath.

• Close the doors to these rooms to stop moisture getting into the rest of your home.

• Running cold water into the bath before adding hot will significantly reduce the amount of water vapour.

• Ventilate cupboards and wardrobes and avoid overfilling them as this reduces air circulation.

• Try to maintain a background level of heating throughout your home so that no room becomes too cold.

• Do not use paraffin and portable flueless bottled gas heaters as they produce a lot of moisture.

• Try to reduce heat loss (see later section on insulation).

Test the detectoreach week bypushing in thetest button.

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Making improvements to your home

If you want to make alterations or improvements to your home, you must contact us and get our written permission before you start. You may also need planning permission and you must keep to building regulations. All alterations must be done by competent tradespeople, and must be inspected to ensure the work is of an acceptable standard. An alteration is anything that is an addition or change to the property or its gas, electrical or water supply.

Compensation for improvements

From 1 April 1994 there has been a new Right to Compensation for home improvements for tenants. If your tenancy is ending, and you have improved your home, you may be entitled to compensation from us. Please ask for a leaflet from your area housing office (‘A better deal for tenants, Your New Right to Compensation for Improvements’).

Improved insulation for your home

The following improvements are available at no cost to keep your home warm:

• loft insulation;• cavity-wall insulation;• hot-water cylinder lagged;• windows and doors draught proofed (not PVCu); and• loft pipework lagged.

If you have not had this work done, please contact your area housing office for further details of the scheme.

Adaptations to your property

Sometimes people need alterations to their home to help themmake best use of it and maintain their independence. This type of alteration is called an adaptation and can involve anything from supplying an additional stair rail to installing a stair lift. The work is usually done after an assessment by the Social Care department. If you think you may need an adaptation to your home, please contact your local Social Care office or phone 0161 477 3700 to ask about it.

If you want tomake alterationsor improvementsto your home,you must contactus and get our written permission before you start.

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Decorating allowances

There are decorating allowances available to enable you to buy materials to redecorate your home where work has caused damage or the decoration was in poor condition at the time you moved in.

Allowances are available when gas central heating has beeninstalled, or when rewiring or extensive plastering has been done because of damp treatment, floor replacement or waterpenetration.

You may be able to get an allowance when you move into a new home to enable you to decorate to the standard you need. Call your area housing office to find out how much you can claim, please see the ‘Accessing our services’ section on page 10 for contact details.

Trees on council property

Any trees on council property which are diseased or dangerous will be pruned and made safe. Please report any trees you think need attention to the Repairs Contact Centre or your area housing office.

Where to report repairs andget more information

All repairs must be reported through the Repairs Contact Centre on0161 217 6016.

Online: www.stockporthomes.org Email: [email protected] message to: 07797 806626Minicom: 0161 217 6024

Sometimes people need alterations to their home to helpthem make bestuse of it and maintain theirindependence.

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All other information should be directed to your area housing office.

Outside office hours

Make all emergency calls or report repairs via the contactcentre number: 0161 217 6016.

Gas problems

• Do not switch any electrical items on or off.• No naked lights.• Open windows.

For gas leaks call National Grid Gas on 0800 111 999.

Emergency gas appliance repairs

Call the Repairs Contact Centre on 0161 217 6016.

Water leaks

Call United Utilities on 0800 330 033.

If you are a new customer, your Neighbourhood Housing Officer will let you know if any work is needed to your property.

For a full list of Stockport Homes contacts, please see the ‘Accessing our services’ section on page 10.

Feel free to contact us about any issue you have with repairs.

Repairs and investment

Documents

Transcript of Repairs and investment