Council housing repairs

Right to Repair

The Right to Repair scheme gives you the right:

• to have certain repairs carried out within a fixed timescale
• to be paid compensation if we don't meet the required timescale.

To qualify for the Right to Repair scheme, the repair must be a qualifying repair and have an estimated value of £350 or less.

• Qualifying repairs

Requesting a repair

When you phone about a repair, we will tell you

• if it is a qualifying repair
• the maximum length of time we have to fix it, and the date it must be fixed by before you are entitled to compensation.
• your rights under the right to repair scheme.
• the name, address and phone number of our usual contractor and at least one other contractor from a list

Compensation

If we do not complete a qualifying repair within the time allowed, you are entitled to £15 compensation. You are also entitled to a further £3 each qualifying day until the repair is completed. The maximum compensation that can be paid is £100.

Exceptional circumstances

There may be circumstances which the council or the contractor has no control over which make it impossible to do the repair within the maximum time (for example, severe weather). In these circumstances we may need to make temporary arrangements and extend the maximum time. If we are going to do this, we will let you know.

Using the alternative approved contractor

If we have not started the repair within the time limit set, you can tell the alternative contractor to carry out the repair (you will be given the name and contact number of this second contractor when you first report the repair). This contractor will tell us you have asked them to carry out the work. We will then authorise them to go ahead.

Issues

The right to repair does not apply if:

• the cost of the repair exceeds £350. In this case the right to repair process is at an end
• we have been unable to gain access for inspection or for the repair to be carried out. In this case you will need to make a new repair request, and the right to repair process will start again.