Repairs that we do
Content owner : housing@knh.org.uk Last updated : 05/03/11
KNH is responsible for keeping your home in a good state of repair. To do this, we run a repairs service in partnership with our
main contractor, Kirklees Building Services.
We deal with around 80,000 repairs a year to our 24,000 properties. We carry out gas and heating repairs as part of our gas service contract, and prepare
more than 2,500 empty homes for re-letting. We also carry out planned works, which include improvement schemes and cyclical maintenance.
KNH’s obligations
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, KNH has a legal duty to carry out repairs and maintenance on your home.
Your home should have :
- no structural defects
- fixtures and fittings (installed by us) that are in good repair
- water, electricity and gas services and any heating appliances (put in by us) that work properly and are safe
- sinks, baths, toilets and drains that all work properly
- common parts and shared facilities that are properly looked after and are in good working order. This includes door entry systems, lifts, rubbish chutes and stairway lighting
- an external structure that is wind and weather tight and in good decorative condition.
If any of the above has failed through fair wear and tear, KNH must repair them or make them safe. You will not be charged for repairs that are due to fair wear and tear. But, if the repair is due to other causes, we may ask the person responsible to pay for the repair.
We advise you to take out insurance that covers accidental damage to fixtures and fittings, as well as your belongings.
What to expect when a contractor calls
All contractors working for KNH should show you an identity card. Always ask to see this card before letting
any contractor into your home. If they can't show you a card, or you have any other reason to be suspicious,
please don't let them in. If in doubt - keep them out!
Any contractor doing work for KNH will treat you and your home with courtesy and respect. They will try to work
with as little mess and disruption as possible and will do their best to clear up when they have finished and
remove any rubble or materials the same day.
Kirklees Building Services have developed a Tenants Charter for working in your home, which sets out what they
will do.
They will:
- carry identification badges at all times;
- keep you informed of progress on any repair work;
- keep your home secure and safe;
- respect your privacy and show consideration to your wishes;
- carry out work in a healthy and safe manner;
- not smoke, play music or use your electricity;
- clean up after work is complete;
- keep noise and dust to a minimum;
- ensure workers have the skills to carry out the work required;
- try to meet specific requests where possible;
- promote an 'open door' approach for questions or complaints.
The contractor will tell you:
- what work they have come to do;
- which rooms they will need to work in;
- roughly how long the work will take;
- whether your gas, electricity or water will need to be turned off and for roughly how long.
How you can help contractors to carry out work in your home
KNH is responsible for the health and safety of its contractors, and new smoking legislation requires work
places to be free of tobacco smoke. We therefore ask that you don't smoke when someone is working in your home.
We can only do repairs inside the home if we can get in to do them at the times agreed. Our contractors cannot
pick up keys to your home from someone else.
Carpets or laminate flooring may need to be removed for some repairs. The contractor will try to notify you of
this in advance. They are not responsible for removing or refitting these items after the repair has been done.
Our contractors understand that they are carrying out the work in your home and will try to reduce disruption to
the absolute minimum. However, to protect the health and safety of your family and visitors to your home, we
ask that you:
- Control any pets or find somewhere else for them to stay while work is being carried out.
- Keep children away from work areas, tools, materials and scaffolding, particularly when contractors are not present.
- Take extra care to make sure that children do not touch any substances such as sealants, glues, or paints that may have been inadvertently left behind, as these substances may be dangerous.
- Always follow any instructions on signs or that the site teams give to you.
- Comply with requests to prepare your home for the work. For example, make sure valuables are locked away and remove any furniture, pictures or ornaments from the room where the work is being carried out.
- Don't go into any restricted areas inside or outside your home.
- Don't try to reconnect your gas or electric cookers - this will be done by a qualified contractor.
- Don't cover fridges or freezers left on during the works as this can damage them.
If you have any concerns about any aspect of the work, please talk to the contractor or call Building Services on 0800 590993 immediately.
Additional minor repairs identified when the contractor visits
The contractor can generally only do the work that has been ordered. However, in some cases they can do
other small repairs.
There are strict limits to how much extra work can be done:
- The extra repairs should not take longer than one hour.
- The contractor can only use materials they already have with them.
- Workers are not allowed to do jobs outside their own trade.
- You (or a representative) must sign a work request sheet to show that you have asked for the extra work.
- The maximum time allowed for all work, including all extra works, is five hours.
You can get more details from your neighbourhood housing team.
What happens if the job isn’t finished on the first visit?
Most repairs are finished on one visit. If different workers are needed to complete the repair, the contractor will arrange this.
They will agree with you when they will visit, and you’ll be given a contact number in case you need to change this new appointment.
If you have given us a contract number, we’ll pass this onto the contractor so that they can let you know about any arrangements to finish the work.
How long repairs take
KNH has agreed a number of repair priorities. Some target times for completing repairs are set by the government and others have been set by Kirklees Council.In some cases, we do repairs more quickly than the government requires.
The right to repair scheme
The right to repair scheme was introduced for council tenants in 1994 to make sure that certain small, urgent repairs that could affect health,
safety or security are done quickly.If the repair qualifies under the 1994 regulations,
then you may be entitled to compensation of £2 per day (£50 maximum) if the repair is not completed within target times.
You can get more information on which jobs qualify and compensation claim forms from your neighbourhood housing team.
Priorities and target times
Emergency repairs - Two hour or one day response
We will take account of all the circumstances when we decide how urgent a job is.
If we think that a repair cannot be made safe and may be an immediate risk to health and safety, we will try
to respond within two hours.
If we think the repair may be a risk to health and safety but there isn't an immediate to the occupants or of
further serious damage to the property, we will aim to respond within one working day. Examples include:
- total loss of water supply
- lift not working
- loss of gas supply
Disasters
If there is immediate danger to the occupants or the risk of further damage to the property, we would aim to respond to the following within two hours:
- flooding
- gale damage
- gas explosion
- house fire
- severe vandalism
Providing access for two hour or one day response
You need to provide access at all times when a job is given a two hour or one day priority. If no one is in when the contractor calls, we will leave you a card asking you ring in and re-arrange a time to visit again. This may not always be given the same priority as the initial order and you may have to agree a specific appointment time for the second visit.
Reporting emergency repairs out of hours
When the repairs call centre is closed, phone the Emergency Duty Team between 6pm and 8am, Monday to Friday and all day on weekends and Bank Holidays.
The Emergency Duty Team can only order work that requires a two hour response. They will assess the risks
and decide whether the repair is a danger to health or likely to cause fundamental damage to the property.
If the work is not considered an immediate danger, you will be asked to call the repairs call centre when it
is next open.
Please help us to improve the service by only calling the above number when there is a genuine emergency.
Three day response
These are urgent repairs, costing less that £250, which are unlikely to be a danger to health or
cause further damage to the property.
Target time: three working days after being reported.
Examples:
- blocked basin waste
- partial loss of electricity
- partial loss of water supply
Five day response
These are less urgent repairs where there is little chance of further damage to other parts of the
property. Tenants can make morning or afternoon appointments between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, except
Bank Holidays.
Target time: five working days after being reported.
Examples:
- repairs to cooker circuit
- re-washer of taps
- re-glazing with standard glass
25 day response
These are non-urgent repairs that won't cause further damage and where there may be a need to replace
larger items or order materials from suppliers. These jobs may need to be measured by the contractor to see
how long it will take to do the work or order replacement parts. Your repairs receipt will say if the repair
is to be 'measured' or 'started'. Appointments can be made for all internal routine repairs.
Target time: 25 working days from being ordered. This does not include pre-inspection time.
Examples:
- roof repairs (unless there is a leak)
- door repairs (unless they aren't secure)
- repairs to kitchen fittings
Tenant compensation scheme
We have a compensation scheme for tenants to claim for the extra cost of using electric heating and water heating
appliances when gas appliances aren't working.
We aim to complete all repairs to gas heating appliances within three to five working days of being told about
the problem.
If the repair takes longer, then compensation is currently payable at the following rates:
- Loss of gas space heating where it is the only form of heating - £5.00 per week or part of a week (if you have a separate gas/electric fire, you may not qualify for payment).
- Loss of gas water heating - £2.80 per week or part of a week
- Loss of full central heating - £7.80 per week where there is no other form of space or water heating)
The contractor will give you information when they call to repair your gas appliance.
