Repair priorities

An emergency repair is one that might result in harm to people or property if it is not fixed quickly.

You can report emergency repairs at any time of the day or night.

We will attend to inspect the issue and make this safe within 24 hours. Please note, follow up appointments are often required to complete an emergency repair.

You will be charged if you call us out to a non-emergency repair outside normal working hours.

Some examples of emergency repairs are:

• Major fire, flood, complete loss of power
• Gas leak
• Dangerous electrical faults
• Blocked toilet (where only one is available)
• A need to gain entry where no other access is available
• Complete heating failure where no back up is available (winter season)

If a water leak occurs, please turn the water off at the stop tap to prevent further damage before calling us to report the repair.

You will be able to discuss your emergency with our designated repairs advisors. Please do not make the problem sound more urgent than it is to get a quicker response. If you do, we may charge you for the cost of the callout.

If you can smell gas, think you have a gas leak or are worried that carbon monoxide fumes are escaping from a gas appliance, call the gas emergency number immediately on 0800 111 999.

• Do not smoke, strike a match or operate light/switches
• Turn off the gas at the control valve (usually near the meter)
• Open the property’s windows
• Report the gas leak to BCH once you have contacted the emergency gas number above.

These are jobs which may cause serious damage to your property or are causing serious inconvenience to you.

Some examples of urgent repairs are:

• Blocked sink, shower or toilet drains
• Containable water pipe leak or roof leak

We will arrange for these types of repairs to be inspected and/or completed within 5 days of being reported to us. 

Routine repairs are general jobs which can be left without causing serious inconvenience to you or risk further damage to your home.

Some examples of routine repairs are:

• Minor containable leak
• Door and window repairs
• Slow draining sinks, showers and toilets

We will arrange for these types of repairs to be inspected and/or completed within 28 days of being reported to us.

These are jobs which require scheduling and may take more than one appointment. 

Some examples of planned repairs include:

• Plastering
• Structural works
• Pointing brickwork
• Improvement works, cladding ceilings, kitchen or bathroom replacement, installation of new extractor fans

We will arrange for these types of repairs to be inspected and/or completed within 60 days of being reported to us.

Some of the repairs to your home are your responsibility. If you report a repair which is your responsibility or caused by damage, neglect or misuse, we may ask you to pay for that repair. This is known as a rechargeable repair.

If the repair is as a result of criminal damage, please report this to the local police and ask for a crime reference number. We will send you a ‘Statement of Truth’ form for you to read, fill in and send back to us within 14 days. If you do not return this form, we may ask you to pay for the repair.

If you contact us about a repair or damage to your property, we will ask how it happened and, if it has been reported as a crime, we will ask for the crime reference number. We will then advise you if it is your responsibility to fix and if so, what recharge might be applied.

Any damages caused to a communal area by you, a friend or a member of your family may also be rechargeable.

If you are charged for a repair, an invoice will be sent to your home address which includes the recharge amount and an account reference number. You will need to quote this reference number when making a payment. 

Below is a breakdown of the type and approximate costs for the most common rechargeable repairs, excluding VAT:

Description	Cost
Lock change/gain access	£65
Secure property	£65
Blocked toilet – due to foreign objects	£35

 The above quoted are minimum charges; all recharges will be dependent on actual work carried out.

Clearances, when a property becomes empty (void)

When you terminate your tenancy, you must ensure that all personal belongings including carpets and furniture are removed. If the property has not been cleared, you will be recharged for the removal of the items you have left.

Description	Cost
Minimum charge for property clearance	£85

Charges will be dependent on the amount to be removed.