ROUPELL PARK RESIDENT MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION
TENANT REPAIRS HANDBOOK AND SERVICE STANDARD
WHAT DOES THIS HANDBOOK COVER?
This handbook covers -
- How to report a repair
- What repairs that we are responsible for
- What repairs you are responsible for
- How long different types of repair should take
- The standard of service you can expect from us
- What we can expect from you
- What happens if things go wrong
HOW TO REPORT A REPAIR
The way in which you report a repair will vary according to the type of repair that you need and the time on which you request it.
General Repairs
Day to day repairs should be reported to the Community Office. You can either do this by coming to the office or calling us on 020 7926 0214.
If your repair relates to the communal heating system, including the heating, hot water (including if this relates to your emersion heater) or a leak from the system you should call the Lambeth Housing Management Contact Centre on 02079266000. Ensure that any repair is placed with OCO who are the Council’s contractors.
If your repairs relates to a heating or hot water and your own individual gas boiler you should call 01795477098. This will take you straight to our contractor, Swale Heating who will deal with the repair direct.
Out of Hours
After 8.00pm or at weekends and bank holidays all repairs should be reported through the Lambeth Housing Management Contact Centre on 020 7926 6666.
If you have any doubts, then please contact the office and we will try our best to help you.
WHO DOES WHAT?
Whilst Roupell Park RMO is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the estate, Lambeth retains responsibility for carrying out repairs to many parts of the building and the grounds. However, this service standard covers all repairs to your home and communal areas on the estate. Where we do not have direct responsibility we will take this forward on your behalf.
In general terms, we and the Council are responsible for maintaining the fabric and structure of your home and any communal areas.
However, we are not responsible for all the repairs that are needed in your home. Under the terms of your tenancy agreement, you have substantial responsibilities. We also know that, in some cases, due to personal circumstances, we may carry out works that would otherwise be your responsibility and we will consider each case individually.
We are responsible for repairing and maintaining: The structure - The structure of the property, for example walls, roofs, joists and beams
- External doors and door frames
- Treatment of damp, rot and woodworm
Windows and glazing - Window frames, window catches and safety devices
- Glazing to communal areas
- Glazing to your home where the repair was caused by a defect
- Glazing to your home where the repair was the result of a crime (in this case we need a crime reference number – without this number you will be recharged)
Utilities - Water gas and electricity supplies to your home
- All council owned pipes and waste pipes
Kitchens, Bathrooms etc. - Baths, basins, sinks, toilets, cisterns
- Kitchen cupboards and work surfaces
Gas appliances and heating - Gas fittings and appliances such as central heating, water heaters, boilers
- The communal heating and hot water system
Electrical installations - Electrical wiring including sockets and switches provided by us
Other internal and external areas - Plaster work to walls and ceilings other than small decorating cracks
- Drains, gutters, down pipes and flues
- Communal areas such as pathways, estate roads, hallways, communal stairs and lighting, balconies and waste chutes
- Lifts
- Fire equipment
- Door entry systems
- Communal television aerials
- Fencing and gates to communal parts or gardens
- External decorations and decorations to communal parts
| Your are responsible for: - Decorating the inside of your home and for keeping the inside your home in good order.
- Blocked sinks, basins and baths (unless due to blocked drains)
- Replacing blown fuses and resetting trip switches
- Replacing light bulbs
- Renewing toilet seats
- Internal and external door handles, locks, catches and keys if not due to disrepair caused by the age of the door or fitting
- Built-in wardrobes
- Gardening if you have your own garden
- Phone wires and sockets
- Any Television aerials and wiring other that those provided by RPRMC
- Repair any changes or improvements that you carried out, for instance if you fitted you own kitchen.
IMPORTANT THINGS YOU MUST NOT DO There are works to your home that you must not carry out yourself: - You must not carry out works to the electricity supply or wiring – this must be done by the Council’s main contractor. If you are changing light fittings, switches etc. this must be done by a qualified electrician
- You must not carry out works to your home’s gas supply (including disconnection and connection of gas cookers and fires) this must be done by our main contractor
- You must not carry out works to your home’s heating system – this must be done by our main contractor
- You must not change or otherwise alter your front entrance doors as these may be fire safety doors
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These are not exhaustive lists. If you are not sure whether you are responsible for a particular repair, please call the local office to check. If you are responsible for the repair, we may be able to do it for you, but we will recharge for the work carried out according to our recharge policy. Additionally, we will charge you for the cost of the repair or may refuse to do it if needed because of something you did deliberately or due to negligence.
So that we can keep your home and those of your neighbours well repaired when needed, you must: - Allow us to into your home to check for repairs and carry them out. This includes repairs that are affecting your neighbour’s property or the block in which you live. We will always give you reasonable notice of our visit, but in an emergency if we cannot get hold of you we may need to force access to your home to carry out a repair
- Allow us and our contractors access to your home to carry out annual gas safety checks and any tests to electrical wiring and installations. Where we are not given access to carry out the annual gas service we will take legal action to enforce access or force entry and charge you the costs for doing so
- Take steps to ensure that any pipe work in your property does not freeze and make sure any appliances, for example washing machines, are properly connected. Any damage caused to your, or your neighbour’s property, will be rectified and the cost recharged to you
- Notify us when a repair is needed
- Get our written permission before carrying out any improvements to your home, for example fitting a new kitchen or bathroom, installing a new light fitting, etc.
- Repair any accidental or deliberate damage caused by you, a member of your family or a visitor to your home
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HOW LONG WILL REPAIRS TAKE?
We have target times for different types of orders. In most cases we keep to these targets, but will be flexible in some cases if you have particular needs.
For all Emergency, Urgent and Priority repairs we will offer you an appointment to suit you. For other repairs we will attempt to contact you within 5 days of our expecting to commence work.
If we are unable to make an appointment, we will try to contact you to rearrange at a time this is convenient to you.
The list below is not comprehensive and only acts as a guide to the service we will provide.
| Priority | Target Response | Description of repair |
| Emergency Repairs | 2 Hours | - Serious flooding or leaks
- Making safe collapsed ceilings and floors
- Major health and safety repairs to communal parts
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| Emergency Repairs | 24 Hours | - Total loss of water or electrical supply
- Total or partial loss of gas supply
- Blocked toilet where there is only one toilet in the property
- Blocked soil stacks and sewers
- Taps that at running full bore and cannot be turned off
- Doors and windows where the security of your property is at immediate risk
- Unsafe electrical fitting
- Between 1 October and 31 March, total or partial loss of heating and hot water
- Lift breakdowns
- Minor health and safety repairs to communal parts
- Boarding broken
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| Urgent Repairs | 3 Days | - Toilet not flushing
- Clearing blocked sinks, basins and baths
- Loose banisters and hand rails in your home
- Partial loss of electrical supply
- Partial loss of water supply
- Between 1 April and 1 October total or partial loss of heating and hot water
- Repairing lighting to communal areas
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| Priority | 7 Days | - Blocked toilet where there is more than one toilet in the property
- Taps that will not turn off
- Running overflows
- Minor leaks from pipes that can be contained
- Entry phones not working either to the block or an individual flat
- Roof leaks that can be contained by patching
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| Routine Repairs | 28 Days | - Extractor fans to kitchens and bathrooms
- Dripping taps
- Blocked and leaking gutters
- Reglazing communal doors and windows
- Repairing doors and windows where there is not a security risk
- Reglazing windows in dwellings where a crime number has been provided
- Repairing plasterwork after other repairs have been done
- Most repairs to communal areas
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We and Lambeth Housing Management will also carry out planned maintenance programmes. This may include works such as resurfacing parking areas, roof repairs, clearing blocked gullies and regular clearing of soil stacks and gutters.
TREATING EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT?
What can you expect of our staff and contractors We define the service we expect to provide to you in our Customer services service standard. We expect our contractors to - - Introduce themselves and show a formal identification badge. If you are not sure, do not let them in until you have contacted the office.
- Wear the appropriate uniform
- Explain why they are there and what the works will mean to you
- Enquire if you have other repairs that need to be carried out
- Behave in a polite and professional manner at all times
- Refrain from smoking, playing music or using foul or abusive language
- Make sure that your home is properly protected from dust, paint etc.
- Make sure all materials and equipment used on site are kept safe and with a minimum of inconvenience to you
- Make sure that, wherever possible, supplies of gas, electricity and water are fully restored at the end of each day, or where this is not possible ensure that there is an adequate temporary supply
- Tidy up at the end of the job or end of the day
- Ask you to complete a satisfaction survey
| What we expect of you When dealing with us or our contractors we expect you to - Be polite
- Not to use bad or abusive language
- Be in at the time that we have made an appointment or if it is an emergency repair be in at all times
- If you are not able to make an appointment contact us and let us know
- Ensure that your home is clean and tidy
- Ensure that you have cleared the area in which we need to work of your belongings so we are able to carry out any work without obstruction or delay
- Refrain from smoking when our contractors or staff are present
- Report any repairs that are needed to your home as soon as they are needed
- Ensure that neither you, your family or guests cause any damage to your home or communal areas
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CONTENTS INSURANCE
Whilst we will carry out repairs to the structure of the building and any of our fixtures and fittings if they are damaged through an accident such as fire or flood, we are not responsible for repairing or replacing your belongings or in most cases carrying out redecorations to your home.
We therefore strongly encourage all of our tenants to take out contents insurance. You can either arrange this through a private company or Lambeth Council offer an affordable policy themselves. Details and application forms are available in the office.
MAKING SURE WE GET IT RIGHT
It is very important to us that when we do a repair we do it properly. To help is do that we will post inspect a minimum of 10% of all repairs that we do.
We also ask that you complete the satisfaction surveys that you are given when the work is completed. These really help us to learn from what we do wrong and from when we get it right.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO WRONG
If we do not meet our promises to you please tell us and we will make every effort to put it right by making an arrangement to carry out a repair at a time that is convenient to you.
If you are still not happy then we will let you know about our formal complaints procedure.
Central Heating Responsibilities and Contractors
Individual Systems – SWALE - 01795477098
Hyperion House
Deepdene Lodge
Albury Lodge
Fairview House
Capel Lodge
Brockham Drive
Communal Heating System – OCO@LAMBETH – 020 7926 6000
Warnham House
Dunsfold House
Outwood House
Witley House
Tanhurst House
Elstead House
Thursley House
Tilford House
Brockham House
