Priority repairs

To make sure we put repair work that affects a tenant's health or safety first, we use the following three categories of priority.

Priority 1: Emergency work

We will respond within 4 hours for repairs that remove immediate danger to people, avoid flooding or major damage to the property, make the property secure or restore total loss of heating in winter (31 Oct - 1 May). We will complete the repair at the time, if we can. If we cannot, we will make the situation safe and carry out any follow-up work as an urgent or routine repair.

The following repairs are some examples of emergency repairs: 

• total failure of electrical power and/or lights, see Right to Repair
• no heat where a vulnerable person is living in the property (or other exceptional circumstances)
• blocked drain (when backing up into the property), see Right to Repair
• blocked toilet or toilet not flushing (when no other toilet in the home), see Right to Repair
• door or window is insecure, see Right to Repair

Priority 2: Urgent work

For work to restore full or partial failure of sanitation, water or electrical supply or heating systems and for urgent work to prevent immediate danger to the property, to overcome serious inconvenience to the household where this is a possible health, safety or security risk, we will respond within 7 days.

The following repairs are some examples:

• partial loss of electricity supply, see Right to Repair
• blocked bath, basin or sink, see Right to Repair
• blocked toilet (when another toilet in the home can be used), see Right to Repair
• broken or rotten wood floors or stairs, see Right to Repair
• faulty communal door, see Right to Repair
• stiff or seized up tap or valve, see Right to Repair
• door entry phone system not working, see Right to Repair
• electrical repairs (except emergency work and rewires)
• minor repairs to windows or doors where building security is affected

Priority 3: Routine repair work

We will complete all other non-emergency and non-urgent repairs within 28 days, unless they are 'Planned Works'. 

Right to Repair

'Right to Repair' is part of the Government's 'Citizen's Charter' scheme. It gives you the right to have certain repairs carried out within set time limits (as shown above). If we do not carry these repairs out on time, it could affect your health, safety or security. These repairs are called 'qualifying repairs'. When you report your repair, we will tell you if it is a 'qualifying repair'.