Repairs & Maintenance 

We aim to provide quality homes; this includes having a robust repairs and maintenance programme to invest into these homes.  We are also responsible for ensuring the structure, exterior, and common areas are maintained to an acceptable, legally compliant, condition.

We actively seek feedback on our repairs to ensure that we continue to provide a high standard of service.  You can let us know how we did through our repair satisfaction survey, customer feedback surveys or via our complaints and compliments process.

You are required to keep the interior of you home in good condition and keep common areas clean, clear, and safe.  Some of your key responsibilities are:

  • Ensuring your home is clean and in good decorative condition.
  • Take reasonable precautions to ensure your home is safe (from flood, fire, frost, etc.).  
  • Routine maintenance and repair within the home (e.g. handles, plugs, etc.).  
  • Keeping any outside space tidy, maintained, and safe.
  • Using common areas for the purpose they were designed (not for storage etc.).
  • Ensuring any repairs required are reported as soon as possible. 
  • Reporting any vandalism or damage to property. 
  • To allow access to our employees and/or contractors for repairs, general inspections, yearly gas inspections, and any other maintenance requirements to ensure your home is safe and legally compliant.

PIC - STOCK - row of red brick buildings with white flower at front

Access is critical to ensure repairs are carried out timeously.  There may be occasions where we are required to take access to a property to avoid endangering other occupants or damage to property.  This will only occur where access can’t be sought directly.

We advise that you have your own home contents insurance in place, as we do not cover liability for damage to personal belongs, furniture, goods, decoration, carpets and other fixtures.  

Responsive repairs

Responsive repairs are minor works carried out on an ad-hoc reactive basis. These day-to-date repairs are categorised and responded to, based on the following:

Emergency

Urgent

Normal

made safe within 6-hours

completed within 3-days

completed within 5-days

An emergency repair will generally involve (1) an immediate threat to health, safety, or security, or (2) complete loss of a utility.

An urgent repair will generally involve a situation that does not present an immediate danger, but left unattended has potential to escalate (e.g. minor leak).

Normal repairs will not present an immediate danger or left unattended escalate.

The Right to Repair Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, covers a small number of defined qualifying repairs which need to be completed in a specified timescale. Where these timescales are not met, you can claim compensation. The timescales range from 24-hours to 7-days, you can find out more about this within our Repairs and Maintenance Policy or on the Scottish Government website.

Find out how to report a repair here.

Rechargeable repairs

Some repairs may be recharged to you if they are deemed to be your responsibility. We will carry out the repair and will recover the relevant cost from you. We may ask for payment in advance of the work being carried out. Some common rechargeable repairs include: blocked sinks/toilets, washing machine leaks, broken appliances leading to electrical system trips and lost keys.

Where a repair is required as a result of carelessness, neglect, wilful damage, or vandalism, either by you, a member of your household, or visitor, you will be responsible for the costs of these repairs.

You will also be charged for repairs, where the fault sits with an appliance rather than the fabric of the property (e.g. electrical faults). Click here for more information about home faults.

Cyclical and planned maintenance

Cyclical works: We carry out a cyclical works programme to ensure our properties are maintained to an acceptable standard, and we meet our legal requirements. Our cyclical works include the inspection and maintenance of the following: lifts, gas appliances and installations, extractor fans, roof anchors, guttering (including cleaning), electrical installations, and relevant paint works.

Gas Safety

We are required by law to inspect all gas appliances within our properties every 12-months. You will be provided a gas service date 2-months prior to the required renewal date. You are required to allow access to our contractors to ensure the gas safety inspection takes place. If you fail to allow access, we may be required to force access, and this may result in an additional cost to you.

Electrical Safety

We are required to inspect all electrical installations within our properties every 5 years. This is referred to as an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report). You will be provided with a date prior to the required renewal date. You are required to allow access to our contractors to ensure the electrical safety inspection takes place. If you fail to allow access, we may be required to force access, and this may result in an additional cost to you.

Planned works: Our planned work programme looks at the condition of our properties and drives our investment plan. The investment plan will identify areas of significant planned maintenance and replacement, to ensure our properties can remain at an acceptable standard and meet our legal requirements. Our planned works include the investment into components such as: kitchens, bathrooms, electrical installation replacements, and central heating systems.

Landscape maintenance: We operate a programme of landscape maintenance throughout the year to maintain our shared and green spaces. This cyclical works programme is seasonal and can be impacted by external environmental factors. Grass cutting, shrubs maintenance, leaf collection, moss treatments and general pruning is carried out throughout different times of the year.