News from Bolton at Home
Here you'll find our most recent news articles, from important tenant updates and new housing developments, to new community initiatives and activities.
Back to the list
Overview of our updated Repairs Policy
You can find our updated Repairs Policy here: www.boltonathome.org.uk/repairs-service.
Thank you
Before we updated the policy in any way, we invited you to give us your views on repairs response time. Many thanks if you completed our survey over the summer or were part of our Resident Voices, or other consultation groups, to ensure more tenant’s voices were heard and more needs considered in our policy review.
Your feedback was valuable, appreciated and influenced the policy updates.
If you’d like to regularly share your views to help us deliver a better service for customers and communities, shape our policies for the future, and get shopping vouchers as a thank you, consider joining our Resident Voices Channel. Full details at www.boltonathome.org.uk/resident-voices-channel.
Change to routine repair response time
A key policy update is the change to our response time for routine (non-urgent) repairs. We’ve extended the timeframe from 21 days to 90 days. While this may seem a big difference - we feel there are sensible and reasonable reasons for it, which were supported by the consultation results.
Some repairs for instance may involve us ordering materials with different manufacturing times or require a specialist contractor, resulting in waiting times beyond our control.
We also would find it extremely challenging, with limited resources at any one time, to fit a new kitchen or fully rectify a serious structural issue within 21 days to give two examples.
Extending the timescale for certain jobs from 21 days to up to 90 days will allow us to work within more realistic timescales and will improve our ability to address more urgent matters more quickly.
Ensuring quick response times for urgent issues
Your safety remains at the forefront of our policy.
Emergency repairs will still receive our immediate attention, where there are potential risks to health and safety or significant property damage from situations such as uncontainable leaks, or no heating or hot water.
We’ll respond to urgent repairs, such as containable leaks or the toilet not flushing, within seven calendar days.
We also recognise the importance of a healthy home. Our updated policy introduces swift response times for issues related to damp, condensation and mould.
Response timescales for mould reports are:
- Immediate risk to health - response within seven days to clean the mould and remove hazards.
- Potential risk to health - response within 21 days to clean the mould and remove any hazards.
More information and guidance on damp, condensation and mould at www.boltonathome.org.uk/damp-condensation-mould.
Clarifying repair responsibilities
Understanding what repairs are our responsibility and what falls under tenants’ obligations is crucial. Our updated policy provides clear guidance to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings.
Find out who would be responsible for different repairs with a handy four-page checklist at the back of the policy (Appendix C). It might be worth bookmarking the link to the policy document for this alone.
Different ways to report repairs
We want reporting repairs to be easy. If it hasn’t sometimes been great, we’re sorry.
To make it as smooth and convenient as possible for you, there are different ways you can contact us for assistance:
- Phone on 01204 328000
- Through our webchat at www.boltonathome.org.uk
- Email at info@boltonathome.org.uk
- Visit us in person at our head office reception at 98 Waters Meeting Road, Bolton BL1 8SW, or at one of our UCAN centres (please always check our website first for more information and up to date opening times)
- By letter to Bolton at Home, 98 Waters Meeting Road, Bolton BL1 8SW
- Private message us on Facebook.
Please note that you must report all emergency repairs to us by phone or in person. You can phone through an emergency repair at any time.
You can also give us your feedback on our services in different ways. More information at www.boltonathome.org.uk/customer-feedback.
Our commitment to continuous improvement
Your feedback during the recent consultation has been invaluable.
The adjustment to our response time for routine (non-urgent) repairs was a necessary step to address immediate concerns and improve our ability to address more urgent matters more quickly.
Looking ahead, we’re planning a full policy review to ensure it stands the test of time and meets your needs for the long term.
We’ll come back to you on future opportunities to shape our policy. We want you to know what’s happening and have your say on it.
We appreciate your patience
We acknowledge some inspections for repairs are overdue. Where this is the case, we’re sorry for any inconvenience, we really appreciate your patience and we’ll be in direct contact soon if you haven’t heard from us recently.