Our Repairs Policy

You can view a web version of our Repairs Policy below. It answers many common questions relating to our repairs service, like:

• Which repairs are our responsibility and which are the tenant's responsibility.
• How we prioritise repairs.
• What happens if there are special reasons we should prioritise a repair.
• Which repairs might be dealt with by our planned programme.
• Our response times for different types of repairs.
• Our out of hours service.
• Rechargeable repairs.
• + more.

You can tap on a link below to jump to a section of our Repairs Policy:

1. Supporting our purpose
2. The main reasons for this policy
3. Who this policy is for
4. Definitions
5. Reporting your repair
6. Completing your repair
7. Repair responsibilities
8. Individual circumstances
9. Damp, condensation, and mould
10. Disrepair
11. Our cyclical checks for your safety at home
12. Empty properties
13. Chargeable repairs
14. Permissions and improvements
15. Right to Buy/Right to Acquire
16. Complaints, compensation, and redress
17. Insurance
18. Equality analysis
19. Responsibility
20. Consultation
21. General Data Protection Regulation
22. Related policies and strategies
23. Monitoring, review, and evaluation

Our Repairs Policy also includes these important appendices (each one opens in a new tab when tapped):

• Appendix A: Repair priorities and timescales (opens in a new tab)
• Appendix B: Your general responsibilities for repairs (opens in a new tab)
• Appendix C: Our/your repair responsibilities (opens in a new tab)

If you'd like to download a PDF copy of our Repairs Policy, tap the link below:

BH Repairs Policy - 29 04 2024 [pdf] 3MB

1. Supporting our purpose

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We work to create homes and neighbourhoods we can all be proud of.  

To achieve this goal, we have four objectives:

• Provide safe and secure homes to meet the housing needs of our current and future customers.
• Support our customers and communities.
• Grow our business and continue to be well run, responsible and financially secure.
• Offer a great employee experience through a People Strategy that drives a ‘Bring Your Best Self to Work’ culture.  

This policy supports these objectives and guides us as we work hard to keep homes in good condition, prioritise repair needs and use resources efficiently.

3. Who is this policy for?

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This policy is for Bolton at Home tenants.

It explains our repair responsibilities and your repair responsibilities.

If you are a leaseholder or shared ownership customer, please check your specific information for repair responsibilities.

Reporting a non-urgent repair:

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If you need to report a repair that is not urgent you can do so in a few different ways:

• You can call us on 01204 328000 between 8am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours only emergency repairs can be reported on this number.
• You can use our online webchat service by tapping the 'Chat with us' button in the bottom-right of your screen. If you can't see the webchat button on this page, tap here to visit our website homepage (opens in a new tab).
• You can email us using  info@boltonathome.org.uk.
• Alternatively, you can visit us in person at our reception. The address is listed here:  www.boltonathome.org.uk/contact-us (opens in a new tab).

If you have a query relating to Gas Servicing, please call us on: 01204 327999. If you smell gas, please call the National Grid emergency line on 0800 111 999. When you call, you'll be asked to leave a voicemail with your name, phone number, email address, and reference number (if you have one at this stage). We'll then look to call you back during the same working day - or the following working day at the latest.

Reporting issues related to damp, condensation, and mould:

We're committed to resolving damp and condensation in properties as these issues can cause problems for both the buildings and tenants’ health. You can report these issues in the usual way using the contact details listed above.

For more information on how we'll respond when you report issues relating to damp, condensation, and mould, tap here to jump to Section 9 of our Repairs Policy, which covers damp, condensation, and mould (opens in a new tab).

Our website  www.boltonathome.org.uk/damp-condensation-mould (opens in a new tab) also includes tips and advice on how you can deal with issues relating to damp, condensation, and mould yourself - but please remember to speak to us if you’re concerned and need our support.

Reporting an emergency repair:

You must report all emergency repairs to us by phone or in person. You can phone through an emergency repair at any time.

6. Completing your repair

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When you report your repair, it will be prioritised and given a timescale based on urgency. Tap here to see our repair priorities, timescales, and appointment times (in Appendix A) (opens in a new tab).

We will usually arrange an appointment with you to visit the property when you report the repair. Appointment times are listed in Appendix A.

For external work, you may be given a timescale for completion instead of an appointment.

If we receive many repair requests at one time or if additional materials are needed, we may not be able to complete your repair within the listed timescales. In such cases, we will let you know the reason for the delay and the expected completion date.

Sometimes it might not be possible for us to complete a repair on our first visit. In these cases, we will ensure the property is safe and secure and arrange another appointment to complete the repair at your convenience.

We, and our contractors, will always have identification badges to confirm our identity when we visit you.

Major repairs may require temporary relocation, which we will arrange with you and give you advance notice of unless it is an emergency.

We may refuse to do a repair if the property is unhygienic, cluttered, unsafe, or if staff are treated abusively or aggressively.

7. Repair responsibilities

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We and you are both responsible for maintaining your home.

You must keep to the repair and maintenance conditions set out in your Tenancy Agreement and carry out the responsibilities set out in Appendix B (www.boltonathome.org.uk/repairs-appendix-b) (opens in a new tab).

A summary of who is responsible for different repairs is set out in the Table of Repair Responsibilities in Appendix C (www.boltonathome.org.uk/repairs-appendix-c) (opens in a new tab).

8. Individual circumstances

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We recognise that you may have specific needs requiring repairs to be completed more quickly than this policy defines, due to individual circumstances including health issues or disabilities.

In such cases, we encourage you to tell us of any factors that may make your repair more urgent when reporting a repair.

We will take these into consideration as appropriate when prioritising the repair.

10. Disrepair

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We will deal with disrepair claims according to the Housing Disrepair Protocol under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Existing repairs will not be put on hold or cancelled due to a disrepair claim, and we will work with solicitors to resolve any claim in a timely manner.