Repairs
Reporting repairs
You can report a repair to your home by using one of the following:
Telephone
Call us free on 0800 121 4422.
Website
www.englishhrural.org.uk/repairs
Email
repairs@englishrural.org.uk
Online account
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Emergencies
After 5 pm and over weekends and public holidays you should contact Davies on 0800 046 9985.
The out-of-hours service should only be used if your repair needs immediate action, all other repairs should be reported when our office re-opens.
Repair responsibilities
Please note; If you are a shared owner or leaseholder, you are responsible for all repairs and maintenance to your property.
As your landlord, we have a responsibility to undertake repairs and ensure that all homes meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard and are fit for human habitation in line with legislation. This includes, but is not limited to;
Keeping the structure and exterior of your home safe, secure, and weatherproof,
Making sure all fixtures and fittings for the supply of water, gas, electricity, heating, and sanitation are in working order.
For a comprehensive guide to resident and landlord repairs responsibilities please find this on our website or ask a member of the team and we can send this to you.
If you rent your home from us your responsibilities as a tenant include:
Keeping your home clean and in good condition.
Preventing damage caused by neglect or misuse (you may be charged where this occurs).
Doing minor repairs and replacements. Repairs that require no technical ability and use common household tools.
Redecorating the inside of your home when needed.
Keeping gardens and shared areas tidy and rubbish-free.
Repairing or replacing your own appliances and fittings.
Insuring your possessions. We recommend that you take out home contents insurance.
Reporting repairs promptly and let us know if you are worried about anything in your home.
Allowing us access to your home to inspect and conduct repairs, servicing, or planned works.
If you are having difficulties with your responsibilities:
Ask your family, friends, or neighbours if they can help.
If you are disabled, elderly, or vulnerable then contact Foundations who may be able to help or offer advice: https://www.foundations.uk.com/.
Use a qualified tradesperson, if you can find a tradesperson at www.checkatrade.com or advertise in your local area. Always use reputable tradespersons, obtain a quotation, and do not pay until work is complete to your satisfaction.
Responding to Repairs
All repairs that are reported to English Rural will be given a response time determined by the urgency of the repair.
Emergency
Response within 24 hours; the contractor will make safe any fault, but they may need to return to conduct further work including fitting parts on another day.
Routine
To be completed within 30 days of being reported.
The designated contractor will contact you by telephone to arrange an appointment within 48 hours of receiving the repair order. If you are not able to make the prearranged appointment and do not inform us or the contractor beforehand, you will be charged for the cost of the visit proportionate to the charges from the contractor to English Rural.
In response to any repair you report, you will receive a satisfaction form, you will receive this once your repair has been completed. The information you provide once you complete this enables us to ensure contractors are performing well and meeting the standards, we expect from them. It is therefore important that you return this to us.
Sometimes once a repair has been completed, we may need to complete an inspection of the works. A member of the team may contact you to arrange for access to be given to the property, or for information on how you felt the repairs were completed, they may also ask for images to be sent in depending upon the type of repair. If our staff or contractors require a visit to your property, you will be given ample notice beforehand. Typically, we provide notice well in advance, with a minimum of 24 hours' notice, although often it exceeds this timeframe.
As your landlord, we have a legal obligation to comply with health and safety legislation. From time to time, you will be contacted to have components serviced or tested. It is your responsibility to ensure that you make suitable arrangements, to enable this to be carried out. These visits are often required by law to ensure safety in your own home, whilst also ensuring that your property is in good repair.
Missed appointments or cancellations without reasonable notice may be recharged back to you.
Carbon Monoxide
If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds:
Stop using all appliances, switch them off, and open doors and windows to ventilate the property.
Evacuate the property immediately – stay calm and avoid raising your heart rate.
Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 to report the incident.
Seek immediate medical help – you may not realise you have been affected by the carbon monoxide, and going outside into fresh air will not treat any exposure by itself.
Do not go back into the property – wait for advice from the emergency gas team.
Extinguish all naked flames immediately.
Turn off the gas supply at the meter.
Open all doors and windows.
Do not put on your gas hob, smoke, strike any matches, or do anything that could ignite the gas.
IF YOU SUSPECT A GAS LEAK
Call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999.
DO NOT operate any electrical switches until you are told it is safe to do so.
Safety Inspections and Testing
English Rural is legally required to repair and maintain gas pipework, flues, and appliances keeping them in a safe condition and keeping records of each safety check. These inspections are for your own safety and failure to allow access is a breach of your tenancy agreement. Legal action will be taken against you if you do not provide access which may also include the gas supply being disconnected.
If your property has a gas supply, English Rural has a legal obligation to conduct an annual gas boiler service and gas safety check including a visual inspection of your own gas cookers, or other gas appliances, where applicable on all rented properties.
Electrical
Electrical testing must be conducted on all rented properties every five years. Access must be provided for this electrical test which may take three to four hours to complete with any remedial repairs to be conducted within 28 days from the inspection date. Any failure to allow us access to conduct the work is a breach of your tenancy agreement, we would be forced to take legal action. We are keen to avoid this but as your landlord, it is our legal obligation to conduct the work. therefore, we appreciate your co-operation.
Gas
Oil Boiler
If your property is heated by an oil boiler, English Rural will conduct an oil boiler service and a check of the oil tank, along with accompanying controls in all rented properties. These inspections are for your own health and safety and to ensure your heating installation is safe and working efficiently. It is the tenant’s responsibility to make sure that the oil levels are always sufficient to ensure the boiler works efficiently and to ensure the oil tank has oil in when the service is due. The service cannot be conducted if the oil tank is empty or exceptionally low level.
Renewable Energy
If your property is heated by an air source heat pump (ASHP) or ground source heat pump (GSHP) or has a PV Solar Thermal system, English Rural will conduct a service on these and the accompanying controls in all rented properties.
Open Fires and Wood Burning Stoves
If your property is heated by an open fire or wood-burning stove, English Rural will conduct an annual chimney sweep and wood burner service including flue liners, in all rented properties. This is for your own health and safety and to reduce any fire risk.
Chimneys
English Rural will conduct one annual chimney sweep in rented properties where tenants have installed a wood burner with the permission of English Rural. Please note that permission must be sought and is not a guarantee that installation will be permitted. If remedial work is required, the tenant is responsible for arranging the work and any associated costs. English Rural will provide a copy of the recommendations and the tenant asked to provide certification that the work has been conducted by a HETAS-registered engineer.
Shared Ownership Responsibilities
Shared owners must ensure they make their own arrangements to have an annual gas boiler service and gas safety checks conducted on their property. As well as ensuring your heating system is safe and working effectively, should you wish to sell your property in the future you may be asked to show details of the last gas safety checks and valid certificate (CP12), and an electrical installation condition report (EICR). It is also recommended that an electrical check is undertaken on your home every five years.
Blockages
Blockages are usually caused by a build-up of waste such as fat, hair, detergents, etc. It is advisable to clear waste pipes and traps regularly by treating them with a suitable product such as drain cleaner or plughole unblocker. This will prevent the build-up into a blockage which may need the service of a plumber.
Managing Damp, Mould, and Condensation in Your Home
Understanding and managing damp, mould, and condensation is essential for a healthy living environment. Please see a brief guide below:
Condensation: It is the moisture in the air that appears on cold surfaces, especially during cold weather. Unlike other forms of dampness, it does not leave a tidemark.
Damp: Keep an eye out for any signs of dampness in corners and cold areas.
Mould: Regularly clean and ventilate areas prone to mould to prevent growth.
For a comprehensive guide with step-by-step instructions on how to effectively manage these issues, please download our Guide to Damp, Mould, and Condensation which can also be found on our website.
Rechargeable Repairs
Where we find that a tenant has damaged property, conducted work without our permission, requested a call out for a repair that is their responsibility or we are required to resolve any repair issues relating to general misuse, we will look to recover our costs in full by recharging these to the tenant.
If we are informed of an appointment that is booked with you for a repair or service and you fail to allow access to this appointment, we will look at recharging the call-out fee for this appointment.
Moving Out Recharges
There are certain actions that you will be required to undertake prior to moving out. We would expect our properties to be left in a good, clear, and clean condition, so we are able to make the property suitable for relet as soon as possible. Any fixtures or fittings that you have installed would need to be removed and made good prior to moving out.
We will complete a pre-void visit of the property prior to you leaving, this is to explain what we would expect you to complete before moving out as per your responsibilities. If you do not complete these before leaving the property, then you are at risk of being recharged for these works.
Sewage Treatment Plants
Some of our properties have sewage treatment plants. Sewage treatment plants are off-mains waste removal systems that allow you to dispose of sewage and wastewater safely and efficiently. These are in place when there is no mains sewage. As a lot of our properties are in rural locations not having mains sewage is quite common. Upon moving into the property, you will be informed if your area has a sewage treatment plant.
Below are some dos and don’ts when you have a sewage treatment plant:
Do:
Always use the manufacturer-recommended doses for your household cleaning products according to the hardness of your local water; try to use cleaning products in smaller amounts and more often so the sewage treatment plant isn’t overloaded; try to stick to the same washing, dishwasher, and other cleaning products – the bacteria will work more efficiently with familiar products.
Use liquids instead of powders in washing machines and dishwashers, and try to spread washing your clothes across the week instead of one or two days.
Don't:
Do not put sanitary towels, tampons, disposable nappies, baby wipes, cotton wool, incontinence pads, cotton buds, rubber products, or other non-biodegradable products down the toilet.
Do not pour fat, grease, or cooking oil down the sink or drain.
Do not use household bleach and strong chemicals indiscriminately or have a spring cleaning day; do not trip bottles of medicines, mouthwash, etc., down the toilet because these can harm the bacteria inside the wastewater plant; do not keep changing your brands of cleaners and washing powders, do not pour any garden chemicals, paint or car engine oils down the drains.
Pests
Pest infestations are your responsibility within your own home’s boundary. English Rural will arrange for treatment of certain pests where infestations are deemed to have come from communal areas or if non-repair would cause further damage to the property.
Gardens
As a resident, you are responsible for maintaining the private garden in your home. Any trees within your home's boundary will be your responsibility to maintain at a reasonable height and size for the property. All trees and vegetation on communal land will be maintained by English Rural. Works on trees are only generally required if it is deemed to be dead, dying, diseased, or causing a problem to the fabric of a building.
Boundaries
English Rural will maintain all boundaries for which it is responsible, in line with our fencing policy (Internal policy only). The fence will generally be repaired in a manner to keep within the existing style. Where more economical to do so, large-scale renewals, will be erected in 900mm chain-link for dividing boundaries with two privacy panels. If a boundary separates your home from a publicly available area, 6ft close board fencing will be installed.
Cyclical and Planned Maintenance
External Decorating
For those living in rented homes, painting and decorating the exterior of your property is undertaken on a cyclical programme, usually every 5-6 years, depending on its condition. This will include redecorating any external fittings such as windows and doors, soffits, rendering, and any other externals. Fencing will not be covered under the cyclical programme. All UPVC materials will also be washed down as part of the work.
Shared owners will be advised when external decorations are to be undertaken on rented properties on your development and will be given details of the contractors undertaking work. Should you wish to take advantage of having painting contractors on site, you can make your own arrangements with them to also have your property redecorated. Please note that this would be an entirely private arrangement between you and the contractor.
Planned and Major Work
English Rural operates a long-term major works programme on all rented properties which covers the replacement of major components in your home such as kitchens, bathrooms, windows and doors, and heating systems. The programme is based on the condition of these components. From time to time, English Rural employees or those authorised by us may wish to inspect your home, this is commonly known as a Stock Condition Survey. It is important to provide access to these visits so that we can collect relevant information and plan future work accordingly. We will let you know of any proposed work in advance and will consult with you on where choices may be available.
When major work or a large repair is undertaken, English Rural may request to inspect the work at a time convenient to you. You shall be contacted by a member of staff, should this be required. Please make every effort to provide access for this inspection.
Adaptations
English Rural understands that residents’ needs change and we are committed to helping those with a disability remain in their homes. Where possible, English Rural will ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for disabled tenants. If you do require any aids or adaptations to your property, your request should be made in writing with the recommendation of an Occupational Therapist. A limited budget is available to assist with adaptations in rented properties but funding is often also available through your Local Authority. Before carrying out any adaptations to your home, written permission must be sought from English Rural.
Improvements
You may in future wish to make improvements to your home. Any improvement you do make must have written permission from English Rural before any work is undertaken.
Any improvement work must be carried out by a suitably qualified contractor and appropriate Building Regulations are met. All related expenses will be met by yourself as the tenant of the property and you will become responsible for any future maintenance relating to the improvement you have made.
Should you choose to move in the future, you may be asked to return the property to its original condition at your expense. Please refer to our Alterations Policy for full details Here. Unfortunately, English Rural cannot permit the erection of conservatories on rented properties.
Should you wish to add a conservatory to your shared ownership home then please make your request in writing including full details and plans of the proposed conservatory. We will only consider requests for modest-sized conservatories that do not involve extensive structural alterations to your home. It will be your responsibility to ensure any necessary Planning Permission and Building Regulation requirements are met.
Electric Vehicle Charging Points (EVCP). We recognise the use of electric vehicles is one measure for reducing emissions locally and therefore the use of such vehicles is essential. All requests for EVCP installations should be made in writing to English Rural by either the resident or representative acting on behalf of the resident. A meeting between the Resident Services Director/Repairs and Maintenance Surveyor and the resident may be necessary before any approval can be given.
Please note that EVCPs are only permitted on properties with dedicated private driveways, garages, or off-curtilage parking.
Failure to inform English Rural of changes made to your home may result in you being charged to rectify any damage and return the property to its original condition.
