Repairs

Repairs FAQs

What is an emergency repair?

We classify emergency repairs into two categories:

• Immediate danger (we will attend within 4 hours)

Note: Repairs in this category includes repairs such as: fire, serious floods, structural damage, CO alerts, gas leaks, unsafe electrical fittings, unsafe gas fittings.

This category is for repairs where there is an immediate danger to the health and safety of the occupant or risk of serious damage to the property if swift remedial action is not taken. Whilst every effort will be made to undertake a full repair when responding to any repair request, this may not always be possible for an immediately dangerous situation and the remedial action taken may be to turn off the water, gas or electric to make a property safe (dependent on circumstance) and a further repair visit for follow on work may be required. These types of repairs can only be reported via telephone.

• Emergency repair (we will attend within 24 hours)

Note: Repairs in this category includes repairs such as: total loss of power, communal lighting not working, insecure properties, no hot water, no heating, blocked toilet or drains, fire alarm failure.

An emergency repair may be required when a more urgent response is necessary but there is no immediate danger to the occupant or property, generally these types of repairs will cause a higher level of inconvenience for the customer compared to a routine repair and can only be reported via telephone.

It is important that if you consider your repair to be an emergency please don’t hesitate and call us on our 24/7 emergency line on 01782 635200.

What am I responsible for repairing and maintaining in my home?

• Keeping the inside of your home clean and in good condition
• Keeping gardens and communal areas clean and tidy. This includes maintaining grass, plants and tree branches within the property boundaries so as not to cause a nuisance to other customers
• Undertaking minor repairs
• Avoiding doing anything which may result in blockages to pipes and drains (e.g. disposing of fat, oil, sanitary products, nappies etc. down toilets or in sinks)
• Using fixtures and fittings for the purpose for which they were intended (e.g. not using worktops as chopping boards etc)
• Replacing/repairing toilet seats if broken or damaged
• Replacing or repairing door bells if damaged or broken (unless a door entry system)
• Replacing or repairing shower heads
• Replacing light bulbs (unless in communal areas)
• Taking responsibility for internal and external pest control, including vermin removal (rats or mice in the dwelling), wasp/bees nests and de-infestation.
• Making lifestyle changes necessary to resolve instances of condensation such as not drying washing indoors or leaving extractor fans switched off. Where condensation is the likely cause of any reported dampness, Aspire will advise customers of the action they need to take to deal with the problem and prevent further incidences.

What is a non-emergency repair?

We classify non-emergency repairs into two categories:

• Routine repair (within 28 calendar days)

Note: Repairs in this category includes repairs such as: containable water leaks, toilet not flushing, dripping taps, shower not working, internal doors and woodwork, patch plastering.

A routine repair is non-urgent work carried out to maintain our customer’s homes or a component in it, until the next cycle of planned programme. Most repairs will fall into this category considering they do not carry a risk of danger to the occupant or serious damage to the property and can be reported via the self-service website, live chat, telephone, email, and letter or through Aspire colleague’s customer’s homes.

• Major repair (within 90 calendar days)

Note: Repairs in this category includes repairs such as: path/driveway replacement, groundworks, major roof repairs, external brick wall repair or replacement, large plastering works, guttering works.

This category is for our large repair works and is generally considered to be any repair which will take longer than one day to complete and/or may form part of a planned programme of works. These repairs will require a pre inspection to ascertain materials, labour hours and any specialist equipment such as machinery or scaffolding requirements.