Reactive Repairs
Reactive repairs or day to day repairs are funded from rental income and are defined as those repairs which are carried out on a responsive basis as the need arises and are not deferred for inclusion in planned maintenance programmes.
Knowes objectives regarding repairs are:-
- to maintain the housing stock in good order.
- to maintain a safe environment and ensure that danger to persons and damage to property is minimised through timeous reporting and response.
- to provide a repairs service which meets the needs of the Association’s customers.
- to inspect at least 10% of completed repairs to assess quality and customer satisfaction.
- to carry out all repairs within agreed response times
Reporting Repairs
Knowes maximise the opportunities for tenants and customers to report repairs during and outwith office hours. This will include reporting at the office in person, telephoning the office, writing to the Association and reporting by e-mailing to info@knowes.org
Processing Repairs Requests – Categories and Response Targets.
Knowes operate an appropriate system for processing internal and common repairs. All repairs will be accurately recorded, inspected where appropriate and completed, all within the approved timescales. There are various priorities for repairs and these are determined by the information provided at the time the repair is reported. Emergency repairs will be responded to within 2 hours and completed within 24 hours. Callout repairs will be responded to within 4 hours and completed within 24 hours. Appointments can also be arranged for all routine repairs. Click here for a full list of repair categories.
Landlord & Tenant Responsibilities
Section 5 of Knowes Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreement sets out in some detail both the landlord and tenant repairs and maintenance rights and responsibilities. If in doubt tenants should refer to their tenancy agreement in the first instance. Who is responsible?
Insurance Claims
Knowes Housing Association has a comprehensive building insurance policy that covers a number of risks involving properties owned and factored by the Association. Owners living in tenemental properties are required to take the block buildings insurance policy as part of their factoring agreement. Generally the Association is insured against damage from explosion, storm, flood, burst pipes, lightening, malicious damage, full impact, theft, subsidence, falling trees and 3rd party liability. There is an excess of £100.00 for each claim with the exception of subsidence where there is an excess of £1000.00. For more information see our Owners Handbook. If an owner requires to make a claim on the insurance policy they should contact the finance section at the office who will supply a claim form. The Association carries out a tendering process every five years in order to obtain the best policy for owners. The current insurance policy is with Zurich Municipal.
All tenants and owners are advised to have their own house contents insurance as the above policy does not cover personal belongings such as furniture, carpets, electrical goods, decoration etc.
Right To Repair
A Scottish secure tenant is entitled to have a qualifying repair carried out to the property of which he/she is the tenant.
The types of repair and the timescale (working days) within which the repair requires to be completed are shown above in full list of repair categories. A working day is one which is not a public holiday or a Saturday or Sunday.
Qualifying repairs are those which are considered to be of particular concern to tenants and likely to cause distress if they are not done quickly.
The Right to Repair scheme provides tenants with the right to instruct urgent repairs if the Association has failed to carry out the repair within a specified period. Small repairs are covered, each costing up to a maximum of £350 which, if not completed within a reasonable time, may jeopardise the health, safety or security of the tenant, the public or the property.
The landlord may consider that the repair requires to be pre-inspected to ascertain if the repair is a qualifying one.
Right to Repair information is available on the Scottish Government's website.
More information regarding this is included in your Tenant Handbook.
