The right to repair scheme ensures that small urgent repairs, which might affect your health, safety or security, are carried out quickly and easily.
Qualifying Repairs
The table below gives a list of repairs that qualify as determined by the "Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994". A repair only qualifies if the cost of carrying out the work is less than £250.00.
| REPAIR | TIMESCALE |
|---|---|
| Electrical | |
| Total loss of electrical power | 1 working day |
| Partial loss of electrical power | 3 working days |
| Unsafe power or lighting socket or electrical fitting | 1 working day |
| Heating | |
| Total loss Between 31st October - 1st May | 1 working day |
| Between 30th April - 1st Nov | 3 working days |
| Total or partial loss of gas supply | 1 working day |
| Blocked flue to open fire or boiler | 1 working day |
| Plumbing | |
| Total loss of water supply | 1 working day |
| Partial loss of water supply | 3 working days |
| Blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack or toilet pan (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling house) |
1 working day |
| Toilet not flushing (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling house) |
1 working day |
| Blocked sink, bath or basin | 3 working days |
| Tap which cannot be turned | 3 working days |
| Leaking from water or heating pipe tank cistern | 1 working day |
| Other | |
| Insecure external window, door or lock | 1 working day |
| Loose or detached banister or handrail | 3 working days |
| Rotten timber flooring or stair tread | 3 working days |
| Leaking roof | 7 working days |
| Door entry - phone not working | 7 working days |
| Mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or Bathroom not working |
7 working days |
Where there is more than one repair required, the timescales are not added together.
Procedures
If Sandwell Council fails to carry out a repair listed above, within the timescales given, and the cost of the repair is less than £250.00 you should write to: the Assistant Director, Asset Management and Maintenance, Operations and Development Centre, Roway Lane, Oldbury, B69 3ES.
In the letter you should explain the details of the repair, when it was reported and when it was due to be carried out.
The Assistant Director will then arrange for another instruction to be given for the work to be carried out. You will be sent an acknowledgement letter with a new completion date.
If the work is still not carried out within the time limit on the acknowledgement letter, you should write to the Assistant Director again. Explain the situation and claim the compensation due to you.
PLEASE NOTE - Compensation will only be paid if you have allowed access to your home at the appointed times.
Compensation
If after the 2nd instruction we have not completed the work by the completion date, the amount of compensation will be £10.00, plus £2.00 a day for every day the repair remains outstanding, up to a maximum of £50.00.