Please click / scroll down the page to view the following:
How to report a repair
How long will it take to fix the repair?
Out-of-Hours Emergency Repairs
Appointments
What happens if the repair is not completed on time?
Re-chargeable repairs (repairs we charge you for)
Repairs that are the Tenant’s responsibility
Repairs that are our responsibility
Loss of Electric
Burst Pipes/Severe Leaks
Damage to home contents
Planned Work
Tenant improvements
Click to view our Repairs and Maintenance leaflet
How to report a repair
You can report a repair at our office, over the telephone, by e-mail, post or on our website.
Telephone : 0121 766 1100
8am-8pm Monday to Friday
8am-1pm Saturday
Emergency out-of-office hours 0121 766 1100 (transfer to our out-of-hours service)
E-mail post@family-housing.co.uk
Post Family Housing Association
Bordesley House
44/46 Coventry Road
Birmingham B10 0RX
When you report a repair, please have the following information ready:
· Your name and address
· A contact telephone number
· Details of what the repair is and how bad it is
· Details of how the repair was caused
· Access arrangements for our operatives to call
How long will it take to fix the repair?
This depends on the type of repair that you are reporting. We categorise all repairs as follows:
Category 1- Emergency Repairs (within 24 hours)
Repairs which could be an immediate risk to someone’s life or could result in serious damage to your home such as total power failure, a blocked sewer, a burst pipe or a major leak. The aim of an emergency repair is to remove, or make good the immediate risk which can then be followed up with a routine repair at a later date.
Category 2 - Urgent Repairs (within 7 calendar days)
Any repair which requires urgent attention, for example repair or replacement of a window lock, loss of heat or water or partial loss of power.
Category 3- Routine Repair (within 31 calendar days)
Routine repairs are those which are not dangerous to health and safety.
When you report your repair you will be informed which category your repair falls into and the time you will expect it to be completed by.
Sometimes it may not be possible for us to determine the extent of work required. If this is the case, we will ask for a supervisor to visit your property and inspect the work. Inspections will be completed within 28 working days.
Out-of-Hours Emergency Repairs
If you have an emergency repair outside of office hours you should call our customer services number 0121 766 1100. Your call will be automatically answered with an option to select our out-of-hours service. This service is for genuine emergencies only. Residents found to be abusing the system will be charged for any costs incurred.
Appointments
When you report a repair you will be given an order number and an appointment date. You will also be asked to confirm your contact details and any special access arrangements.
We will text appointment reminders leading up to the time of your appointment and phone you on the day of your appointment as final confirmation
If you miss an appointment
If you are not home when the operative calls to your property, they will leave a card advising you that the appointment has been missed and your repair has been cancelled. If you still want the repair, you will need to phone the office to re-book the repair and arrange a new appointment.
Letting us into your home
It is very important that you allow us access into your home and it is your responsibility to clear the area for repair by moving any furniture or carpet.
All our staff and contractors will provide you with proof of identity before entering your home and we would appreciate your assistance by not smoking whilst our operatives work on the repair.
What happens if the repair is not completed on time?
We will always do our best to complete repairs within the appropriate timescale. If however this is not possible and your repair is not completed on time, you may be entitled to apply for compensation. In this case, please contact the Customer Services Team and they will advise you what to do.
Re-chargeable repairs (Repairs that we charge you for)
We do not charge for day-to-day repairs that are Family Housing’s responsibility. However, if we visit your property and find a repair that has arisen out of neglect or deliberate damage, you will be charged for the cost of the repairs.
As your landlord, we are responsible for keeping the structure and outside of yoiur home in good repair. We are also responsible for the main services, such as plumbing, heating, gas and electricity. If you live in a flat, we are responsible for repairs to the shared entrance hall, stairway, lighting in shared areas (internally and externally), communal television aerials or digital receiver systems and door entry systems – although some of these may be charged for through a service charge.
As a tenant you are responsible for:
· Maintaining your own fixtures, fittings and appliances.
· Purchasng additional keys or replacing any lost keys.
· Changing locks.
· Connecting cookers (gas or electric).
· Plumbing in washing machines or dishwashers.
· Adjusting doors if you are fitting carpets.
· Using sound proofing material if you are fitting laminate or vinyl flooring.
· Repairing any damage caused by you, your family or any of your visitors.
Examples of repairs and responsibility are listed below:
Repairs that are the Tenant’s responsibility
External : Window glass; Cost of replacing locks or keys to homes, garages, windows and alley gates; Letterboxes; Your own garden, washing line and posts; Paths and patios not owned by Family; Dustbins and the removal of rubbish; Boundary fencing; Outside taps.
Electrics, Gas and Water : Electricity meters and the electricity supply; Disconnecting and reconnecting cookers; Plumbing-in of washing machines; Sink plugs and chains; Blocked sinks and basins; Bleeding the radiators; Gas meters and gas supply.
Internal : Home contents insurance; Plasterwork; Skirting boards; Bath panels; Toilet seats; Repairing cracks or chips in bathroom fittings; Shower curtain and rails, shower hose and spray head; Battery operated smoke alarms; Security chains and spy-holes for doors; Draught-proofing outside doors; Hot water cylinder jackets; Treatment of wasps, vermin, fleas etc
Further details on repairs that are your responsibility are available from our Customer Services Team on 0121 766 1100.
Repairs that are our responsibility as your landlord
[please note that this list does not apply to Leaseholders]
External : Building insurance; Shared communal areas including lifts, stairs, bin stores, lighting and galzing; The roof, chimney, gutters and downpipes; Outside walls, rendering and foundations; Window frames, outside window sills, handles and vents; Outside doors (if damaged by fair wear and tear); Faulty outside locks and hinges; Soil and vent pipes (if the main pipe is blocked); Shared gardens; Garden gates; Paths, steps and other means of access that are owned by Family; Shared washing lines and posts; Garages and outbuildings owned by Family; Solar panels and wind turbines owned by Family.
Internal : Internal doors (if damaged by fair wear and tear), handles and carpet strips; Structural walls inside your property; Vinyl floor tiles in bathrooms and kitchens only; Staircase, banisters and handrails; Kitchen cupboards and worktops; Bath, wash-hand basin and toilet (if fitted by Family).
Electrics, gas and water : Standard electrical wiring, sockets and light fittings; Electrical shower units (if fitted by Family); Mains operated smoke alarms; Electrical consumer unit (fuse box); Electric storage heaters (if fitted by Family); Immersion heaters (if fitted by Family); Extractor fans (if fitted by Family); Gas pipe work inside your home; Gas fires (if fitted by Family); Gas warm-air units; Radiators, valves, timers and thermostats; Gas appliances annual servicing (if gas appliances are provided and owned by Family); Water pipes, overflow pipes and water tanks; Taps and stopcocks; Shower trays (if fitted by Family); Toilet flush system.
Loss of Electric
If you lose the power to your home please follow the points below before you report the repair:
Turn off all appliances
Check the fuse box and reset any trip switches
Check if nearby properties have lost power as it may be a fault with the supply
Check you have credit on the meter
If an electrician is called to your property and they find that the fault is caused by your own appliance, lack of credit on the meter, or simply a tripped fuse then you will be charged for the call-out.
Burst Pipes/Severe Leaks
Turn off the supply at the stopcock. (Make sure you know where this is when you move in)
Turn off the central heating
Open all taps to drain the system
Call us on 0121 766 1100
Damage to personal effects / contents of your home
Family Housing would strongly recommend that you take out appropriate insurance to cover the contents of your home. We will not make compensation payments towards the costs of redecoration or replacement of posssessions caused by unforeseen events. Please see our page on home contents insurance.
Planned Work
Planned work is required for the long-term maintenance of your home, such as installing double glazing, central heating, re-wiring and replacing kitchens and bathrooms. We also decorate the outside of your home and any communal areas as part of our cyclical painting programme.
Tenant Improvements
You must have the permission of Family Housing to carry out any improvements on your home, including erecting a satellite dish. Please put your request in writing to us with details of what work you intend to carry out and details of who will be carrying out the work. We will send out a surveyor to inspect the work when it is completed.