Repairs & maintenance

What you can expect from us

When you report a repair, we will:

• check your contact details
• confirm repair details and responsibilities
• treat you with courtesy
• check any individual needs and vulnerabilities and consider any reasonable adjustments that we may need to make 
• offer appointments for non-emergency work that outside of standard operating hours (depending on availability) or avoiding the school run
• protect you and your home by making sure the contractors work carefully and safely
• respect you and your home while the work is taking place keeping disruption to a minimum
• post inspect a minimum of 10% of all repair works
• ensure that everyone visiting your home has identification

Repair timescales

Depending on the type of work we will apply these timescales:

• routine maintenance to be completed within 28 working days. All works which are not an emergency will be prioritised based on urgency.
• emergency work will be made safe within four hours. The time starts when we receive notification of the emergency repair and ends when the job has been made safe. Any follow up work required will be prioritised based on urgency and completed within 28 working days.

Our repairs partner contractors will make contact with you to make an appointment at a convenient time.

Emergency repairs

An emergency repair is one needed to make your home safe or secure, including:

• major leaks or burst pipes
• blocked toilets or overflowing drains
• no heating between 31 October and 1 May
• no hot water
• no power
• dangerous electrical fittings
• faulty external door locks where the property is not secure

For emergency repairs, call 01392 265031 and select the relevant option.

See our section Staying safe in your home for more information about home safety.

Gas emergencies

If you smell gas or suspect a gas leak:

• turn off the gas at the meter
• open all doors and windows
• do not smoke or use naked flames
• do not use electrical appliances or mobile phones
• contact Wales & West Utilities on 0800 111 999

Our responsibilities

We are responsible for repairing and maintaining:

• general maintenance and repair of the structure of the property (including roofs, drains, gutters and pipes)
• the kitchen and bathroom fixtures that we installed
• entrance doors, hallways, stairwells, lifts, rubbish chutes, lighting or other parts that are shared by tenants or leaseholders of flats, paving, parking areas and communal bin stores
• internal repairs to pipes, wiring, heating systems, drainage, and power and light fittings
• outbuildings, sheds, porches or garages we originally put up (we may remove them rather than repair them)
• steps and paths that lead from the gate or boundary to the front and back doors

Your responsibilities as a tenant

You are responsible for:

• reporting any faults or damage immediately - if you neglect a fault by not reporting it to us, or if you, your household or visitors deliberately cause damage, we may charge you to put that extra damage right.
• keeping your property clean and in good decorative order inside
• preventing waste pipes or drains from becoming blocked
• allowing our contractors into your home to carry out repairs, annual safety checks, and any other necessary inspections
• repairing and maintaining any fixture, fitting or appliance you have put in including washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers
• taking action to prevent and control condensation
• taking action to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting such as by lagging pipes
• making sure that occupants and visitors to the property do not cause any damage beyond general wear and tear
• removing any floor coverings you have fitted or laid . We cannot be held liable for any damage if the floor coverings have not been removed. You will also be responsible for replacing or re-installing any such floor coverings.
• completing all repairs that you are responsible for. This includes chimney sweeping / clothes lines/posts / internal decoration / renewal of toilet seats / fuses, plugs and light bulbs / gate catches and locks / dividing wooden, concrete or metal fences and gates between properties / gas escapes from your appliances / certain footpaths specific to your home / TV aerials. This list is not exhaustive and may be added to from time to time
• obtaining our permission before making any structural or other alterations to your property. See our section on alterations for more information. 
• keeping appointments that we have arranged or give us reasonable notice if you cannot keep the appointment. You may have to pay the costs of the call-out if you do not keep the appointment.
• repairing, replacing or erecting any fencing around the property (except when it is adjacent to a public area)

We also provide separate guidance on damp and mould and Awaab’s Law. If you are concerned about damp or mould, please contact us.

Will I have to pay for a repair?

You may be charged if damage is caused by neglect, misuse or avoidable actions, or if you refuse to report a crime to the police.

This may include:

• broken windows
• replacing locks after lost keys
• blocked drains caused by misuse
• damage identified after you move out
• removal of rubbish

You will not be charged for normal wear and tear or repairs linked to a reported crime.

How to avoid being recharged

• report repairs promptly
• keep your home well maintained
• understand your repair responsibilities
• get written permission before making alterations
• leave your home clean and clear when moving out

We have also published information about damp and mould and Awaab's Law. If you are concerned about damp or mould in your home, please contact us.  

Cleaning and maintaining communal areas

Where you share balconies and stairways with other tenants, you are responsible for keeping these areas clean and tidy.  Contractors will clean internal hallways to a hygienic standard and sweep the stairways approximately once a fortnight

If you notice a repair or maintenance issue in a communal area, please report it to us.

No items must be stored in communal hallways, stairways or on balcony walkways as these are escape routes which must be kept clear in case of fire.

Exeter City Council’s Public Realm Team are usually responsible for the design and management of landscaped areas. This includes grass cutting, shrub pruning. Occasionally we use other contractors for this type of work.

If you have any issue relating to the cleanliness of the communal areas or the maintenance of landscaped areas on council land near where you live, please contact your housing officer.

If you wish to make alterations

If you wish to make alterations to your property, you must first obtain our permission. Please see our section on home improvements and alterations for more information, including our requirements and how to seek permission.