Reporting a Repair

SBHA tenants in Temporary Accommodation

How can I report my repair?
SBHA temporary accommodation tenants now report all repairs via the freephone number 0800 0742130 this number is available 24 hours a day.

What do you repair?
Some repairs such as external or structural will be the direct responsibility of the owner but they are still reported via repairs line number. Some repairs are your responsibly as the tenant, but Shepherds Bush Housing Association will repair others.

Regardless of whose responsibility it is, if you have an urgent or emergency repair, it can be reported 24 hours a day via 0800 0742130. Staff on this number will let you know who will be looking after the repair and book an appointment for you.

For more information about repairs see below.

How do I Report a Repair?

What will SBHA repair?
Emergency Call Out (Health and Safety repairs) (Priority E)
Emergencies (Priority 1)
Urgent (Priority 2)
Routine (Priority 3)
Minor Repairs

Fault Finding
Stopcock
Toilets
Power Failure
Heating System
Locks
Windows
Drains

Reporting Repairs

All repairs should be reported on one telephone number regardless of priority:

0800 074 2130

This is a Freephone service, which is staffed 24 hours a day. All repairs can be reported at any time of the day. If your repair is affecting your health and safety, the repair will be passed out to a contractor immediately. All other repairs will be logged immediately and prioritised by a contractor at the beginning of the following working day.

The repair desk operator will make an appointment for all urgent and routine repairs. Repairs are attended to as quickly as possible, but specific times for the appointment cannot be given.

What will SBHA repair?

All repairs need to be dealt with as quickly as possible but some are more urgent than others. We prioritise different types of repairs into one of four categories:

CATEGORY RESPONSE TIME
Emergency Call Out (Health and Safety repairs) (Priority E) Will be dealt with in 4 hours
Emergencies (Priority 1) Will be dealt with in 24 hours
Urgent (Priority 2) Will be dealt with in 5 days
Routine (Priority 3) Will be dealt with in 28 days

Emergency Call Out Repairs (Priority E) 4 Hours
The following are all classified as immediate response repairs:

Electrical
Total power failure - The power will be restored unless there is a failure in the electricity

Flooding through electrics - Electrics will be made safe

Plumbing
No water to the property -The supply will be restored if not the fault of the water company

Flooding - Flooding will be dealt with if it cannot be contained and there is a chance of damage to the building, electrics or leaking to a lower floor. If the flooding is found to be the fault of the tenant they will be recharged.

Blocked WC (Toilet) - Will be cleared if there is no other lavatory in the property. Otherwise it will be dealt with as urgent

Carpentry / Glazing
Attempted Break-in or fire - The property will be secured.

No Access to the property due to faulty lock - Will be dealt with only where tenant unable to go inside the property due to a faulty lock. However, if the lock out is due to tenant losing the key, it is the tenant's responsibility and tenants should contact a private locksmith.

Emergency Repair (Priority 1) 24 Hours
The following are classified as emergency repairs:

Electrical
Exposed wires - will be made safe

Partial lighting /Power failure - inside your home will be dealt with unless fluorescent lights are flickering or the bulb is faulty. Communal lighting is only an emergency if the lack of lighting is dangerous.

Plumbing
Leaks - will be repaired if they cannot be contained and there is a chance of damage to the building, electrical items or leaking to a lower floor. If the leak is found to be through the fault of the tenant, they will be recharged.

Manholes - Sewage discharges, internal back surges and dangerous manhole covers will be dealt with.

Leaking WC - will be repaired if the leak cannot be contained otherwise will be dealt with as an Urgent repair.

WC not flushing - Will only be dealt with as an emergency if the tenant is elderly or disabled and can't flush with buckets of water otherwise will be dealt with as an Urgent priority.

Heating
Individual heating - Lack of heating will only be dealt with if the tenant is elderly or disabled, if there is a child under the age of 5 in the household, or if there is a threat to life.

Faulty gas fire - As above.

No hot water - will only be dealt with if there is a medical need, if there are children under 5 in the household or if a tenant is elderly or disabled. Otherwise it will be dealt with as Urgent.

PLEASE NOTE: IF A HEATING REPAIR IS CARRIED OUT AS AN EMERGENCY AND THE CONTRACTOR IS UNABLE TO RESTORE HEAT TO YOUR HOME, THEY MUST PROVIDE YOU WITH AN ALTERNATIVE TEMPORARY FORM OF HEATING

Urgent Repairs (Priority 2) 5 Days
The following repairs are classified as Urgent repairs:

Electrical - Urgent electrical works will include lighting/power faults where there is more than one source of light/power. Repairs to doorbell or intercom (for disabled tenant/tenant with support only.) Otherwise will be dealt with as Routine.

Plumbing - Minor leaks, repairs to taps, fixing of non-flushing of toilet will be classed as an urgent repair.

Heating / Hot water - Lack of heating or hot water (central heating, gas fire, immersion heater or electric storage heating) will be dealt with as an Urgent repair only if residents are not elderly, do not have medical needs for constant heating/hot water. This priority applies both in winter and summer months.

Carpentry / Glazing - Lock to flat and communal door (where it is not working properly) will be dealt with as Urgent.
Non emergency glazing includes windows boarded and posing no security or health and safety risk. Most glazing work will require a crime reference number (which is obtained only when the damage is reported to Police eg as the result of a break in), otherwise the cost of the repair will be recharged to the tenant

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Routine Repairs (Priority 3) 28 Days
The following repairs will be dealt with as Routine Repairs:

Electrical - Repair or renewal of electrical switches, sockets, bulb holder, extractor fans, doorbell, intercom and other similar repairs where it poses no urgent risk to property or tenant.

Plumbing - Leaking, overflow, clearing of blocked gutter, repairs to rainwater hoods and other similar repairs where it is posing no urgent risk to property or tenant.

Carpentry - Repairs to kitchen units, easing or adjusting doors, windows, repair or renewal of doors / window handles, hand rails, fencing gate, bath panels, kitchen/bathroom floor covering and other similar repairs.

Minor Repairs
The following repairs are your responsibility and will not normally be carried out by the Association:

Bathroom floor coverings
Kitchen floor coverings
Reglazing within the dwelling (unless crime number given)
Damage to tenant's front door (unless Crime number given)
Damaged bath panels
Replacement of bath/sink plugs
Washing lines
Loose door handles
Blown fuses
Tenant's own shower
Replacement of light bulbs and fluorescent tubes of all kinds, shaverlights and battery operated smoke alarms
TV aerial (unless it's a communal aerial)
All works associated with 'lock outs' - getting access, replacing locks and keys.
Bleeding radiators
Draught excluders to doors and windows
Garden clearance (except tree lopping where necessary)
Additional security
All repairs associated with the Tenants defective appliances
All repairs caused by tenant misuse, neglect, damage and/or the same caused by visitors and family.

Fault Finding

The following diagrams show some of the most commonly reported repair problems. Use this guide when you are reporting a repair to the Association. It will help us to log the repair more accurately and save you time.

Stopcock

Stopcock

It may be necessary at times to turn off your stopcock. It will help you to find out where your stopcock is located and to test it at least once a year. You can do this by shutting it off to check it closes, by opening it fully. Then close it slightly by turning it back towards off.

When reporting any repair involving water, it will help if you can tell us:

if you have a leak, can you see where the water is coming from and which item of equipment is affected?
is it the hot or the cold water supply?
how serious is the leak
is it affecting your electrical system in any way?

Toilets

Toilet

Sometimes a cistern will overflow. If it does, we will take action to deal with the overflow

There can be a problem with the Cistern, causing it not to fill up. If you lift off the Cistern lid, you may be able to see if this is happening.

When you report a repair involving your toilet, it would help if you can tell us:

if the pan is cracked, or if any of the pipes or joints are leaking?
does the toilet only leak when it is flushed?
if the toilet will not flush, are there any broken parts, which you may have noticed from looking inside the cistern?
how the damage occurred
if there are any obvious problems, such as a broken pan?

Power Failure

Miniature Circuit Breakers

In most homes, the main electric switch incorporates an automatic switch off device called a Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB), which is a large switch marked 'ON/OFF'. This will switch off automatically if a situation arises which creates a potential shock or fire risk.

If the RCCB switches off automatically, you should:

switch off all MCBs using the smaller switches on them marked 'ON/OFF'
return the large RCCB switch to the 'ON' position
switch on each MCB in turn until the RCCB automatically switches off again. The MCB you last switched on will be the one where there is a fault
switch off and unplug any appliance connected to that circuit, then switch the MCB back to 'ON'

After this if either the RCCB or the MCB fail to return to the 'ON' position, a fault could exist in your circuit, which you should report to the Association.

Heating Systems

When you report a heating repair, it will be helpful if you can tell us:

what type of heating system you have
what type of fuel the system uses
whether you have tried to bleed the radiators
whether your heating system also provides the hot water and, if so, whether you are without both services
if you have checked the thermostats, timer or fuses
whether there is anybody in the household who is either under 5, elderly, or has a disability or a medical need

Locks

Locks

When reporting a lock repair, it will be helpful if you can tell us:

which lock is affected and if there is a second lock to the door
what type of lock it is
whether the door has been forced open?
if the lock needs refitting, what is the door made of (e.g. wood, plastic etc)?
if the repair causes a security problem?

Windows

Windows

If you are reporting broken glass, please tell us:

is the window single or double-glazed?
is it clear or obscure glass (obscure glass is the type of glass usually found in bathroom windows)
how the damage occurred?
if your window was broken anonymously, the Crime number given to you when you reported the damage to the Police

If you are reporting a problem with the window, please tell us:

what type of window is it and what it is made of (e.g. plastic, wood, metal)?
which floor is it on and which room is it in?
If there are any apparent problems e.g. loose or missing putty, rot in the frame etc
if you have difficulty closing a window, has it recently been painted, or does it show signs of warping?

Drains

Vent pipe schematic

If you are reporting a drain repair, it will be helpful if you can tell us:

if you have a problem with soiled water backing up, perhaps in your toilet?
if the waste trap to your bath, sink or wash basin is blocked and if so, if you have tried to clear it
if there is any flooding from an inspection chamber
is the repair causing any damage to your home?