Charges for repairs

Most of the time, tenants will not be charged for repairs as we do not charge for fair wear and tear. However, for repairing or replacing anything due to neglect, misuse, theft or deliberate damage you will be charged. This is if you or anyone you are responsible for caused the damage. As a tenant you are responsible for children, visitors and pets.

This is called a Maintenance Recovery Charge (MRC).

What type of repair could I be charged for?

You will be charged for anything that needs:

• Repairing or replacing due to neglect, misuse, theft, or deliberate damage. This is if it was you or anyone you, as a tenant, are responsible for that caused the damage. You can be charged for this whether it happens in your home, in any communal areas or at a neighbouring property.
• Removing or reinstating something you have changed or installed without our permission. Or, if you can no longer maintain any alterations you had made with our permission.

Here are some of the types of repairs that we charge for:

• Losing your keys and asking us to get you back in or to replace the lock (unless you are in an 'exempt group' of tenants)
• When your bath or washing machine overflows into the property below
• Breaking a window, and it needing glazing again
• When a door slams in the wind, breaking a glass panel
• Cracking a washbasin by dropping something into it
• Blocking your toilet with a nappy, toilet block or toys
• Blocking your sink by pouring hot fat down it, which goes on to block your waste pipes
• Taking our gas fire with you when moving out of the property
• Leaving belongings behind which we then have to clear
• When we have to force entry because you have not let us in to do gas servicing

Those exempt from charges

We will not charge you if you are in the 'exempt group'. As long as the damage was not due to neglect, misuse, theft or deliberate damage by you or anyone you, as a tenant, are responsible for.

Those in this group are:

• Those aged 70 years or over
• Where damage to property happened because of crime and you can provide us with a Crime Reference Number
• Where the tenant has died

However, you will still be charged if we must remove or reinstate something you did not get our permission to alter or do. Or we must force entry because you did not let us in to do essential or emergency work, such as a gas servicing.

What if someone else has damaged my home?

If damage to the property was due to a crime, like vandalism or a burglary, you will need to report it to the police. You will need get an occurrence (crime) reference number from them. You, or anyone you are responsible for, as our tenant, must not have committed the crime.

We are unable to waive the charge until you can provide us with an occurrence (crime) number.

Once you have this number, please provide this to us at the time of reporting the repair so we can waive the charge.

Remember: If the damage has been done by you or by anyone you are responsible for you must put it right. Otherwise you have broken the conditions of your tenancy by not keeping the property in good condition. If we must put the damage right we will charge you.

How will I know if I will be charged?

If we decide to charge you then, in most cases, we will ask you to sign an agreement to pay the charge before we carry out the work.

However, sometimes we will not be able to ask you to do this before we charge you, for example:

• You have moved out and we need to do the work to let the property again
• In emergency situations, for example your washing machine is overflowing into the flat below
• You do not let us in to do essential works such as gas servicing and we have to force entry to get it done

In these cases, we will send you the bill, which is kept separate from your rent account. You can pay:

• Online using the invoice number found on the bill
• At the cash office. You will need to bring your bill with you when you go to pay it

How much can I expect to pay?

We base most Maintenance Recovery Charges on:

• The time spent on the work (using an hourly rate)
• The materials used
• An administration cost

Some common repairs, particularly emergency work, will have set, standard charges. Some work to clear rubbish, for example clearing rubbish bags dumped in communal areas, will also have a standard charge. These charges are subject to a regular, usually annual, review.

What if I cannot or do not pay?

If you cannot pay the entire bill at once, you can make arrangements to pay a fixed amount each week until you pay it off. Please get in touch to get this set up.

Those who do not pay are taken to court for the outstanding amount and this could affect your qualification for housing in the future.

If you apply to us to move to another home and you have broken the conditions of your tenancy by owing us any housing debt, you may not qualify for housing. This includes owing Maintenance Recovery Charges.

If you move out without giving us a forwarding address but you still owe Maintenance Recovery Charges, the debt will remain. We may use an agency to trace you and if you re-apply for housing, we will do a standard check for housing debts which will include this.

What if I want to dispute the charge?

If you feel we issued the charge incorrectly or you now have an occurrence or police incident number, you can dispute the charge using the form below.