Repairs Policy

Name Reason for change Date

Liz Williams Original author December 2024

Approval process for current version

Presented to Date Outcome
Services Committee 05th January 2024 Approved

1. Introduction
1.1. Poplar HARCA’s priority is to deliver a quality, value for money repairs service that meets the
diverse needs of its residents.
1.2. We will make sure that services are available and accessible to all who are eligible to receive them,
and that policies and procedures are applied consistently, impartially and equitably.
1.3. A responsive repair is day-to-day maintenance work to rectify a fault or damage to an existing
component of a home. A responsive repair addresses works to maintain your home or a
component in it, until the next planned replacement. A repair does not include replacing an item
in its entirety, although a part may sometimes need to be replaced.

2. Regulatory standards, legislation and guidance

2.1. Poplar HARCA will repair and maintain homes in line with legislation and guidance including but
not limited to:

 Tenancy agreements and leases  Building Regulations

 Housing Acts 1988, 1996, 1998 and 2004  Construction, Design and Management
Regulations 2015
 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
 Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
 Homes Act 2018
 The Management of Health & Safety at
 Defective Premises Act 1972
Work Regulations 1999

3. Responsibilities
3.1. Repairs are a shared responsibility, obligations are set out in tenancy agreements, leases and
licenses.
3.2. Where we are the freeholder, these are normally to repair and maintain:
 The services of the building  The structure

Page 1 of 6
  The outside of the property  Installations for the supply of water,
gas, electricity, heating, hot water
 Any shared parts of the building
and sanitation within tenants’
which the property is part of
homes
 The estate
3.3. Where we are not the freeholder of a building we will act as an advocate and take all reasonable
steps to expedite repairs that are the freeholder’s responsibility.
3.4. A summary of responsibilities can be found in Appendix 1.

4. New homes
4.1. Repairs to homes that are still within their defects liability period – the time in which the builder
must return to put right any faults – will be arranged in line with the contractual agreements made
with the developer. Processes will be explained when residents sign up to their new home.

5. Reporting repairs
5.1. Poplar HARCA will make it easy for residents to report a repair via:
 A self-service portal via Poplar HARCA’s website
 Telephone
 Email
 A dedicated emergency service when offices are closed
5.2. We will usually issue an order on the day it is reported, or the next working day if reported out of
hours. The exception to this will be if it is necessary to inspect the repair first.

6. Vulnerable tenants
6.1. Poplar HARCA will always consider the individual needs of a resident when raising a repair.
6.2. For tenants that live alone and are significantly more vulnerable than an ordinary person and so
are likely to suffer greater harm in a similar situation, Poplar HARCA will carry out repairs that are
usually the tenant’s responsibility, except when a repair is necessary as a result of misuse.

7. Insurance
7.1. The structure of your home (excluding any fixtures and fittings) and any shared areas for which
Poplar HARCA is responsible, are covered by our building insurance policy.
7.2. Poplar HARCA does not cover the cost of repairing or replacing contents - including tenant’s own
flooring, furniture, and other belongings - as part of our tenancy agreements. Tenants are
encouraged to take out a Home Contents Insurance policy for their peace of mind.

8. Rechargeable repairs
8.1. Poplar HARCA is obliged to protect residents’ money and so will recharge back to a tenant or
leaseholder the cost of doing any repair that is the resident’s responsibility, or that is needed as a
result of:
 Deliberate, negligent or accidental damage by the resident, or anyone who is living in or
visiting their property
 Improvements that have not been approved by Poplar HARCA, or that do not meet the
agreed requirements

Page 2 of 6
  Failure to report a repair promptly which then goes on to cause further damage
8.2. If the repair is an emergency, i.e. a repair that would usually be completed within 24 hours, Poplar
HARCA will do the repair and then send the recharge bill to the resident.
8.3. All other repairs will not be carried out until payment by the resident has been made. In cases of
hardship, a payment plan can be agreed.
8.4. Residents will also be responsible to pay the cost of administrating the repair and the payment.
8.5. Any resident who disagrees with a decision to recharge them the cost of a repair can appeal the
decision using Poplar HARCA’s complaints process.

9. Timescales
9.1. Priority for repairs is assessed according to the seriousness of the repair that has been reported.
9.2. Poplar HARCA aims to complete all repairs on the first visit. When this is not possible the resident
will be informed why and will be told when the repair will be completed.

Emergencies Non-emergencies

Respond within 4 hours Respond within 14 days

Repairs needed to safeguard safety or the Repairs that do not pose an immediate threat
structure of the building, including: to people or the building, including:
 Total loss of electric power  Contained water leaks
 Total loss of cold water supply  Repair or renewal of waste water pipes,
defective ball valves, faulty taps
 Total loss of space or water heating
(November – March)  Defective sink, bath or wash hand basin
 Total failure of communal lighting  Toilet not flushing where there is another
working toilet
 Structural damage caused by storm,
accident or flood  Defective individual power points, lights
and switches or socket outlets
 Unsafe power, lighting or electrical fitting
 Individual door entry phone not working
 Toilet not flushing where there is no other
working toilet in the dwelling  Broken mechanical extractor fan
 Blocked drain causing upsurge of  Faulty radiator
wastewater
 Replacement of fixtures and fittings
 Burst pipe or uncontrollable leak
 Blocked or leaking rainwater pipes
 Lift fault
 Minor repairs to external doors, windows
 Loose or detached banister or handrail and roofs
 Glazing repair where there is risk  Repairs to external rendering or air vents
 Insecure property as a result of a break in,  Repairs to garages, sheds, fences
hate crime, or domestic violence

10. Access to carry out repairs

10.1. Tenants and leaseholders must provide reasonable access to their homes for Poplar HARCA to
carry out repairs. In an emergency, Poplar HARCA will force entry to the property without notice.

Page 3 of 6
11. Service delivery
11.1. Operative conduct
Any operative working in your home is expected to meet Poplar HARCA’s standard for contractor
behaviour. This requires all operatives to be respectful, informative and to work safely.
11.2. Appointments
We offer appointments from Monday to Friday in the following slots:
Slot Arrival between Work to be completed by
Morning 8am and 12noon 1pm
Afternoon 12noon and 5pm 6pm

We will also make every effort to arrange appointments for first call (8am), last call (5pm),
avoiding school run (10am – 2pm), or Saturday morning (8am – 12 noon) by arrangement.

11.3. Working times

Contractors carry out scheduled works between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am and
1pm on Saturdays. Only unavoidable emergency works will take place outside of these times.
11.4. Decoration
Some repairs may affect the decoration of your home. If this happens we will discuss the extent of
the damage with you and may offer you a decoration voucher.
We will not make good any damage caused because access panels, hatches, ducts or similar have
been covered with wall paper, tiles, or flooring. We will discuss this with you before work begins.
11.5. Replacements
We will repair an item until it is no longer practical or economically viable to do so. If it is
necessary to replace an item, it will be replaced like for like. This means that the new item will be
the same as the previous item, or a close match if the exact type is no longer available.

12. Quality control

12.1. We review a sample of completed repairs by home visit, phone call or SMS to ensure that all work
meets Poplar HARCA’s standards for workmanship, customer care and value for money.
12.2. Contractors are carefully monitored via regular performance review meetings.

13. Right to repair

13.1. Secure tenants have a legal Right to Repair (Right to Repair Regulations 1994) if Poplar HARCA fails
to carry out meet its repair obligations. Details of the scheme will be provided on request.

14. Policy review

14.1. Policies are reviewed every three years or sooner if they no longer reflect best practice.

Page 4 of 6
Appendix 1: Repair responsibilities for Poplar HARCA tenants

Tenant’s responsibility Poplar HARCA’s responsibility

You must carry out minor maintenance to your We must keep the outside of your home, the
home and put right any damage caused by structure and fixtures and fittings that we are
inappropriate action or inaction. responsible for in a reasonable state of repair.

 Repairing damage caused by you, members of  The roof

your household or visitors
 Outside walls, outside doors, window sills,
 Replacing locks and lost keys window catches, and window frames
 Replacing door furniture and letter boxes  Painting the communal spaces inside a building
 Replacing broken toilet seats  Drains, gutters and outside pipes
 Replacing sink and bath plugs and chains  Front paths, steps or other access points
 Unblocking sinks, basins, baths and toilets  Brick-built garages and stores that are part of
the property but not sheds
 Replacing light bulbs, fluorescent strips and
starters  Boundary walls and fences
 Filling minor cracks in plaster  Shared door entry system, lifts and TV aerial
 Testing smoke alarms and replacing batteries  Fire detection systems and emergency lighting
in the shared areas of buildings
 Repairing fixtures and fittings you have
installed yourself  Shared roof tanks, water pumps and pipes
 Repairing your own electrical appliances  Electrical systems in the common parts of
buildings
 Repairing and maintaining internal doors,
handles, hinges, cupboard catches  District heating systems
 Keeping your home well ventilated Inside tenant’s homes:
 Removing mould  Inside walls, floors, ceilings, doorframes, but
not filling minor cracks, painting or decorating
 Maintaining your garden and other private
outdoor spaces  Kitchen sink, cupboards and worktops
 Decorating your home  Splash back tiles 3 courses high
 Supplying and installing draught excluders  Baths, basins, toilets, flushing systems and
waste pipes but not plugs, chains or toilet seats
 Supplying and maintaining flooring, curtains,
curtain poles or tracks, and blinds  Electric wiring, including sockets and switches
 Reporting repairs that are Poplar HARCA’s  Central-heating systems
responsibility promptly
 Gas and water pipes
 Not allowing your home to fall into disrepair
 Waterproof safety flooring in kitchen and
bathroom

Contents insurance Buildings Insurance

You’re responsible for insuring the contents of We will insure the structure of your home
your home and garden. (excluding any fixtures and fittings) and any shared
areas we are responsible for.

Page 5 of 6
Appendix 2: Impact assessment
How does the  Effective controls to ensure we comply with statutory and
policy/procedure/strategy regulatory obligations
contribute to Poplar HARCA’s  Strong systems that support staff to work efficiently and
aims? effectively

Which group(s) of people There is no evidence to suggest that any group will be disadvantaged
benefit from the by this policy as the default position is that Poplar HARCA will comply
policy/procedure/strategy? with its contractual obligations to all residents.
If any group could be
disadvantaged, what is the Repairs which are usually the residents’ responsibility will be carried
mitigation or justification? out for vulnerable tenants.

Recharges can be paid over time where the resident would otherwise
suffer financial hardship.

How have residents been Residents were involved in the creation and ongoing reviews of this
involved in developing the policy through the formal approval process. Extensive analysis of
policy/procedure/strategy? resident feedback from surveys, complaints and correspondence has
If they have not been involved, shaped the policy.
why not?

How will the Means of monitoring have been built into the Association’s
policy/procedure/strategy be procedures. Satisfaction rates, complaints and financial performance
monitored and measured? (e.g. are widely reported.
performance indicators?)

If any, what are the Value for No, this policy does not consider the cost of the service, but does set
Money implications? out how satisfaction and quality will be monitored.

Page 6 of 6