It is the policy of the Association to make all reasonable efforts to recover the cost of repairs from tenants if these repairs are their responsibility. Should a repair that is the responsibility of a tenant be causing a risk to health or safety or damage to the Association’s property, the Association will if necessary enter the property to carry out works in default of the tenant doing so, in accordance with Section 148 of the Rent Act 1977, Section 16 of the Housing Act 1988.
Where a repair has been identified by the Association’s Property Officer / Housing Officer, as the responsibility of the tenant, the Property Officer/Housing Officer will confirm that the tenant shall be recharged.
Photographic evidence of the damage and the tenant’s liability shall be obtained, where possible, and held on Housing Management tenant’s files.
The tenant will be advised of their repair responsibility prior to the repair being carried out. Tenants will be offered the opportunity of repairing the item at their expense within an agreed timescale or allowing the Association to carry out the repair on their behalf.
If the tenant agrees for the Association to carry out the works, the tenant will formally agree the cost of the works and must pay at least 50% of those costs before work starts.
Where the tenant has agreed to carry out work themselves but fails to do so within the agree timescale, if that timescale is either Emergency or Urgent, the Association will give the tenant 24 hours written notice of its intention to enter the property to carry out repairs (Section 148 of the Rent Act 1977, Section 16 of the Housing Act 1988). The cost will be rechargeable to the tenant.
An order will be raised by the Finance Department and sent to the tenant.