This page refers to residents of co-operatives owned by CDS Co-operatives and those independent co-operatives that have opted for this service within their management agreement.

Repairs to your property

You have a right to have repairs done when necessary. Your tenancy agreement explains what repairs we are responsible for and what is your responsibility. We are committed to providing a good repairs service. To help us do this, we have a Help Desk to deal with all repair requests or you can report them online on this site. We will do all we can to make sure repairs are carried out quickly and efficiently and within the time-scales listed below.

Do not use the web site to report an emergency repair. For more information on our out of hours emergency repairs service click here.

This section gives details of how we deal with different repairs. We will give priority to repair jobs depending on how urgent they are. Each category shows a maximum time period in which the repair is to be completed. When deciding which category to place the repair in, we will take account of the nature and urgency of the request and your circumstances. 

Emergency work completed within 24 hours

 1 We will inspect roof leaks and temporary repair work carried out (this depends on weather conditions and health and safety).

2 Dangerous structures such as falling ceilings and brickwork

3 Blockages and backed-up drains, toilets, sinks, basins and baths. We will charge you if you are responsible for the blockage.

4 Lack of electricity in your home making it impossible for you to heat your home, cook or use essential appliances. We will restore the electricity supply within 24 hours, but we may need to repair the fault separately which may take longer.

5 Electrical failure resulting in your home becoming a danger to you or other people. The emergency order will cover removing the actual danger only.

6 Gas leaks and fumes from flues which are a danger to your health or safety. You must phone Transco on 0800 111 999 immediately if you think you smell gas. Do not phone us.

7 Repairs to burst pipes severely affecting your belongings or the structure of the property

8 No heating and hot water (only during the period 1 November to 30 April), if there is no immersion heater as a backup

9 Boarding-up and securing empty premises

10 Fencing off outside work, such as paving slabs, where subsidence has taken place

11 Gaining access when you are locked out of your home. We will charge you for this if it is your fault.

12 Repair to the front door and access-level windows, where it is absolutely necessary to secure the premises

13 Respond to incidents relating to racial harassment 

Urgent work completed within five working days

 1 Minor roof repairs

2 Staircase lighting

3 Any general repairs resulting from electrical faults

4 Front entrance doors and locks if you have not damaged or failed to maintain them

5 Minor plumbing repairs

6 Minor repairs to central-heating boilers

7 Any internal glazing repairs where security or danger is involved

8 Repairs to steps, risers, stair railings and handrails 

Routine repairs completed within 28 working days of placing the order with the contractor

1 Major roof repair

2 Blocked gutters

3 Repairs to gutters and downpipes

4 Any general carpentry including kitchen units

5 Repairing or replacing extractor fans

6 Any plastering works

7 Replacing of sanitaryware, unless the problem is a health hazard

8 Fence and gate repairs

9 Brickwork and paving

The above list of repairs categorisations will apply in all cases, except:

• If the tenant is elderly and infirm.
• If the tenant is disabled.
• If the tenant has children under the age of three.

If the tenant falls into one of these categories, items that are the landlord’s responsibility may be raised in a category requiring a speedier response from the contractor, if the particular circumstances merit so doing.

If there are items that are the tenant’s responsibility but the tenant is unable to make arrangements for the work to be carried out, we will arrange the works on the tenant’s behalf and recharge the tenant at cost.

The tenant must keep us informed about changes in their circumstances that may lead any of the above applying in advance of reporting a repair to us.

Planned maintenance

We carry out repairs and improvements under a planned programme of work to make sure properties are well maintained over a long period, for example, painting doors and windows, kitchen replacements, and so on. We will tell you beforehand when work is due to start. 

Gas safety inspection

 By law, we must make sure that the gas appliances installed in each of our properties are inspected at least once every year. This is to make sure that appliances are working safely and correctly. We will tell you when we plan to visit your home to carry out a gas safety inspection. You must let us into your home to carry out the inspection. If you unreasonably refuse to let us in, we will get a court order to gain access, and in cases of persistent refusal, evict you. 

Improvements

 You should not make any improvements to your home without first asking for our permission. No normal request would be refused. You will have to pay any costs involved in putting right any problems you cause. 

Adaptations

 If you experience practical difficulties with everyday activities, you can ask for advice from a social services rehabilitation advisor who is a qualified occupational therapist. They will visit you at home to assess your needs and suggest ways of overcoming problems. To arrange a visit, you should contact the local social services. If you are registered disabled, a grant may be available to pay for alterations to make your home more accessible or easier to live in.