Frequently Asked Questions

We have guidelines on how long different repairs should take. The main types of repairs are:

Emergency work: within 24 Hours

These are repairs which if not dealt with very quickly could cause injuries or further damage. This includes things like burst pipes, blocked drains,securing windows or doors, and loss of electricity.

In the event of an emergency you should contact the Housing Response Team on 01530 454635 for advice on what actions can make the property safe.

If you can't carry out the advice yourself and a neighbour, family member or friend can't help, the a worker will call that day.

If you call between 5pm and 8.45am Monday to Friday, or on a weekend or Bank Holiday on 01530 833373 a contractor will call and make the property safe.

Where the contractor makes the property safe, a return visit will be arranged to finish the repair the next working day.This will happen unless parts are not available or it is not an emergency, then it will be done within the relevant category and timescale.

If that happens the repair will be completed at the earliest opportunity. We will advise you of progress until the repair is complete.

If you are vulnerable or have special needs, we will take appropriate measures in addition to the make-safe policy. For example, temporary heating may be provided in certain circumstances.

Vulnerable tenants will receive a quicker response to emergency work such as heating and hot water repairs, all year round.

Urgent work: within seven days

These are repairs which need quick attention and don't require an inspection first.
These include re-fixing toilet seats and repairing minor leaks.

Routine work: within 28 days

These are less urgent repairs such as leaks to a gutter, repairing a noisy heating system or fitting a light switch.
Some of these repairs may need to be inspected before the repair can be done.

The vast majority of repairs are paid for out of the money we collect in rent.

You will be asked to pay for any repairs that have been caused by damage to, or misuse of your home caused by you, your family or friends.

However, the contractor will not ask you for any money when they call.

Your housing officer will be able to tell you more about what repairs you may be asked to pay for and how to pay.

You have the right to appeal if you don't agree with a decision to charge you for repairs.

If you are not in when the contractor calls, they will leave a card asking you to make a new appointment.

If you miss appointments for repair work, you may incur a charge.

If the contractor is unable to attend an appointment, they will contact you to explain the delay and make arrangements to call at a later time.

If an appointment is missed and you haven't been contacted, please call Housing Response Team

The local connection criteria will be laid out in the Section 106 agreement.

• Born in the parish
• ordinarily resident in the parish
• previously ordinarily resident in the parish
• a need to live in the parish by reason of current employment or a need to move to take up permanent employment
• a need to reside in the parish either to support or to be supported by another member of their family who ordinarily resides the parish.

• The Contract (Assured Shorthold Tenancy)
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Inventory
• Gas Safety Certificate.

The vast majority of people who rent their home are on assured shorthold tenancies (AST), but other agreements do exist which afford different levels of rights.

For tenants who are not on an AST, if they are a council or housing association tenant then they may be on a secured or assured tenancy which holds increased rights against eviction and for passing on tenancies.

In contrast, if a tenant lives in accommodation that is occupied by their landlord, rented from the Crown, a student residence, or a hostel or bed and breakfast then they may have only basic rights.

People whose accommodation is provided by their job or is part of agricultural premises are covered by different rules.

If your rent is more than £25,000 a year, you will have a standard tenancy contract, not an assured shorthold tenancy contract. This is a throwback to when ASTs were first introduced and £25,000 annual rent was a very high amount.

Your landlord has a responsibility to make sure the property or accommodation you are renting is maintained to a certain standard.

Repairs

Unless the tenancy has a fixed term of more than seven years, the landlord is responsible for repairs to:

• The structure and exterior of the property
• Baths, sinks, basins and other sanitary installations
• Heating and hot water installations

Responsibility for other repairs depend on what agreement (if any) you have arranged with your landlord. The landlord is not responsible for repairing damage a tenant has caused. The rent the landlord charges can include a sum to cover the cost of repairs - but the landlord cannot pass this cost on to the tenant in the form of a separate service charge.

Safety of gas and electrical appliances

Landlords are required by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to ensure that all gas appliances are maintained in good order and that an annual safety check is carried out by a tradesman who is registered with Gas safe

The landlord must keep a record of the safety checks and issue it to the tenant within 28 days of each annual check. The landlord is not responsible for maintaining any gas appliances the tenant is entitled to take with them at the end of the letting.

Landlords should also ensure that the electrical system and any electrical appliances that they supply (such as cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and immersion heaters) are safe to use.

A Section 106 agreement is a list of planning conditions that must be fulfilled by a company wishing to build a scheme anywhere. For example, a scheme of 10 houses in a town may require a contribution to local roads so that increased traffic flow can be supported, or towards nearby open space or play facilities. For rural schemes the s106 will include clauses which state that the housing will always remain affordable and for the benefit of local people

Approximately 1 hour.

Exceptions sites have a unique land value because only affordable housing can be built on them. One of our aims as a District Council is to have a consistent approach to exception site land values, to ensure that rural housing schemes are viable and affordable. This will generally be in the region of £10,000 to £12,000 per plot dependent upon the site constraints

Much of the affordable housing developed in rural parishes is located on 'exception sites'. These are sites beyond the village boundary or within villages with no boundary. Residential development is permitted on such sites as an exception to planning policy. The housing will always remain affordable and for the benefit of local people. The site itself must meet the criteria set out by the planning authority. Usually, all potential sites around the settlement will be considered in order to find the best site.

Sites within the village boundary may provide affordable housing as part of a market housing development. However these sites are usually too expensive to provide only affordable housing and the housing will not necessarily be for local people.  These are not 'exception sites'.

Many council bills and invoices can now be paid by Direct Debit. If you have a bank or building society current account this is often the easiest way to pay. Some services may also offer payment by Standing Order as an alternative.

For details of which bills can be paid by Direct Debit and to how to set one up please see our Direct Debit page.

There are many stages in developing an affordable housing scheme.

Rural housing schemes are traditionally difficult to develop, but each site is different so a number of factors can influence the timeframe - including the number of plots available, how much work is required on the roads, whether the planners are in favour of the site, the funding and how much opposition there is to the site in the parish.

One of our aims is to try to make this process more efficient through best practice, and thus speed up the delivery of the affordable homes.