Repairs

How do I report a repair?

The quickest way to report a repair is via: myhomeonline?

You can also email: customerservices@emh.co.uk

Or call us on: 0300 123 6000. If you call us outside of our regular opening hours, you'll be directed to our out-of-hours service.

How soon will a repair be completed?

Emergency repairs

Response time: Within 24 hours.

Emergency repairs are those needed to avoid immediate danger to your health and safety, or serious damage and destruction to your home.

This includes things like:

• A total loss of water
• Unsafe electric fittings
• A total loss of heating in 'heating season' (winter and colder months of the year)
• A blocked mains drain, soil pipe or toilet (if it's the only one in the property)

Within 24 hours we'll aim to make your home safe or prevent further damage. We may need to arrange a further visit to complete the repair. If the emergency relates to your heating system and we're unable to repair it on the first visit we'll offer you temporary heaters to use until we can fix the fault. During warmer months repairs that impact the heating system will be actioned within seven days of reporting.

Routine repairs

Response time: Within 42 days (six weeks).

If your repair need does not pose an immediate risk to your health and safety or is not materially affecting your comfort or convenience, we will class it as less urgent.

To ensure we provide all our tenants with a value for money service, we'll aim to carry out your repair when we have a number of other jobs of a similar type or number of jobs in your area.

Less urgent repairs include things like repairs to:

• Fencing
• Doors
• Windows
• Floors
• Kitchen fittings and other minor issues.

At your request

Response time: You can make an appointment for a time that suits you.

If you have a repair need that is not an emergency but affects your comfort or convenience, you can make an appointment with us to carry out the repair at a time within normal working hours that suits you.

This includes things like follow-on works from an emergency, minor plumbing leaks or defects, minor electrical faults and roof leaks.

Consumer Standards

emh homes is a registered landlord and provider of services with the Regulator of Social Housing. This means we must comply with the new consumer standards that came into force on 1 April 2024.

Our repairs and maintenance services come under the Home Standard. This sets out that:

Registered providers shall:
(a) Provide a cost-effective repairs and maintenance service to homes and communal areas that responds to the needs of, and offers choices to, tenants, and has the objective of completing repairs and improvements right first time
(b) Meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of the occupants in their homes.

Providing access

Please make sure you provide us with access to your home for the agreed appointment. Where access is not provided or refused, we may charge you up to £50 for the failed appointment.

No smoking

If you're having a repair or improvement works done in your home, please do not smoke in the affected room(s) for one hour before and during the works.

Residual passive smoke presents a health hazard and we have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for our people and contractors. We reserve the right to refuse to enter a property that has cigarette smoke lingering, and to charge if a return visit is necessary.

Chargeable repairs

When a repair to a property (or adjacent property) is needed as a result of neglect or damage caused by a tenant, their family, visitors or lodgers, or unauthorised works are carried out either by a tenant or a third party, we will charge for such repairs.

However, charges will not be made unless it can be clearly attributed to some act or omission on the tenant’s part. Circumstances in which repair or replacement is likely to be chargeable include the following:

Deliberate damage

Where the work is required due to deliberate or wilful acts by the tenant or any other person mentioned above. This doesn't apply in cases of criminal damage by persons not listed above. We may not charge for criminal damage where a crime reference number has been obtained, but we do reserve the right to do so in some instances.

Removed items

Where an installation has been removed and needs replacement, either during or at the end of the tenancy, then this will be charged for. If this is during the course of a tenancy, the tenant will first be given the opportunity to replace the item, providing the work is carried out to an acceptable standard.

Wilful neglect

Repair or replacement may be necessary due to general neglect rather than a specific act of damage. It is important to distinguish between normal wear and tear and exceptional neglect, in which case a charge will be made.

Unauthorised alterations

If a tenant has made alterations that require reinstatement, either for health and safety reasons or to bring the property back to a lettable standard, the full costs of the works will be charged. However, if the alterations are acceptable, consideration will be given to granting retrospective permission.

Removal of rubbish

At the end of a tenancy, the cost of removing items of furniture or rubbish that are left behind will be charged to the outgoing tenant. Charges will not be made for the standard cleaning of empty properties where this is needed as a matter of routine. Also, charges will not be made to former tenants for the removal of items that were in place, or the replacement of items that were missing or damaged at the start of their tenancy.