Report a repair
Rooftop takes the maintenance of your home seriously, and we will complete essential repairs to keep your home safe, sound and secure within our target timescales. It is your responsibility to promptly report an repairs needed to the property.
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gas appliances
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heating and hot water
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toilets, baths, pipes and sinks
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electrical wiring and any appliances they provide
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common areas such as lifts and communal entrances
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the structure and exterior of the building – including the roof, walls, windows and external doors
Repairs that are your responsibility
Rooftop Housing Group don't have to fix damage caused by you or your guests. If they do repair something you've damaged, you can be charged for this. If you think you or a family member will struggle to complete a repair, Rooftop can do it for you but we will charge for this work, plus an administration fee on top, all of which will need to be paid for up-front. It may be cheaper for you to find a local tradesman to do the work on your behalf.
There are also a number of minor repairs that we expect you to complete, such as:
Emergency repairs
An emergency repair is something that could cause danger to health, poses a risk to residents’ safety or serious damage to your or your neighbour’s property
We fix or make safe an emergency repair within 24 hours. We are unable to give appointment times for emergency repairs, you must be able to arrange for an adult or person over 16 to remain at the property once you have reported the emergency. If you need an appointment we can book a urgent or routine repair.
Our contractors may do a temporary repair to make the situation safe. They will return later to fix it. This happens if they need extra parts to complete the job or you reported it out of hours. For out of hours repairs we will only be able to confirm timescales for follow up works from the afternoon of the next working day.
In the case of total boiler failure we may initially only be able to provide portable heaters.
Examples of emergency repairs are:
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Gas boiler failure
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Total loss of electrical power
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Unsafe electrical sockets or fittings
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Loss of heating in cold weather
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Severe uncontainable water leaks and bursts where you can’t isolate the water supply.
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Complete blockage of your only toilet
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Loose or falling brickwork or concrete
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Securing a vulnerable property
If you need an emergency repair, report it to us direct on 0800 0421 800.
Please make sure you know how to isolate your water supply at the stoptap.
How long will repairs take?
All repairs are grouped into various categories and we will give a target date for completion.
Every effort will be made to finish the work in the time specified, providing that we are able to access your property. You will be offered an appointment for urgent and routine work.
Emergency repairs - Within 24 hours; these are jobs which will present a risk to life or may cause structural damage.
Urgent repairs - Seven calendar days; jobs that affect safety, health or security of you home but are not an emergency.
All other repairs - 30 calendar days; These are jobs that are a nuisance, but do not affect safety, health or security. For example repairs to doors or minor plumbing problems
When you book a repair, you will get a letter through the post to confirm the repair. You should also get a call or text message from our contractors with more information about the booking.
We know that some jobs can take some time and we ask all of our contractors to get in contact with you so that you’re kept up to date with your repair.
Making Alterations
Before you make any alterations to your home you must write to us to obtain permission - this applies to shared ownership properties as well as rental.
We have to ensure that your home is not damaged or made unsafe. In some cases, you will also have to obtain Planning Permission or Building Regulations Approval from the local authority.
An alteration is anything which is an addition or change to the property or its gas, electrical or water supply.
Home improvements and planned maintenance
Our Reinvestment Team is responsible for carrying out improvement works to your home.
Annually, Rooftop spends in the region of £4 million to ensure your home meets the Decent Homes standard. The government has stipulated that all social housing must meet the Decent Homes Standard, which was set out to ensure that all social housing homes
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meet the current legal minimum standard for housing;
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be in a reasonable state of repair;
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have reasonably modern facilities and services; and
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provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
If Rooftop proposes to update your home by replacing your kitchen or installing a new central heating system or bathroom you will be contacted in the first instance by a letter from our Reinvestment Team.
Common problems
There are several problems that you may find at some point in your tenancy, to help you manage these effectively we have some useful tips and advice for you to follow.
Report a repair or want more information
Please contact us as soon as possible when a repair is required, you can also contact us for more information on the planned maintenance of your property.