Right to Repair

Did you know you may be entitled to compensation if a small, urgent repair is not carried out within a set time scale?

This is called the  Right to Repair
.

If you have signed a Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreement you will be entitled to have a qualifying repair carried out to your house.  Qualifying repairs are those that cost up to £350 and which, if we do not carry them out within a reasonable time, may harm your health, safety or security, such as

• Loss of electrical power
• Loss of water supply
• Loss of heating

The types of repair and time scales (working days) can be found in your Tenant's Handbook.  A working day is one which is not a public holiday or a Saturday or Sunday.

Reporting a Repair

When you report a repair we will let you know if it is a qualifying repair under the Right to Repair Scheme.  We may need to inspect your home to see whether it is a qualifying repair or not.  If this is the case the time scale for completion will be from the date of inspection.  If the repair qualifies for the scheme we will:

• Tell you the maximum time allowed to carry out the repair.
• Tell you the last day of the period.
• Explain your rights under the scheme.
• Make arrangements with you to get access to your home.

Compensation

If the first contractor does not carry out the repair by the end of the maximum time, you will be entitled to a payment of £15.

Also, if the alternative contractor fails to carry out the repair within the second period of time, we must pay you compensation at the rate of £3 for each working day the repair remains outstanding.  The maximum compensation we can pay is £100.

Sometimes there may be circumstances that either we or the contractor have no control over and that make it impossible to complete the repair in time.  If this is the case we will let you know.  There may be reasons why the Association has not completed the repair and if any of the following apply, compensation will not be paid.

• The repair falls within a defects period and is the responsibility of the contractor.
• Repairs which might involve an element of recharging to the tenant.
• Repairs which are not the Association's responsibility.
• Where reasonable access was not afforded.
• Where the repair was made safe whilst awaiting specialist components.
• Where the Association could not reasonable complete the repair i.e. exceptional weather, fire or flood.

The claim has to be made to the Association no later than 21 days from the failure to carry out the repair within the agreed response time.

List of Nominated Alternative Contractors

We must start the repair by the last day of the set maximum time. If we do not do it by that date, you can immediately ask us for an alternative contractor from our list of Nominated Approved Contractors to do the work.