Repairs

You and Saffron share responsibility for looking after your home and making repairs.

We are responsible for most repairs, but you are also responsible for some including:

• Decorating the inside of your home
• Keeping the inside and outside of your home clean
• Fixing damage caused by members of your family and visitors
• Some minor repairs

We are responsible for:

• Maintaining the structure and exterior of your home
• Your home’s main services
• Communal areas

Day to day repairs

These are general repairs reported to us by tenants, staff, non-executive directors and others. They include repairs like re-washering a tap and sticking doors. Most of these are done by appointment.

How do I report a repair?

You can ask for a repair to be carried out by:

• Phoning the Customer Contact Team on 01508 532000 between 8.45am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday, and 8.45am to 4.15pm on Friday. This is the most efficient way for you to report your repair as the people responsible for organising the work will deal with your request directly.
  Our busier periods are all day Monday and between 8.45am and 10.30am of each working day. Therefore, if your request for a repair is not urgent, please try contacting us later in the day or;
• email repairs@saffronhousing.co.uk;
• advise your Housing Officer or any other member of staff who is visiting your home;
• write to us at Saffron Housing Trust, Saffron Barn, Swan Lane, Long Stratton, NR15 2XP for non urgent works.

What will I need to tell you?

When reporting a repair you will need to give:

• Your name, address and telephone number
• Information about the nature of the problem and its location within your home

The person taking your call will ask questions to try to determine exactly what the problem is. The more information you can give us, the better chance we have of completing your repair first-time.

Depending on the type of repair, an inspector may have to visit to find out exactly what work is needed. If we need to do this, we will make an appointment with you.

How quickly will you do my repair?

The priority we give your repair will depend on how urgent it is.

• Emergencies – 24 hours
• Urgent repairs – five working days
• Routine repairs – 20 working days
• Planned maintenance – six months

Emergency Repair

If you have an out-of-hours emergency, you can call our 24 hour number on 01508 532000. Our emergency team will carry out essential work to stop the situation from becoming worse, such as turning off a faulty appliance and making it safe. We will aim to carry out any other repair work on the following working day.

Emergency repairs might include:

• Total loss of power
• Severe storm damage
• Blocked sewers
• The property needs securing
• Flooding, including major plumbing faults
• Total loss of heating – at certain times of year and for vulnerable tenants (temporary heating may be supplied).

When you moved into your Saffron home…

When you moved into your Saffron home, a Saffron representative will have given you a copy of the Saffron Tenant Handbook. The Handbook, along with your tenancy agreement, sets out the rights and obligations that you and Saffron bear in relation to repairs to your home.

Where a repair is not considered normal wear and tear, there is likely to be a charge. This can happen if you, members of your household, or visitors have damaged the property, or in some other situations. In most cases, you will have to pay the charge before we carry out the repairs. If the repair is covered by Right to Repair legislation, or is in the home of a particularly vulnerable person, we will make arrangements for you to pay after the work has been carried out.

For more information please download our Recharge Booklet.