Your Right to Repairs
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 gives you, as a tenant, the right to have small urgent repairs carried out by your landlord within a given timescale. The Right to Repairs scheme covers certain repairs up to the value of £350. These repairs are known as ‘qualifying’ repairs.
You can use our handy [Report a Repair] form to notify us of any repairs you may have within your home of common parts of the building.
What are ‘qualifying repairs’?
They include:
- unsafe power or lighting sockets or electrical fittings;
- loss or part loss of electric power;
- loss or part loss of gas supply;
- a blocked flue to an open fire or boiler;
- external windows, doors or locks which are not secure;
- loss or part loss of space or water heating if no alternative heating is available;
- toilets which do not flush or are blocked (if there is no other toilet in the house);
- a blocked sink, bath or drain;
- loss or part loss of water supply;
- significant leaking or flooding from a water or heating pipe, tank or cistern;
- unsafe rotten timber flooring or stair treads;
- unsafe access to a path or step;
- loose or detached bannisters or handrails; and
- a broken mechanical extractor fan in a kitchen or bathroom which has no external window or door.
What happens when I report a repair?
When you first report your repair our Repairs and Maintenance team will:
- Tell you if your repair is covered by the Right to Repair Scheme
- Explain your rights under the Right to Repair Scheme
- Tell you the date by which the repair should be completed.
In some cases, we might need to inspect the repair to find out if it is a qualifying repair or not.
How long will it take for the repair to be carried out?
Repair times depend on the type of repair.
If your toilet is not flushing, we usually have one working day to come and repair it. However, we have three working days to mend a loose bannister rail and seven working days to mend a broken extractor fan in your bathroom or kitchen. These times are set by law, not by Milnbank Housing Association.
If we do not carry out the repair within the time limit set, you may be entitled to compensation. If you fail to give access or miss your appointment we will cancel your Right to Repair. You will then have to re-apply and start the process again.
Sometimes there may be circumstances that we or the contractor have no control over which make it impossible to do the repair within the maximum time (for example, severe weather). In these circumstances, we might need to make temporary arrangements and extend the maximum time. If we are going to do this, we’ll let you know.
Read our Right to Repair Policy for more details
