Repairs and maintenance

You also have some responsibilities. The repairs listed below aren’t covered by us, and fall under your responsibilities.

• Any repair which is the result of the actions, inactions, negligence or abuse by you, a member of your household or your visitors
• Electrical faults caused by your own appliances
• Your own appliances, alterations, fixtures, fittings or improvements (unless formally adopted by us)
• Repairs to, or replacements of, smoke or Carbon Monoxide alarms not provided by us
• Repairs to burglar alarms not provided by us
• Replacement keys, including house and window keys (including when stolen/lost)
• All internal decoration
• Minor cracks or superficial damage to interior surfaces such as plaster work
• TV aerials or satellite dishes (other than communal sets provided by us)
• Window cleaning (unless covered by service charge)
• Clothes post or rotary driers (maintenance and new installations apart from communal areas)
• Cleaning or sweeping of chimneys, flues and frets
• Easing of doors to fit carpets
• Maintenance and replacement of all floor coverings, including any provided by us to kitchen and bathroom
• Boarding up and/or glazing repairs, as a result of misuse
• Total loss of power due to no credit on token meter
• Secondary paths (other than those that serve as front or rear entrances to the property)
• Locks, padlocks and latches to sheds or outhouse doors (not adopted by us)
• Plugs and chains to sanitary ware and kitchen sinks
• Replacement/repair of toilet seats or shower curtains
• Cleaning and descaling of sanitary ware
• Treatment and removal of mould/mildew
• Pest control
• Bleeding of radiators
• Additional security measures, such as the upgrading of locks
• Blocked sinks and drains other than when caused by structural failure
• Replacement of non-communal light bulbs (including fluorescent strip lights and starters)
• Garden maintenance (including hedges and trees) other than where a charge is paid for the service
• Picture rails, hangers and shelves
• Repair and maintenance of fencing (not adopted by us)
• Damage to fixtures and fittings which could be funded from the customers’ own home contents insurance cover
• Plumbing of automatic washing machines and dishwashers

 

Within 24 hours

• Total loss of water
• Loss of property security
• Burst water main (uncontainable leak)
• Internal flooding
• Loss of electrics
• Blocked toilet or soil pipe
• Severe storm damage
• Faults to lighting in bathrooms (excluding failed light bulbs)
• Blocked flue where this is the only form of heating
• Blocked main foul drains (where we have responsibility)
• Heating loss between 1 November and 30 April
• Hot water loss between 1 November and 30 April
• Total failure of Carbon Monoxide or smoke detection systems
• Offensive/racist graffiti
• Insecure external door, lock or window to ground floor
• Faulty garage door lock (if car locked in garage)
• Faulty shower (if only form of bathing)

* The aim of an emergency repair is to attend and make safe. After we have made safe we may make further arrangements to return to complete the repair within the appropriate timescale. All suspected gas leaks must be reported in the first instance to National Grid Gas Emergencies on 0800 111 999 (this is a 24 hour emergency line).

 

Within seven calendar days

• Minor plumbing leaks
• Minor electrical faults
• Blocked sinks
• Damage to handrails
• Heating fault or breakdown between 1 May and 31 October
• Hot water faults or breakdown between 1 May and 31 October
• Minor electrical faults (lighting and power sockets)
• Partial loss of water supply
• Door/lock fault to garage
• Leaking roof
• Intermittent Carbon Monoxide or smoke detection system faults
• Insecure external lock or window above ground floor
• Damage to stair treads or handrails/banisters

Within 28 calendar days

• Plasterwork repairs
• Tiling problems
• Missing roof tiles
• General joinery repairs
• Repairs to internal walls, floors, ceilings and doors
• Repairs to kitchen fittings
• Dripping/leaking taps or shower units
• Repairs to tiling on kitchen and bathroom walls
• Defective cistern or overflow
• General roof repairs (slates/tiles)
• Non-offensive graffiti
• Faulty shower (if alternative form of bathing available)
• Faulty extractor fan (kitchen/bathroom)
• Defective flooring (possible upgrade if safety risk exists)
• Garage roof leaking/damaged

Within 90 calendar days

• Repointing of brickwork
• Fencing, wall, path and gate repairs
• Window frame and door replacement
• Repairs to chimney stacks
• Minor structural remedial works.
• Programmed gutter cleaning  

Your Guide to Right to Repair.pdf 

 

When your boundary fence is in need of repair or replacement, the following information aims to provide you with a guide to our approach. Please note, this information only covers boundary treatments that have been installed by and are the responsibility of Acis. All Non-Acis fencing/ boundary treatments are the responsibility of the customer.

In carrying out boundary treatments/ fencing works, we have two standard approaches for this type of work to be carried out.  These include works through our repairs service and a planned programme approach.

 

On contacting us, so that we can assess your needs, we’ll ask you a number of  questions including:

• The location of the fencing works that need repairing?
• The height of the current fencing?
• The length of the fencing that needs to be  repaired/ renewed?
• The type of fencing i.e. is it metal, timber or a chain link – If your boundary is a hedge, it is your responsibility to maintain it.
• Does the fencing belong to Acis? – If the boundary does not belong to Acis, it is not our responsibility to repair it.
• Who installed the fencing? – If the boundary has not been installed by Acis then it may not our responsibility to repair it.

 

It is also important to know the following:

 

• All fencing works will need to be assessed before any works are undertaken.  A member of Acis will visit your home to do this.
• On visiting your home if the repairs required are no longer than four metres, we will undertake this work as part of our Repairs Service.  This means it will be a planned repair and can take anything up to 90 days to complete.
• However, if the repairs are over four metres, this will need to be referred  to our Asset team. Our asset team will contact you within ten working days detailing if any such works are to be carried out and their approximate timescales for completion.  Normally, these works would be carried out through our planned programme approach.
• Our boundary treatment works excludes gates and frames, therefore any repairs would be raised separately.
• When repairing/ installing new fencing, Acis will use standard types. Therefore, new or repaired fencing may be different to what is there now or has been previous.
• If a customer refuses the standard type of boundary treatment/ fencing, works will be cancelled and no further works undertaken.
• If the customer wishes to carry out works on their own behalf/ cost, they must request permission and receive approval from us beforehand.   

Health & Safety

Obviously, there will be times when we need to provide a boundary in excess of four metres.  Therefore, in instances where boundaries  abut a:

• Water course.
• Railway.
• Other Health & Safety risk.

We will install a suitable boundary using the repair service approach.

If you require more information about fencing please give us a call on 0800 027 2057.

You also have the right to make certain improvements to your home yourself, providing you have our consent. This is the same if you need to make adaptations to your home because of a change in circumstances. In some cases, you will also need permission from the relevant council’s planning and building control departments. 

To find out more about how to apply to make improvements, see our improvements page here