Repairs and maintenance

We aim to deliver a first- class repairs and maintenance service that keeps tenant’s homes safe and in good condition. The service includes:

• Responsive repairs (repairs instructed mainly as a result of repairs reported by tenants),
• Cyclical works such as external decoration and works to maintain safety such as annual gas safety checks, electrical safety inspections and fire safety checks
• Planned Maintenance works: Improvements such as kitchen, bathroom, central heating and window and door replacements and upgrades, re-wiring and structural works to maintain and improve the quality of a property.

We work to ensure that repairs and improvements are carried out to a high quality, including completed right first time. We use local contractors to carry out works. These contractor’s must meet prescribed criteria, including all relevant accreditations and qualifications, to join our Approved Contractor list and undertake repair works on our behalf.

We take a great deal of pride in the quality of our repairs service and are committed to achieving continuous improvement. We particularly value any feedback on the service received (good or bad) in order to help review and improvement. Feedback can be provided  by logging into your Portal and telling us what you are happy with, or where you think we need to improve. Alternatively, feedback can be provided by email, telephone or letter. We carry out monthly surveys of a sample of tenants who have recently had repair or improvements carried out in order to ensure regular feedback

Although Westfield Housing are responsible for most of the essential services and structural repairs on your home, when it comes to repairs and maintenance, there are some areas that are the tenants’ responsibility. These are detailed on the Responsibilities and Rechargeable Repairs page of this website.

Your Safety

As part of our repairs and maintenance service we carry out regular checks and services to ensure that your home is safe. Aside from the annual gas servicing’s these include:

· Electrical safety.  We are working on a 5 years rolling program to ensure every one of our homes has a legal updated EICR certificate in place.   Foxcroft Electrical carry out these checks .  We will write to notify you when your property is due and our contractors will contact you directly to make an appointment that is suitable for you. 

· Maintaining an asbestos register and checking asbestos risks, as necessary.

· Carrying out fire safety checks of all communal areas including weekly checks of alarms and any potential fire risks, and an annual fire risk assessment carried out by a suitably qualified Fire Officer.

Where these checks identify any safety issues, these should be attended too quickly.

In order to carry out these checks and tests it is important that we are able to access your home. We ask that you always provide access as requested so that these important checks are not missed.  Failing to allow access for any these legal requirements is a breach of your tenancy. 

Any contractors that we have asked to attend your home will always carry ID, please ask to see their ID before allowing access. 

If you have any concerns about the above checks and works and/or the safety of your home, please let us know.

Disrepair Claims

We’re seeing a rise in claims management companies targeting social housing tenants — including Westfield Housing tenants.

As your landlord, we’re here to help and look after you and your home. We want to protect you from these companies and explain the factors and risks you need to consider if you’re thinking of making a claim.

What is disrepair

If we don’t meet our obligations to keep your home in repair – including completing repairs we’re responsible for in reasonable time, and keeping installations for sanitation, electricity, gas and water supplies in working order – your home could be said to be in disrepair.

What are Claims Management Companies?

They are companies that target tenants, particularly tenants of social housing landlords, with marketing tactics to encourage you to make a claim for disrepair. They then sell your claim to Solicitors who act as intermediaries between you and your landlord (in this case, us), and represent you and handle the claim on your behalf, for a cost.

What are the risks involved?

Hidden costs
These companies will usually tell you that they operate on a “no win, no fee” basis. But often customers can face thousands of pounds of debt as a result of signing up to their agreements.

They usually also charge a fixed lump sum up front to take out an insurance policy to cover the cost of your claim. This lump sum can be a significant amount. Any potential compensation you receive from a claim may reduce to cover solicitor fees or legal costs (ours and yours, if the claim is unsuccessful).

Fees if you change your mind
When you have put forward a claim and signed documentation from a solicitor, they usually will not allow you to stop the claim if you change your mind. If you want to stop the process, you may be liable for fees for any surveys of your home, or the fixed premium for any insurance policy you’re advised to take out.

These companies may not explain that if your case goes to court and is dismissed, you could be ordered to pay our legal costs, which could be thousands of pounds.

It takes a long time to resolve
Some claims can take years to resolve, and you may have to appear in court to give evidence as part of the process, which can be distressing.

You could be in breach of your tenancy agreement
During the process, most companies acting on your behalf will advise you not to allow access to us to visit your home to do any repairs. This will put you in breach of your tenancy agreement with us. As your landlord, it’s our responsibility to ensure your home is safe and kept in decent repair, so we’ll attempt to visit your home anyway, having given you notice of our visit. If there’s a health and safety risk, we may request a court injunction to gain urgent access to do the work.

Any agreement with these companies can put you at significant financial risk. 

Sometimes, they may even pose as surveyors and say they’re acting for Westfield Housing Association. All of our contractors carry identification badges, so make sure you ask to see their ID before letting them into your home.

If you’re unsure who someone is, do not let them into your home. If you feel unsafe, please call the police and let us know.
These companies may phone, text, message, or knock at your door urging you to make disrepair or damp and mould claims and often promise compensation that simply isn’t true.

Please be extremely cautious. 

See our Disrepair Claims page for more details 

E-bikes,  e-scooters and electric wheelchairs 

If you own an e-bike, e-scooter or electric wheelchair, or thinking of purchasing one for yourself or someone else, please take note of this Important Safety Message from the UK’s national product regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).

These items use large lithium-ion batteries which can present a risk of serious fire or explosion in certain circumstances. While these can be used safely, there have been a number of fire incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters, including in conversion kits.  

OPSS recommends you take extra care when purchasing, using or charging your e-bike or e-scooter to reduce fire risks.  There is guide on the government website to look at before purchasing these items https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-safety-message-on-e-bikes-and-e-scooters

Westfield Housing Association insure our buildings with Zurich.  Please bear in mind it is tenants responsibility to insure the contents of your home.  Zurich have created a short video to help tenants and residents prevent fires in your home.  They take a look at different ways to help prevent the most common ways fires begin in homes, including smoking, candles and barbecues. Please take a look at this link for https://www.zurich.co.uk/news-and-insight/how-can-we-help-prevent-fires-in-housing