Request a housing repair
You can report a repair to council housing in two ways.
It is important that people only use this service for
non-urgent repairs.
- call our repairs team on 0151 356 6503 during office hours
(weekdays 08:30 - 17:00)
Emergency and Urgent repairs must still be reported by a
telephone call. The number for day time emergencies from 8.30am
onwards is 356 6503 and for out of hours emergencies after 5.00pm
Monday to Friday and weekends is 355 0202. This service should only
be used for real emergencies. If in doubt call the relevant number
and speak to the operator who will be able to advise you on whether
your repair is an emergency or not.
The Repairs Categories System
When you request a repair, it is placed into one of four
categories according to its urgency, so that the most urgent
repairs can be dealt with first.
The following guidelines may help to give you an idea of how
long you might have to wait for certain repairs to be
completed:-
Category 'E' works - to be completed within 24 hours of order
being issued
- Internal burst water pipes
- Electricity supply failure or dangerous fault
- Water supply failure
- Blocked or totally unusable toilet (if there is only one toilet
in the dwelling)
- Security of dwelling, e.g. boarding up
- Removal of dangerous overhanging roof slate, tile or chimney
pot
- Rewasher tap, if water is running full flow
- Blocked drains
Category 'U' works - to be completed within 7 working days of
order being issued
- Defective ball valves to toilet cistern or water storage
tanks
- Leaking toilet flush or discharge joints
- Renew defective external door locks
- First aid treatment to gutters
- First aid treatment to walls, gates etc
- Patch repair roof if leaking
- Renew toilet pans
- Renew gully or manhole covers
- Replace broken sinks or wash hand basins
- General reglazing
- Repair loose floorboards, stair treads or handrails
Category '4' works - to be completed within 4 weeks of order
being issued
- General roof repairs
- Repair defective soil and vent pipes
- Re-cord sash windows
- Renew locks to garage doors
- General standard stock joinery
- Repairs to gutters and downspouts
- Repairs to chimney stacks
- General repairs to walls, gates etc
- General plumbing repairs
- Replacement of floor tiles
- Repairs to fencing
- Replacement of kitchen base and wall units
- Replacement of baths
- General plasterwork
- Replacement of wall tiles
- Relaying of footpaths
- Repairs to garage roofs
Category '6' works - to be completed within 6 weeks of order
being issued
- Any large manufactured joinery items, e.g. windows
Your right to repair
Council tenants have the right to demand that an alternative
contractor be employed to carry out certain urgent repairs where
the council's main contractor has failed to carry out the work
within the specified time period.
The scheme is quite complex and it is vital that you follow the
correct procedure.
To get advice on how the scheme operates please phone 0151
356 6499. Further advice, if needed, is available from the Citizens
Advice Bureau or your solicitor.
Carrying out your own repairs
For those of you who prefer to carry out your own minor repairs
the council can supply certain materials (see the list
below). Please telephone 0151 356 6499 and we will advise
on how to obtain them.
Materials available
- Window stays/fasteners
- Padlocks/padbolts
- Fire grates/cheeks
- Toilet seats
- Bolts
- Lever furniture/knob handles
- Fencing/posts (if authorised by a repairs inspector)
- Mortice/Yale locks (if authorised by a repairs inspector)
The Council reserves the right to examine the work that you
carry out with these materials.
Chargeable repairs
Please note that the council is not responsible for failures and
breakages that cannot be regarded as fair wear and tear.
If the council carries out a repair made necessary by your
neglect or misuse (or that of a member of your family or guests)
you will be charged for the cost of the work. The total charge to
you will be that incurred by Housing Services, plus a 25%
administration fee, plus VAT at the current rate.
It will be assumed that you want the council to carry out the
work unless you inform us that you intend to deal with it yourself.
In certain cases where emergency or very urgent remedial work is
required it may not be possible to advise you that the repairs are
rechargeable to you until after the work has been completed.