Reporting Repairs

If you have a repair which needs doing at your home, please use the link below to report via email, contact the Bloomsbury EMB Office on 0121 464 1550 or come to the concierge office (Medway Tower) to report it in person.     

GAS REPAIRS- are the be reported directly to Birmingham City Council's call centre who will then raise the repair for Wates. You can do this via 0121 216 3330. For further information please visit www.birmingham.gov.uk

If you smell gas, you need to notify National Grid as a matter of urgency. There contact number is 0800 111 999. Further information can be found at www.nationalgridgas.com

You can report repairs 24hours a day. Emergency repairs should be phoned through during our office open hours wehre possible. If no one answers the phone, please follow the instruction that will redirect you to our 24/7 call centre that can log the repair. 

These are repairs where the damage is deemed to be caused by the tenant or a visitor to the property. The work will not be completed until the tenant has completed a form to authorise that they will pay for the repair. Examples are wilful damage or neglect, misuse and abuse.

If a repair is logged as an Emergency Out Of Hours Call and then access is not given or the repair is not an emergency, you may be recharged for this call out. Its is important you remain in the property to allow us access when an emergency is reported. 

We can offer and arrange morning or afternoon appointments for repairs and inspections. If we cannot meet your preferred appointment within the repair timescales, we will offer a  mutually convenient appointment. In special circumstances this appointment might be out of office hours.   

If you fail to keep an appointment, the repair request will be cancelled and you may be recharged for the call out.

Pre-work inspections will be done where:

• You are unable to fully explain the problem. 

• Investigations are needed to identify the problem. 

• Surveying measurements, schedules or specifications are needed before ordering the work. 

• A previous repair has not solved the problem.

• The repair may be your responsibility. 

• There is a history of repeat repairs or abusing the property. 

• You require an upgrade or improvement.

Repairs we are responsible for include:

· minor repairs to the exterior of buildings, such as roofs and walls

· washers and main stop valves to the block

· clearing blockages or repairing leaks to soil stacks, rainwater pipes and gutters

· joists, damp proof membranes or concrete floor slabs

· internal and external window frames, and glazing to communal windows

· communal doors and staircases

· other communal spaces shared by tenants and leaseholders such as rubbish chutes, electrics and lighting

For tenants, our responsibilities also include:

· any inside fixtures and fittings that we originally provided

· all pipes, wiring, drainage, power and light fittings

· garden boundary fences or walls we provide (we may remove them rather than repair them)

· any outbuildings, sheds, porches, or garages we originally put up (we may remove them rather than repair them)

· any step or path that is an essential means of access to the property

Be aware that gas and electricity meters are repaired by your gas or electricity supplier.

Check your conditions of tenancy for full details of our responsibilities. We reserve the right to charge for any repairs if we think the repair was caused by deliberate damage or neglect.

  Repairs BCC are responsible for include:

· major repairs to the exterior of buildings, such as roofs and walls

· burst or leaking external pipes and shared service pipes

· lift maintenance

· gas and central heating repairs/installs

· CCTV repairs

· door entry systems (intercoms)

· sprinkler repairs and maintenance

  As a tenant you are responsible for the upkeep of your home, including:

· keeping your property clean and in good decorative order

· preventing waste pipes or drains becoming blocked

· repairing any fixture, fitting or appliance you have provided

· preventing condensation

· preventing your pipes from bursting by using the heating system we provide and by lagging pipes

You must get written permission from us if you want to make alterations to your home.

You are also responsible for the cost of replacing broken window panes or lost key fobs, unless the damage was outside your control. There is a charge of £10 per key fob. The neighbourhood office covering your area will contact you to arrange delivery.

We will carry out work to make your home safe if a repair is needed because of a break-in, vandalism or other criminal damage. You must provide us with a crime reference number. If you cannot provide a crime reference number, we will charge you a reasonable cost for any urgent work we do.

You must report any criminal damage to us as a repair.

Frozen and burst pipes advice

  Your responsibilities

To maintain your pipes, make sure that you:

· know where the water pipe (the ‘stop tap’) enters your home

· know where the hot and cold tank gate valves are

· can turn off all taps and valves easily

If pipes have frozen

You will need to turn off your water supply at the stop tap. You can try to thaw the pipes out by using hot water bottles only. Do not use hot water or a naked flame to try to thaw the pipes.

You must contact your water supplier.

If pipes have burst

You will need to turn all water taps on to drain water from the system. This takes about 15 minutes.

You will also need to turn off:

· your water supply at the stop tap

· any water heaters

· the gate valve if you have a hot water cylinder leak

If you have a hot water cylinder leak, turn off the valve. This is usually located in the airing cupboard.

If water is leaking through a ceiling and making it bulge, put a bucket underneath and make a small hole in the ceiling to let the water through. This could prevent the ceiling from falling down.

Contact our office as soon as possible.

If you are going away for several weeks, turn off your:

· water supply at the stop tap

· gas supply

· heating

If you go away during cold weather, set your heating on a timer or on low to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting.

  Blocked or damaged toilet advice

Your responsibilities

To maintain your toilets you should remove any limescale build-up, and replace flush chains and handles.

We will charge you for any repair work if you caused the damage.

Windows advice

Your responsibilities

To maintain your windows and window frames, you should keep window trickle vents clear and repair any damage you have caused. 

Windows restrictors

Windows restrictors can be fitted to windows to limit how far they will open. If the restrictor is faulty or becomes damaged it is important you report it for repair immediately and keep it closed until the repair is completed.

Additional restrictors can be fitted on request. 

We will replace any broken or cracked glass in a door or window. You will be charged for this unless you have a crime reference number for the damage.

Contents insurance

To protect your home and belongings you should take out contents insurance. You can make your own arrangements, or take out contents insurance arranged by the council.