Your Home

Repairs guide - what we do and how it works

Following the instructions in this guide will help us to arrange and resolve your repair as soon as possible. Before you report a repair, check whose responsibility it is. If it was caused by criminal damage, please call once you have obtained a crime number from the police.

Have your contact details ready and any arrangements as to how we can gain access to carry out the repair?
You can report a repair by phoning or emailing us:

• t: 01493 846256 during our normal office hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
• e: gybcrepairs@great-yarmouth.gov.uk. 

To report an emergency outside of our normal office hours please contact us on  01323 690805. The Out of Hours Service is in operation for emergency repairs from:

• 5pm until 9am, Monday to Thursday
• 5pm Friday evening until 9am Monday morning
• all bank holidays

When you contact us, please provide the following information:

• address
• contact telephone number
• details of the repair (location, type)
• access details

Who is responsible for what repairs?

We are responsible for the main fixtures and fittings installed to your home, not those added by yourselves, and the structure of the building. These include:

• the structure and fabric of your home, roof, walls, doors, window frames and glazing, ceilings and plaster work, drains and gutters etc
• the services and main components within your home, including water, gas, electricity, kitchen units, baths, sinks, toilets, heating and water heating (installed by the Council or where we have accepted responsibility)
• shared areas which include; common entrance doors, entrance halls, stairs, landings, lifts, communal TV aerials, shared gardens, parking areas and entry phones

What are you responsible for?

All tenants are responsible for any damage that you or your visitors cause and any alterations you have or have not sought permission for. These include:

• any additional fittings (e.g. toilet roll holders, towel rails, curtain rails
• minor repairs such as replacing sink and bath plugs, replacing light bulbs (except fixed units), internal door handles, unblocking sinks and cleaning windows
• internal decoration (if you move into a new home and we provide a decoration kit - you are asked to use this within 6 months)
• maintenance and clearance of your garden
• deliberate or accidental damage yourselves, other members of the household and your visitors. Examples include, broken glass, damage to internal doors, etc. This does not include criminal damage where this has been reported to the police and a crime reference number has been obtained and passed to us
• lost security entrance door keys including fobs which can only be purchased from the Council
• your own items including cookers and their connection
• the supply of gas and electricity to your home
• your own flooring including carpets and lino and any other types
• TV aerials and internet connections except those installed by GYBC in communal areas
• additional security, for example, window locks and keys where not supplied by GYBC

Tenant Alteration and Improvements

In line with your tenancy agreement, you have the right to make alterations and improvements to your home but you need prior written consent. Whilst you  remain the tenant you will be responsible for the repairs and maintenance of these items.

Examples of improvements often carried out are:

• electric showers
• sheds
• fire surrounds
• kitchens
• bathrooms
• additional lighting
• outside tap

Before you make an improvement, you must request permission through completing the application form. Dependent upon the request we may need to visit  our home. There will be occasions where we are not able to grant permission if the alteration impacts upon the structure of your home or causes a health and safety  concern. 

Communal improvements

We have a programme of communal improvements and encourage all residents to suggest ideas that would make a difference to where you live. you can make a suggestion using the Love Clean Streets App - neighbourhood suggestion category.

Tenant Improvements

When you move into your new home, GYBC may consider leaving the previous tenants' improvements in place should they be in good operational condition and  in these instances we will gift these to you. You will be responsible for any future repairs as outlined within the gifting form. We will not repair or replace non- standard fixtures, these could include:

• sheds
• carpets, lino and floor tiles
• alarms
• showers

We will also consider leaving previous tenant improvements such as bathrooms, kitchens and doors in an empty property. When these items fail or reach the end of their useful life, they will be replaced by standard or available items.

Adaptations

The council provides funding each year for the provision of aids and adaptations to enable its tenants to remain in their home for as long as it is safe and  reasonable to do so. Before requesting an adaptation you should contact Norfolk County Council to ask for an assessment. Adaptations can be minor installations to support tenants from grab rails and lever taps through to major works including level access showers.

Emergency Repairs

These are repairs that affect the health and safety of your household and those in neighbouring households. We will carry out these repairs or make safe within 24 hours  depending on the nature of the repair.

Examples of emergency repairs are:

• loss of all electrical power or dangerous wiring
• blocked main drain
• blocked toilet if only one available
• burst pipe
• dangerous structure
• complete heating failure where no back up heating is available (winter months only)
• gas leaks
• lack of security to the property
• uncontainable leaks

This service provides out of hours emergency repair cover and is only available where the repair poses a serious health and safety risk or where there is danger to people or property. We may only be able to make safe on the first visit and may need to return to complete the repair work. Where the repair is your  responsibility, but qualifies as an emergency, it may still be possible to call out an operative, although you may be charged for this service.

Routine Repairs

We aim to complete these within 28 days. These are generally jobs that can be left for a reasonable period without causing serious inconvenience.
These include:

• indoor carpentry work and repairs to door frames and kitchen units
• small plumbing jobs such as dripping taps or an overflow running
• fencing and external works
• electrical works

Charging for repairs

Sometimes there may be a charge for carrying out a repair. Repairs that we will charge you for include:

• when we carry out work that is your responsibility, e.g. replacing lost keys
• when we undertake additional work at an extra cost, e.g. additional fencing
• when we carry out work that is your responsibility but has been caused by your negligence, e.g. replacing damaged doors
• when we are unable to gain access to carry out a repair on a day agreed and arranged with yourself

We will always tell you about any charge before we carry out the work if this is possible and try to give you a rough estimate of the cost. For emergency repairs, you will receive the bill after completion. For other types of work, we may ask for payment before the work is undertaken. Full details relating to recharges including the Council's and tenant's responsibilities and what to do if you cannot pay for a recharge can be found in the Rechargeable Repairs Policy.

Servicing - gas and electric

Every year all gas, oil and renewable energy heating appliances as well as the electrics every 5 years, are serviced for your safety. It is important that you allow  access for these checks to take place. These are checks we must make as your landlord and they are for the safety of you and your household. Failure to allow access to complete the checks may result in us taking further action.

Safety in your home

The safety of our residents is our absolute priority and the Council complies with all of its legal responsibilities to keep you safe. It is a legal requirement that we  carry out a fire risk assessment (FRA) for any of our buildings with a communal area. The purpose of an FRA is to help us understand what the potential risks may be and to ensure that we can take the necessary actions to keep you safe in your home. If you live in a home that is accessed from a internal communal area, please make sure you read the fire safety poster on your notice board. Please do not store anything in any communal area, if you have a stairwell cupboard  please make sure this is locked at all times and no flammable materials are stored inside.

We also carry out regular routine inspections to check all communal areas of our buildings. These include water hygiene tests, asbestos and lifts.

Access for health and safety checks We may require access to your home for other important checks to keep you and your neighbours safe. You will always receive advance notification.

Fire doors

If you live in a block of flats, your flat entrance door is one of the most important fire safety precautions that you have. It will keep you safe from a fire outside in  the common parts for at least half an hour. Please don't nail or screw anything into it, as it can damage the door, which means it might not perform as it should in the unlikely event of a fire. Other risks include hanging Christmas decorations from your door and running cables through the letter box.

Other inspections

We also carry out regular routine inspections to check all communal areas of our buildings. These include water hygiene tests, asbestos and lifts.

General Advice

If you live in a block, you will find a fire safety notice and information on your notice board. Please familiarise yourself with the information. For the safety of everyone:

• do not wedge fire doors open - remove wedges if you find them
• do not leave objects on the landing that could be in the way when you try to escape
• do not store gas cylinders, paraffin or other highly flammable liquids in your home or store
• do not smoke in communal areas including landings and lifts - it is against the law to do so
• do not park or block access to blocks of flats - access roads and gates are designed to allow fire appliances to get as close as possible to fight a fire
• loft spaces must be kept clear for access at all times

Planned Maintenance

As part of maintaining your home we carry out planned maintenance and upgrade programmes. From time to time, worn out items will need to be replaced.  These include replacing kitchen and bathrooms to central heating and external painting. These plans depend on the condition of the properties, their age and the facilities they need to meet modern living standards. Each year we develop a programme to make the best use of the money we have available. The money is very limited, so we will prioritise the improvements to make sure the work most important to safety is carried out first.
Improvement programmes typically include:

• replacing roofs on properties
• electrical upgrades and rewiring
• installing new heating
• structural repairs
• fitting new kitchens
• fitting new bathrooms
• installing new windows and doors

Cyclical Maintenance Programmes

Every year we will have a programme of works that includes external decoration, improving security, upgrading communal doors and door entry systems, fire  safety works and improving open spaces. Improving life on our estates is about more than just bricks and mortar.
Before starting any work, we will:
Write to you to let you know we are coming Visit your home to carry out a survey before deciding what work needs to be done.
Tell you:

• what work we are going to do
• the name of the contractor
• the arrangements for carrying out the work

You will have a choice of wall tile and floor covering colours when we renew bathrooms When we fit new kitchens and you will have a choice of kitchen unit and  worktop colours. When we are carrying out major work in your area, we will make sure we keep you fully involved and up to date from start to finish.
We will communicate with you regularly and invite you to meet contractors on our larger schemes. Please note that major improvements may take several days or even weeks to complete and may involve erecting scaffolding around your home. We may also need to inspect the works several times during the work and
again after the work has been completed.

Damp and Mould

Damp, mould and condensation can affect any home. If you notice damp or mould in your home, please report this to us so we can do an inspection to confirm  the cause. We can then work with you to resolve the problem. Our aim is to identify and eliminate the source of moisture. 

Drains

We ask everyone to help prevent sewer flooding in homes by binning kitchen fats, oils and grease, wet wipes and sanitary products. For more information please visit Anglia Water.