Housing Repairs - emergency out of hours repairs
Out of hours emergency hotline number 01962 865 405
Please only phone this number in an absolute emergency.
Please note that gas leaks, or suspicion of fumes from a gas appliance should be reported direct to Transco on 0800 111 999.
The object of our Out of Hours emergency repairs system is to provide a 24 hour, 365 days a year emergency call out service for all our houses and properties. The system is operated out of our Central Control Centre
The cost of sending out a trade operative is in the region of £70.00 per call. It is therefore important that you only request a call out for genuine emergencies. The City Council defines a "genuine emergency" as danger to life or limb, where there is a serious risk to health or where there is risk of considerable damage which would render the property uninhabitable, i.e. in the event of a water leak causing the ceiling to collapse. The Council undertakes to respond and carry out these repairs wherever possible within 24 hours.
Examples:
- Total loss of electricity
- Defective lights i.e. fittings to kitchen, bathroom and stairways
- Burst water pipes
- Loss of water supply
- Loss of hot water - irrespective of where a tenant has a back boiler
- Total failure of central heating
- Restore flush to WC where tenant is unable to flush with a bucket
- Roof leaks
- Make safe dangerous roof slates/chimneys
- Defective external door locks
- Board up or re-glaze windows for safety or security reasons
- Blocked sewers
Should you request a call out and the tradesman that we send subsequently informs us that it was not a genuine emergency, you will be recharged for the service. Where tenants are abusive to the call out officer, this will result in the request not being accepted as an emergency. Also remember that calling out a workman when not really essential could deprive another person in genuine need of emergency assistance
The emergency call out officer does, however, exercise discretion where appropriate, based on the nature of the call and in cases where the tenant is disabled, is a pensioner, or where there is a young baby in the house. The emergency system is NOT in place for tenants to "short circuit" the normal repair priorities
