Repairs
At Albyn Housing Society repairs are dealt with by our Customer Services team, supported by our contractors. All our team undergo continued training to ensure that they provide our tenants with the best service available and our contractors are vetted before they join our approved list.
As well as a legal duty to maintain your home in a fit and safe state for you to live in, we are committed to providing good quality housing for our tenants.
About 10% of your rent goes towards the cost of day to day repairs on your home.
Our responsibilities
In general, we are responsible for keeping the structure and exterior of your home, and the installations for supply of water, gas and electricity and for sanitation within your home in good repair and in proper working order. However, if damage is caused by neglect or misuse we will carry out the work and recharge you.
The list below shows what items within your home we will repair and what exceptions, if any, exist.
Adaptation Equipment, except where supplied by the tenant
Back Boilers
Balconies
Banisters (internal)
Baths
Bin Stores or Shelters
Brick/Block work etc
Carports, except unauthorised installations
Ceilings
Chimney stacks/pots/cowls etc
Cisterns
Clothes Poles
Coal Bunkers, except retaining boards of internal stores
Communal Areas to Flats
Communal TV Systems, except those not provided by AHS Ltd, eg cable
Damp-Proof Courses
Decoration (external), except the tenant's own installations (sheds, etc)
Doorbells, except the tenant's own installations
Doors to Common Areas
Doors/Door fittings (external)
Door Locks (external), except where the tenant has lost or broken the key
Doors (internal)
Door Handles (internal)
Down Pipes (rain & soil)
Drainage (including blockage), except where caused by negligence or misuse
Driveways
Drying Areas (communal)
Electric Heaters/fires, except tenant's own installations
Electrical Wiring/sockets & switches, except unauthorised electrical alterations
Entry Systems
Estate Footpaths/walks, except those adopted by the local authority
Extractor Fans (communal & individual)
Floorboards
Foundations
Fuse Boxes (ELBC, Fuses/MCB)
Garages, except those erected by tenants or unauthorised installations
Gas Central Heating (pipes, radiators, timers, thermostats)
Gas Fires
Gas Piping
Gates
Grab/support rails, except where supplied by the tenant
Glass (external), except vandalism which has not been reported to the police
Glass (double glazing), except vandalism which has not been reported to the police
Guttering
Handrails (internal, external)
Hatches to Loft (communal/individual), except where not provided by AHS Ltd
Immersion Heaters
Kitchen Fittings/worktops
Lifts, except those not provided by AHS Ltd
Light Pendants/roses
Overflow Pipes
Painting (external)
Parking Areas
Paths (main access to house)
Paths to Gardens, except where not provided by AHS Ltd
Paths (public), except those adopted by the local authority
Pest Control/infestations
Plaster & Plasterboard
Play Areas/equipment, except those not provided by AHS Ltd
Retaining Walls (garden), except those not provided by AHS Ltd
Roof/roof tiles/slates/roof lights
Rotary Clothes Dryers, except damage caused by negligence or misuse, or replacement lines
Roughcast
Shower Units/fittings, except where not provided by AHS Ltd
Sink Base Units
Sink Bowl/drainers
Skirting Boards
Smoke Detector (battery and mains), except tenant's own installations
Sockets (electrical)
Stair Lighting
Switches (electrical), except unauthorised installations
Taps
Toilets, except damage caused by negligence or misuse
TV Aerial & Communal Sockets, except unauthorised installations
Ventilators, except unauthorised installations
Wash Hand Basin, except damage caused by negligence or misuse
Water Heating, except unauthorised installations
Water Supply Storage
Tanks/pipes
WC Bowl & Cistern, except damage caused by negligence or misuse
Window Frames/sills/fittings
We understand that it is not always easy to know if you are responsible for a repair within your home or not. If you need further clarification you can look in your tenants handbook, see “What we ask of you” page or phone our Customer Services team between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
While we are committed to providing you with a good quality home, we do ask that you do some things to help us help you.
Reporting repairs
It is important that you inform us straight away when repairs need done and that you allow us access to carry out those repairs. A neglected minor repair can very quickly become a major repair, leading to more inconvenience to you and your family and increased costs to us. Increased costs mean we have less money available to upgrade and maintain your home.
You can find information on how to report a repair on our “How to report a repair” page.
Your general responsibilities
In general, you are responsible for the internal decoration of your home and the good maintenance of the fixtures and fittings. We ask that you return the house to us in a good general decorative state at the end of your tenancy and that you repair any damage to glass, doors, walls and sinks. We also ask that you clear internal choked drains and that you replace any lost/damaged keys and locks.
We also ask that you take your turn cleaning and keeping in good order any common or shared areas to which you have access, including gardens, stairs and drying areas.
If you are uncertain whether of not you are responsible for a repair the list below shows what we ask you to take responsibility for and what exceptions, if any, exist.
Clothes Lines, except communal drying lines
Cupboards
Decoration (internal), except communal areas
Decorative tiles, except where provided by AHS Ltd
Divisional Fencing, except where provided by AHS Ltd
Door Glass (internal)
Door Name Plates
Electrical Plugs
Fluorescent Tubes, except those provided for senior citizens and in communal areas
Fuses to Plugs
Gas Detectors, except where provided by AHS Ltd
Green Houses
Glass (internal), except in communal areas
Keys (replacement)
Light Bulbs, except those in communal areas
Outbuildings, except where provided by communal areas
Painting (internal), except in communal areas
Pigeon Lofts
Plugs/chains for bath, sink & wash hand basin
Ropes for Clothes Drying, except those provided for communal use
Sheds, except where provided by AHS Ltd
Shower Curtains
Smoke Detector Batteries, except those for hard wired smoke detectors
TV Aerials, except communal systems where there is provision in the service charge
Waste plugs/chains to basins, baths, sinks
WC seats/lids/fittings
Further information is also available on our “What we do for you” page and from our Customer Services team, who are available between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Gardens and grounds
When you let a property from AHS Ltd, you become responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of any gardens or grounds let with it. If you are unable to maintain your garden to an acceptable standard and you are elderly or disabled there may be help available for you, please contact the Customer Services team for further information.
Laminated flooring
Laminated wooden flooring has become increasingly popular in recent years, this has led to problems when we require to carry out work below the floorboards. To prevent damage to your laminate, we strongly suggest that you use ‘click’ system rather that 'glued' so laminate can be re-laid after the work is completed. For further information please see our Laminate Flooring Advice page.
Please use our contact form in our Contact Us section to report a repair at this link (the contact form is at the foot of the page): report a repair
OR visit our page on How to Report a Repair at this LINK
AHS Ltd is very proud to have been part of the steering group that developed the Sutherland and Ross-Shire Handy Person Services.
This service, run by ILM Highland, was initially established in Sutherland after our application for Wider Role Funding for the project and has recently been extended to Ross and Cromarty. Communities Scotland has provided a grant of £107,868 over three years towards the running costs.
The Handy Person Scheme is available to people over 60 or with a disability who live in either Sutherland or Ross-Shire. The handy person can do a variety of odd jobs and small repairs around the home and can also make minor adaptations for you, such as fitting grab rails. Labour and travel costs are covered by the scheme and the householder is asked to pay for or provide materials.
Each handy person is vetted through disclosure Scotland and carries personal identification. They will have all the equipment and experience to carry out the job for you.
If you wish to find out more you can contact them through this link or at either of the addresses below:
Ross and Cromarty Handy Person Service
ILM(Highland)
Unit 1G
Teaninich Industrial Park
Alness
IV17 0XS
Tel: 01349 884774
Fax: 01349 884660
Email: ilm@ilmhighland.co.uk
If you live in Wester Ross you can contact the Handy Person Service on:
Tel: 01445 781312
Fax: 01445 781483
Sutherland Handy Person Scheme
Unit 1
Lairg Industrial Estate
Lairg
Sutherland
IV27 4BN
Tel: 01549 402798
Fax: 01549 402679
Email: suthcare@ilmhighland.co.uk
In short, the answer is no. Unless you are a qualified tradesman, for your own safety we do not allow any tenants to make repairs to our properties, however, there are situations where you may be responsible for repairs or where you may wish to make improvements to your home.
Damage where you are responsible
If you have damaged your property through negligence or misuse we will carry out the repair and recharge you or you may wish to organise a reputable, qualified tradesman to carry out the work for you at you own cost.
Improving your home
You may wish, for example, to put up shelves or hang curtain rails to make your home more individual or more in keeping with your own tastes. These minor DIY jobs are your own responsibility and done at your own risk. As with all DIY jobs you must ensure that you are safe and able to carry out the project. If you are unsure, you should seek professional advice or employ a reputable tradesman.
We also realise that a tenant may wish, for example, to put in a new kitchen, build a shed, install Sky or a shower, and wherever possible we are happy for our tenants to carry out improvements within their homes. There are however, circumstances which would prevent these improvements from being done and therefore we ask that you request permission in writing before you carry out any work. We also ask that you employ a reputable, qualified tradesman to carry out the work. If you are unsure who to use you can contact our Customer Services team and they can offer advice.
For permission to make improvements, please either contact your Housing Services Officer or our Customer Services Team.
As a provider of social housing we are required to meet the standards which the Scottish Government has laid down. If you would like to know more about Scottish Housing Quality Standard please follow this link to the Scottish Government website.
In order to ensure that your property meets these standards we will require to make periodic inspections of your home. We may also inspect your home if you have reported an on going fault or problem, or to ensure that our contractors have completed a repair to the standards we expect.
If you are unhappy with the state of repair within your home you can request a visit from your Housing Services Officer who will advise on the necessary steps to remedy the situation.
When we need to carry out an inspection we will contact you to arrange access. Access will always be during office hours, except during emergencies. On arrival, our Housing Services Officer will show you identification and, if you wish, you can contact the office on: 01349 852978.
From time to time we will need to carry out planned maintenance to your home. We understand that this can cause disruption and inconvenience to you and your family and we do aim to minimise this by combining works where possible, for example we may fit new doors and windows at the same time or upgrade your insulation while we are fitting a new heating system.
At AHS Ltd, we carry out two types of planned maintenance, Estate Investment Works and Cyclical Works. You can find out what is happening in your area on our “What’s happening in my area” page.
Estate Investment Works
Estate Investment Works are one off projects, which are carried out to improve the standard of living within our properties and/or to raise our properties to Scottish Housing Quality Standard. If you would like to know more please see the Scottish Government website.
There may be occasions where you have carried out the work yourself, for example you have fitted a kitchen or extra insulation, which we have included in our Estate Investment Plan. In this situation we will need to inspect your property to confirm that the work meets the Society's standards and is SHQS compliant, therefore we ask that when we contact you about proposed works you let us know if you have already carried out the work.
Cyclical Works
Cyclical Works are repeat maintenance projects which are carried out to maintain the standard and/or safety of your home and your family. They are usually carried out every year or every few years and include gas servicing, external painting and gutter cleaning among others.
At Albyn we really appreciate tenants who work with us to look after their homes and have a trouble free tenancy and we would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who work with us to achieve this.
Unfortunately, there are a small minority of our tenants who are unwilling to co-operate with us and we are forced to spend thousands of pounds each year to bring these properties back into a reasonable state, monies which could be spent improving everyone’s homes. Therefore, we feel that those tenants who have worked with us deserve a reward for doing so when they move on.
The Tidy Tenancy Reward Scheme allows those tenants who return properties to us in good condition (ready for the next tenant) to claim up to £100 if they inform us of their intent 4 weeks in advance (this may be less if you are transferring) and meet some very simple conditions.
We know that moving is a very stressful time so we’ve aimed to make the Tidy Tenancy Reward Scheme as simple as possible. If you need more information, please contact the Customer Services Teams in either the Invergordon or Inverness offices.
What you need to do
To be eligible for the first £50, simple inform us of your intention to leave your property a minimum of 4 weeks prior to your moving date and allow your Housing Services Officer to visit and inspect your home.
To be eligible for the second £50, you must meet the following requirements when you leave the property;
- Return all the keys you were given when you began your tenancy (If you have lost any you can get more cut)
- Leave us a forwarding address
- Give us your final meter readings and tell us who your Electricity/Gas suppliers were
- Leave the property clear of furnishings, belongings and rubbish
- Leave the garden tidy and clear of rubbish
- Leave the house clean
- Leave your wheelie bins for the next tenant
- Do any repairs which you are responsible for (these will be explained to you by your Housing Services Officer when they visit)
- Leave the internal decoration in a reasonable condition
How to claim your reward
If you have met all the conditions we will either send you a cheque or make a credit to your bank account (provided you have given us your bank details). Whilst we will aim to do this within 20 working days of your tenancy ending that may not always be possible. If it is not possible then we will explain why and give you an alternative timescale.
The payment is made to the outgoing tenant, in the case of a joint tenancy it would be paid in joint names unless other arrangements are made with us. If you owe any debts to us they will be deducted from the award prior to the payment being made.