In some instances you may be charged for a repair - these are known as "rechargeable repairs". If you make an out of hours emergency call for repairs it can result in the fixed call out charge, in addition to the repair costs to the tenant, no matter how long the operative spends at your home.

If attendance is made next working day or thereafter, where appropriate, you will not be recharged for the repair if it is our responsibility.

Some common examples of rechargeable repairs, where attendance is normally requested as an emergency, and which are rechargeable, are:

• Leaks associated with washing machine/dishwasher
• Leak at sink or wash hand basin (whb)waste pipe (where tenant is unwilling not to use affected sink/whb)
• Blocked sink or whb (where tenant is unwilling not to use affected sink/whb)
• Blocked toilet (ie due to disposal of sanitary towel, nappies, air freshener or other foreign object)
• Toilet not flushing (not blocked and where tenant is unwilling to self flush, where able to do so)
• Containable leaks at supply pipe (by using towel, basin or turning off isolating valve other than main stock-cock)
• Taps which won't turn off where water loss is significant (ie not dripping or trickling)
• Door entry systems not working (buzzer, electronic catch etc)
• Electrics tripped (ie faulty appliance, bulb etc)
• Sockets not working (unless all sockets)
• Lights not working (other than bathroom or all lights)
• Attendance for electrical repairs caused by faulty appliances
• Faulty communal doors (unless access or egress is not possible at all times)
• Faulty locks (if more than one lock fitted on door)
• Windows not lockable, but can be closed
• Locked out/in due to lost, stolen or misplaced keys etc
• Vandalism or malicious damage where no crime incident number is provided

A rechargeable repair is one that:

• is your responsibility
• is needed to repair damage to the property that is a result of deliberate damage, neglect, misuse, or abuse by you, your family or visitors to your property; or
• is needed when you move out of the house to bring it up to an acceptable standard, which is your responsibility, including removing items from the property and/or garden, and garden maintenance eg. grass cutting
• is requested by you and carried out by us unnecessarily or within inappropriate timescales
• is reported and carried out, out of hours but can be or should have been reported during office hours eg. because tenant is at work/not at home during daytime, etc

Rechargeable repairs

• When an item is rechargeable, we will let you know at the time you report the repair
• We will tell you the estimated cost of carrying out the repair, based on your repair request
• In the case of an emergency repair, we will inform you of the estimated cost of carrying out the repair as an emergency
• In the case of an out of hours emergency repair, we will tell you that will apply a fixed call out charge of £50, in addition to the repair cost

If the damage is accidental

We insure the structure of your home, but not the contents. We strongly advise you to insure your contents such as personal belongings, furnishings etc for accidental damage, fire, theft and flood.

We will carry out the repair as a rechargeable repair. However, you should notify the insurance company with whom you have home/contents insurance, with a view to registering a claim on your insurance policy for the cost of the work.

How to pay for the rechargeable repair

When have have carried out the repair, we will send a bill. There will be details of how and where you can pay on the back of the invoice.

If you feel that you cannot pay the whole bill at once, you may be able to pay the bill in instalments.

If you want to pay by instalments, you should call the Finance Office on tel: (01475) 788887. This number is also noted on the back of the invoice.

If you do not pay your bill, or make arrangements to pay by instalments, we will take action against you to recover the debt.

Vandalism

Tenants will not be recharged where cases of vandalism have been reported to the Police, and a crime reference number obtained and supplied to us at the time of call.

Acts of vandalism not reported to police and/or judged to be misuse of River Clyde Homes property will be recharged to tenant including any call out costs.