The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 gives you, as a tenant, the right to have small urgent repairs carried out by your Landlord within a given timescale. The Right to Repair scheme covers certain repairs up to the value of £350. If we do not carry out the repair within the time limit set, you may be entitled to compensation.

What repairs are covered by the Right to Repair scheme and how long should it take?

1 Working Day

• Blocked flue to open fire or boiler
• Blocked or leaking foul drains, soil stacks, or toilet pan, where there is no other toilet in the house
• Blocked sink, bath or basin
• Loss of electric power
• Insecure external window, door or lock
• Significant leaks or flooding from water or heating pipes, tanks or cisterns.
• Loss or partial loss of gas supply
• Loss or partial loss of space or water heating where no alternative heating is available
• Toilet not flushing where there is no other toilet in the house
• Unsafe power or lighting socket or electrial fitting
• Unsafe access to a path or step
• Loss of water supply

3 Working Days

• Partial loss of electric power
• Partial loss of water supply
• Loose or detached bannister or hand rail
• Unsafe rotten timber flooring or stair treads

7 Working Days

• Mechanical extractor fan in kitchen or bathroom not working

Guidance

The maximum time starts on the date you first tell River Clyde Homes that the repair is required/or if an inspection is required, the date the inspection was made.

The maximum time period shall be the end of the first working day after the day you reported the repair/or the inspection was carried out.

The "Right to Repair" does not apply in exceptional circumstances, for example, in adverse weather or if particular materials are unavailable. In these circumstances you will be notified of the time extension for the repair to be completed.

The scheme does not apply where the responsibility for the repair is not River Clyde Homes' eg. tenant, Scottish Power etc.

If you choose to make an appointment out with the timescale, the repair will not be treated as a Right to Repair.

What happens when I report a repair?

We will provide you with the following details:

• the priority of the repair and the date when the repair should be done by
• whether or not the repair is covered by the "Right to Repair Scheme".
• the date by which the repair should be completed
• the unique job reference number
• the name and phone number of the nominated contractor to contact if River Clyde Homes doesn't do the repair in time

If the contractor agrees to do the repair at an agreed time, and you are not in your house at the agreed time, then the repair is cancelled and you will have to start from the beginning.

We will supply you with the name and telephone number of the nominated contractor. The nominated contractor has the same time to carry out the repair as River Clyde Homes. You must not use your own contractor.

Compensation

If River Clyde Homes starts, but does not finish a repair in the timescale given, you can claim £15 in compensation.

If the nominated contractor still does not do the work in time you can claim £3 in compensation each day until the repair is carried out. However, a maximum of £100 compensation can be paid out for any one repair.