Repairs hub

How do I report a repair?

Report a repair on-line:

The quickest way to report a repair is via our online form. Click on the button below to fill in the form.

 

Report a repair form

 

 

Report a repair via email:

customer.service@sbhg.co.uk 

 

Report a repair by phone:

You can report a repair by phone on freephone: 0800 9170839 or 020 8996 4200 from Monday to Friday 8 am-5 pm.

The quietest times to call are 10 am-12 pm and 2-4 pm on Tuesday-Friday. Our busiest day is Monday.

 

Report an emergency repair:

Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from a landline or mobile on freephone: 0800 9170839 or 020 8996 4200

Please always report emergencies by phone

Please note, reporting your repair multiple times by different methods may result in your enquiry being duplicated causing a delay in the processing of your enquiry.

 

What is an emergency repair?

Examples of emergencies are smelling gas, uncontainable leaks and any repairs which risk the health and safety or security of yourself, anyone else in your home or on your estate and could cause significant damage to your home including flooding or total loss of electricity or water.

 

Appointments

Please make sure that you keep appointments or let us know beforehand if you are not able to. We also send appointment times and reminder text messages to your mobile, so please make sure the number we have for you is up to date.

If we miss an appointment time please let us know as soon as possible so that we can fix this. Compensation for missed appointments can be offered.

Equally we have the right to charge leaseholders who miss appointments.

Sometimes newly built properties do have minor defects that need to be corrected by the developer.

You can report a repair by phoning the Customer Service Team 0800 9170839 or 020 8996 4200 from Monday to Friday 8am-5pm or alternatively email leaseholders.enquiries@sbhg.co.uk

 

The Customer Service Team will need to know:

• Your name and address
• Telephone number(s)
• A clear description of the problem or fault
• Where the problem is

 

Defects – what are defects?

A problem is a defect only if it arises through faulty workmanship or materials e.g. an unconnected drainage pipe. They do not include the replacement of e.g. a filter on a cookerhood or improvements.

The developer must resolve defects that appear in the first 12 months after the building was completed, not from the date of your purchase. This is known as the ‘defects liability period’. If defects appear within this period, please let us know as soon as possible.

Your home will be inspected at the end of the ‘defects liability period’ along with neighbouring properties built at the same time. Prepare a list of defects in advance as you will be asked to sign a list. Do not sign if all the defects are not listed. If defects are not identified during this period, they can only be dealt with under the warranty.

The builders must deal with urgent defects when they arise. Non-urgent defects will be dealt with at the end of the defects period.

 

Extended warranty

Newly built homes also benefit from the National House-Building Council (NHBC) warranty or a similar type of warranty. This is an insurance policy and is effective after the first twelve months from when the property is built. NHBC cover is up to ten years.

Your solicitor acting for you in your purchase will normally supply a copy of the NHBC certificate to you and your mortgage lender, and may keep a copy on your file. If we own the freehold to the building, we will make any claim on your behalf.

If you need a copy of the warranty, you can get it from the website of the company concerned. Your solicitor or mortgage lender may charge you for supplying a copy of the original warranty. We may sometimes be able to provide a copy of your warranty.

The warranty does not cover maintenance and repairs, nor does it cover the provision of additional or extended features beyond the original design. You will need to arrange and pay for these yourself.

If you own a DIYSO house then you are responsible for repairing the entire house. If you own a DIYSO flat, then the repair responsibility sits with the owner of the building for external works, but you repair the inside of your flat.

As a leaseholder you are responsible for some of the repairs and maintenance of your home - always check your leasehold contract (as it could vary according to the property) for full details.

If you fail to carry out the repairs that you are responsible for and other SBHA properties are affected, we will charge you the cost of remedying the defect as well as our extra administration costs. Repeated failures will result in our starting legal action against you.

 

Electrical:

• Faults within the home
• Immersion heater
• Fuses
• Extractor fans

 

Front door to your home:

• Door
• Door handles
• Door locks
• Lost keys
• Additional security
• Internal doors in flat

 

Plumbing:

• Burst pipe within the home
• Tap and tap washers
• Stopcocks, ball valves, bath, basin, sink and blocked waste pipes
• Hot and cold water tanks in the home

 

Balconies:

• Unblocking gulleys (drains)
• Pigeon infestation

 

Windows to the home:

• Window fixtures and catches
• Window panes
• Additional security

 

Drain:

• Blockage within your home

 

Heating:

• Individual heating systems in the home
• Room heaters
• Sweeping chimneys
• Fireplaces

 

Gas (call Cadet Gas):

• Gas escapes within the home
• Cookers
• Gas fires
• Gas servicing

We are responsible for maintaining and repairing some communal areas and parts of your property.

Communal doors:

• Door frame
• Door
• Door handles
• Door locks
• Lost keys
• Additional security
• Internal communal doors

 

Electrical:

• Communal lighting

 

Front door to your home:

• Door frame

 

Plumbing:

• Main storage tank (in communal loft)
• Blockage in communal pipe

 

Balconies:

• Structural works

 

Windows to common areas:

• Window frames
• Window fixtures and catches
• Window panes
• Additional security

 

Windows to the home:

• Window frames

 

Drain:

• Blockages to shared drainage pipes

Communal repairs include issues outside your property, such as lifts, communal areas, gardening and door entry systems.

The quickest way to report a communal repair is via our online communal repairs form or call us.

 

Report a repair form

We are responsible for maintaining the outside and inside shared areas of your property and we have a cyclical decoration and repair programme to manage this.

Under this programme we:

• identify and organise any repairs to shared areas;
• paint any previously painted outside surfaces of the building;
• paint wooden window frames;
• paint outside timber doors;
• paint shared areas and the outside of your front door; and
• paint and repair fences which have been subject to wear and tear.

Scaffolding may be needed so that our painters can reach the higher areas of the building. We will also arrange for any necessary repairs to the roof and guttering to be done while the scaffolding is in place.

Before we start our cyclical programme we will tell you about it and give you an opportunity to ask questions and get clarification.

Staff in our repairs service will:

• respect you and your home at all times;
• show you their identity cards;
• keep work tools and dangerous substances out of the reach of children;
• avoid making unnecessary visits to your home;
• show consideration to the needs of disabled and vulnerable tenants;
• not smoke, drink alcohol or play music in your home;
• not move your belongings without permission and without you being present;
• not use your belongings (such as ladders) or facilities without your permission;
• make sure areas where work is carried out is left clean and tidy;
• use dustsheets where necessary;
• leave your home weatherproof, with all possible services left on, and warn you of any hazards; and
• tell you when the work is finished, remove all rubbish, and leave your home tidy.

 

What we expect from you

We expect you to:

• be co-operative about making appointments and to give at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel an appointment;
• move your belongings out of the work area;
• keep your children and pets away from the work area and from our tools;
• allow us to have reasonable use of your gas, electricity and water if necessary; and
• not smoke for at least an hour before you are expecting a visit from us or while we are in attendance.

We have performance targets to meet and should carry out your repairs within the time-scale set. However, sometimes delays do occur. Examples of reasons are given below:

• the contractor cannot gain access to
• your home
• an inspection is needed before
• repairs can be carried out.
• a part must be ordered to complete
• the repair.
• several different trades are involved in the repair, e.g. plastering, carpentry and painting

You may be able to claim compensation if:

• We fail more than once to deal with a repair within the timeframe
• We fail to keep an arranged appointment without giving you notice or a good reason
• We fail to finish a repair within four weeks of starting it (though if a repair highlights more serious problems, such as dry rot or damp-proofing, we may take longer than four weeks without having to pay you compensation)

 

Compensation Policy

We monitor the performance of all our contractors to make sure they are providing a good service. Your feedback on repairs is very important to us. We use an independent company to gather feedback on our service. Please help us by answering their questions if they call.