It’s our job to keep you safe in your home. Although we are responsible for carrying out most repairs, you’re also responsible for some things.
Below, we have tried to answer some of your frequently asked questions. If you have a question that we haven’t covered below, please contact the team.
If you need to report a repair, the quickest way is to log it via myHavebury. Please note that Liberty repairs cannot be reported on myHavebury, please call 0300 3300 900 and select options 2 and 0 to report these.
Alternatively, you can contact our Repairs team by calling 0300 3300 900 or emailing repairs@havebury.com
You can report emergency repairs by calling 0300 3300 900. You can do this any time of the day or night.
What repairs are Havebury responsible for?
For our rented homes, we are responsible for health and safety checks – for example, servicing your gas boilers and central heating systems, electrical wiring and testing, and fitting smoke alarms.
For both rented and shared owner communal areas, we are responsible for repairs and maintenance works. In some cases, these may be covered by a service charge.
We’ll also fix repairs that are due to the general wear and tear of materials that we’ve installed, such as:
- Kitchen units and worktops
- Wall tiling
- Sinks, showers, and baths
- Internal and external doors
- Electricals such as wiring, sockets, pull cords, light switches
- External windows and door seals
- Internal and external walls, ceilings, roofing, and brickwork
- Guttering, drainage, waste pipes, and water supply
- Damp and mould – you can find out more about this here
Please note that when carrying out repairs, we try our hardest to use like-for-like materials. However, if certain materials have been discontinued, we cannot guarantee this. For example, if your cupboard door is damaged, we may be unable to replace it with a door that matches the rest of your kitchen.
As kitchens are replaced, we collect any spare materials that we can reuse for future repairs. This means that if we have to replace something that doesn’t match the rest of your kitchen or bathroom, there may be a chance that a like-for-like material will become available in the future. Although this is not guaranteed, we will try our best and contact you to arrange an appointment to swap the materials if we can.
What is classed as an emergency repair?
An emergency repair is something that could affect your health and safety or cause significant damage to your home.
To fix the immediate problem, we may carry out a temporary repair to make it safe, then return at a later date to fix this problem fully.
Examples of emergency repairs include:
- A total loss of electricity
- Flood or leak
- Blocked drains
- Gas leaks
Reporting an emergency
To report an emergency, please contact us on 0300 3300 900, any time of the day or night.
If you report a repair as an emergency, and when our team attends, they conclude that it’s not, you will be charged a £125 call-out charge.
What repairs are my responsibility?
You are responsible for:
- Internal decorating
- Changing lightbulbs (internal and external)
- Plumbing in your washing machines, dishwashers, and other appliances
- Toilet seats, toilet roll holders, shower curtains, and plugs/chains to sinks and baths
- Doorbells
- Curtain rails and batons
- Coat hooks
- Washing lines and posts
- Any carpet or floor covering that you’ve fitted yourself
- Timber sheds
- Outside taps
- Purchasing additional keys
- Water butts
- The maintenance of anything you have fitted/installed yourself
What is a rechargeable repair?
A rechargeable repair is a repair that we’ve carried out, that is not due to general wear and tear. For example:
- Fixing any deliberate damage, such as radiators ripped off walls or damage to internal doors or kitchen units
- Unblocking a drain when inappropriate materials have been flushed down the sink or toilet
- Changing the locks, if you lose your key
- Clearing your property if it’s left in an unreasonable state when you move out
Recharge costs
Below you can see how much we charge for each repair. Please note, we’ll confirm the amount you will need to pay before any work is carried out. Our minimum call-out fee is £125.00*
How long will I have to wait for my repair to be fixed?
Emergency repair – 24 hours
This includes loss of electricity/gas, uncontrollable water leak, loss of hot water where there is no alternative, and dangerous structural issues.
Please note, the total loss of heating will be treated as an emergency repair and responded to within 24 hours between 1 October – 31 March. Outside of these times, it will be responded to within 48 hours.
Damp and mould – Varies depending on urgency
You can find out more about our process to tackle damp and mould concerns here.
Day-to-day repairs – within 28 working days
Our technician will confirm if any follow-on appointment is required after their initial visit.
Planned repairs – up to 12 months
This includes fencing, concreting, and replastering.
I have lost my house keys. What do I do?
If you’ve lost your keys or locked yourself out of your home, we recommend you get in touch with a locksmith to help you regain entry. If you arrange an appointment for our team to do this, it will cost you £159.00. If we then needed to change the locks and provide you with a new set of keys, the cost will go up to £192.00.
I am a shared owner, who does my repairs?
If you’re a shared owner, you will generally be responsible for any repairs. If your home is a new build, you’ll have a 12 or 24 month defect or ‘snagging’ period. This means either we or our contractors will fix any snagging issues you have.
The defect ‘snagging’ period starts on the day the home was completed, not the say your sale completed.
You will also be responsible for all safety checks and servicing, and we ask that you send copies of your annual service records to homeownership@havebury.com.
Please ensure you check when your heating system service is due.
We are responsible for any repairs and maintenance works to your communal area. In some cases, this may be covered by your service charge.