Repairs
How do I report a repair?
If you have an Estate Superintendent/Caretaker/Scheme Manager you can report the repair to him/her. At those developments where there is no staff on site, you can call the office on 01603 731699, visit the office or email maintenance@cotman-housing.org.uk.
For emergencies out of office hours please contact Norwich Community Alarm Service (NCAS) on 01603 412180.
What repairs are Cotman's responsibility and what are my responsibility?
Cotman's responsibilities:
Structure and exterior of properties:
• External painting
• Pathways, steps
• Garages and stores
• NOT painting and decorating of interior walls
• NOT floor coverings
Good repair and proper working order of Cotman’s installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating
• Sockets, switches and light fittings
• NOT plugs, bulbs, fluorescent tubes or starters
• Gas, water pipes and taps
• Fireplaces, fitted fires and central heating installations
• NOT Toilet seats (unless in sheltered or supported accommodation)
Outside of home
• Boundary fences, walls, steps, ramps
Communal areas
Residents responsibilities:
As a resident you are responsible for the upkeep of your home. This includes but is not limited to:
• Internal decoration
• Minor plaster repairs/cracked plaster
• Fitting of extra security devices
• Plumbing in of washing machine/dishwasher
• Sink/Bath/Basin plugs and chains
• Smoke detector batteries
• Upkeep of private garden
• Fittings not provided by Cotman
• Draught exclusion when doors and windows fit reasonably
• Fitting of TV aerials not provided by Cotman
• Adapting doors to accommodate new flooring
• Shrinkage gaps between ceilings, walls, frames, skirting and floors
• Additional security devices
• Replacing locks if loss of keys
• Blocked WC/waste pipes
• Bathroom cabinets, rails or roll holders
• Toilet seats or lids
• Cleaning/descaling of shower heads
• Changing plugs, fuses, bulbs, fluorescent tubes or starters
• Replacing filters to extractor fans
• Bleeding of radiators (excluding pressurised systems)
• Internal/external glazing
• Curtain rails
• Washing lines and rotary dryers (unless communal)
• Shelving and coat hooks
• Clearing pest infestations
• Battery operated doorbells
• Smoke detector batteries
• Arranging connection/disconnection of gas and electric cookers
• Hedges, lawns, trees and shrubs in private gardens
• Maintenance/decoration of private fences
• Rubbish clearance of private areas
• Provision/replacement of dustbins
• General housekeeping – tightening screws, oiling hinges etc
How quickly will my repair be done?
Day to day repairs are categorised as follows:
Emergency repairs
If a vital service has broken down and it is likely to cause a risk to you, your home or your belongings, we will call within 24 hours to carry out the repair or make things safe. Examples of emergencies are :
• dangerous structures
• total loss of electrical power
• gas leaks
• major plumbing problems such as burst pipes or loss of hot water supply or heating
• door or window repairs where security is at risk
Urgent repairs
If the fault is likely to lead to further damage to the building or services, or will be inconvenient for you, we will call within seven days.
Examples of urgent repairs are:
• electrical work
• structural repairs, for example, to a leaking roof
• glazing repairs
Non-urgent repairs
These are jobs that are not urgent, but we try to do them within 28 days.
Examples of non-urgent repairs are:
• internal joinery repairs to doors, window frames, floors etc
• minor plumbing repairs
• faulty plaster in walls or ceilings (unless inspection shows it is urgent)
• repairs to fittings such as kitchen worktops or cupboards