If something goes wrong in your home and you need to report a repair, we’ll do everything we can to get it sorted as quickly as possible. But if the repair isn’t our responsibility then we’ll need to ask you to cover the cost. This is known as a rechargeable repair.
Your tenancy agreement will tell you exactly who is responsible for what when it comes to repairs. You can also read about our and your responsibilities for more information.
Here’s a few circumstances where you could have to pay for a rechargeable repair:
Home improvements and DIY
We understand that you might want to make a few improvements to your home, but you’ll need to ask our permission first. If not, you could be charged for any work we have to carry out to repair or remove home improvements that don’t meet Williamsburgh's standards. Find out more about making improvements to your home.
Crime
If you’ve been a victim of a crime and criminal damage has been caused, you must report it to the police straight away. They’ll give you a case reference number, which you’ll need to give to us when you report the repair - if not, we may have to charge you. You might be able to claim for loss or damage caused as a direct result of theft or attempted theft (for example, forced entry or exit) through your own insurance, but you’ll need to check this with your insurance company first.
Security
You’ll need to cover the cost of repairing broken doorbells or alarms, replacing smashed windows, fixing padlocks or door locks and replacing or cutting new door keys (unless it was a crime and you can provide us with a case reference number). We’ll also assess any damage caused by emergency services or invasive police search activity (for example, forced entry or exit) on a case-by-case basis to determine who should pay for the repair.
When you move out
You might be charged for the removal of any personal belongings, furniture or refuse left behind. Find out more about what you’ll need to do if ending your tenancy.
Other exceptional circumstances
If there are other exceptional circumstances that might affect your responsibility for the repair or your ability to pay (for example, damage caused by domestic abuse) then please contact us as soon as possible.
If you report a non-emergency repair that’s your responsibility then one of our customer service advisors will ask to take the payment for the repair over the phone. If you can’t make the payment, we might need to put your repair on hold until you’re able to pay.
If you report an emergency repair that’s your responsibility and you or your property are at risk of danger then we’ll carry out the repair for you. We’ll advise you of the cost up front and you’ll need to pay for the work afterwards.
Unless it’s an emergency repair or you have paid for the cost of the work in advance, we won’t carry out repairs that are your responsibility. When you report the repair, we’ll advise you if it is a rechargeable repair and the amount we will charge.
You can pay for a rechargeable repair by logging into My Account.(to be added later date?)
You can either pay us to do the repair or, if it is a minor repair, you can decide to do the work yourself. You can also choose to arrange for a competent tradesperson to do it on your behalf.
All repair work must be completed to Williamsburgh's standards and comply with any relevant legislation. For example, electrical and gas repairs have regulations that require work to be completed by a skilled and competent tradesperson and you must therefore not attempt these repairs yourself as you may put yourself and others in danger. Before you engage any contractor to do works on the electrical or gas installations in your home you must tell us what it is that you intend to do and who is doing the work on your behalf and get our approval.
Remember to get in touch with us first before you make any improvements to your home.
If you refuse to pay for a rechargeable repair, we might need to take legal action to recover the cost. This is an absolute last resort and we’ll always do our very best to resolve the problem by talking to you first.
If we’re left with no choice but to take legal action against you, please remember this will affect your credit rating and your ability to take out loans and hire agreements in the future.
If you’re struggling to pay for your rechargeable repair, please contact us as soon as possible - visit our get in touch pages.