Our service promises

pdrha our service promises

We strive to always go the extra mile and do our best for our customers.

Our service promises let you know what service levels you should expect from us. Like how quickly we'll respond to you, how quickly repairs will be completed and how we'll keep you informed.

How we communicate

  • At all times we will:
    • Be polite and helpful
    • Respond as quickly as we can to your enquiry and try and resolve it the first time you contact us
    • Make it clear what we can and can’t do and when it can be done
    • Communicate clearly
    • Treat everyone fairly and respectfully and tailor services, where ever we can, to be accessible to individual needs
    • Tell you who is dealing with your enquiries
    • Signpost you to myhomeonline or our website for services available 24/7
    • Protect your data in line with GDPR guidelines
    • Use plain language and avoid the use of jargon

When you contact us

  • When you use MyHomeOnline, we will:
    • Report your non-urgent repair to our contractors within one working day
    • Set up your direct debit within one working day (payment date will start within 14 working days)
    • Process your updated profiling information within one working day
    • Answer your general enquiries within one working day
    • Answer more complex enquiries with three working days. If we can't answer your query fully within three working days, we'll let you know the date we will respond to you by
  • When you send us a letter, email or message via our website, we will:
    • Reply to your message within three working days
    • If necessary, forward your message to the person who can answer your query and let you know the name of that person
    • If we can't answer your query fully within three working days, we will let you know the date we'll respond to you by
    • Ensure that our website is up to date with important messages for residents
  • When you phone us, we will:
    • Try and answer your call within 20 seconds
    • Introduce the company and name of the person you are speaking to
    • Aim to resolve your enquiry at the first point of contact
    • If we're unable to resolve your enquiry at first point of contact, we will ask the person who can answer the query to call you within 24 hours from when they return from their visits or annual leave. It may take longer to deal with the matter, or the person may not be available, if this is the case, we will give you an estimated time/date for the call to be returned.
  • When you like us on Facebook, we will:
    • Post and share relevant messages on a regular basis
    • Monitor activity and comments in accordance with our social media policy
    • Reply to any comments posted within one working day
    • Remove any comments which are defamatory, include obscene language, or which violate the rights of others
    • Remove any reference made to staff or other residents
    • Remove any other content which we deem inappropriate

Appointments and visits

  • When making an appointment, we will:
    • Arrange an appointment in your home, an agreeable alterative venue or a remote meeting
    • Make an appointment convenient to all concerned
    • Inform you as soon as possible if we have to cancel or rearrange the appointment
  • When we visit you, we will:
    • Let you know if we are delayed
    • Show identification
    • Respect your home and customs
    • Leave a calling card if we miss you

Repairs and maintenance

  • Regarding repairs and maintenance to your home, we will:
    • Provide and maintain your home to a high standard
    • Operate an all year round, 24-hour service to deal with emergency repairs
    • Provide various ways to report a non-emergency repair, via, myhomeonline, our websites and email
    • Let you know if the repair is your responsibility
    • Carry out all repairs within the target time (24 hours for emergency, 7 days for urgent, and 28 days for routine repairs)
    • Cancel a repair if you do not keep to the appointment time and will charge you for the call out costs
    • Consult with you and provide timescales if we are carrying out any planned improvements to your home
    • Carry our annual safety checks and servicing of gas, renewables and solid fuel appliances
    • Ensure our contractors respect your home and keep mess to a minimum
    • Call or text you within 10 days of completion of the repair to see if you are satisfied
    • Ensure that grounds maintenance work is carried out in accordance with the schedule
    • Carry out inspections on a sample of repairs to check our contractor is meeting the standard we expect
  • Our Contractors Code of Conduct
    • At all times behave in a polite and courteous manner and take all reasonable steps to protect your belongings
    • It is not the responsibility of the contractor to move or remove any of your fixtures, fittings, appliances or furniture
    • Respect your home, customs and confidentiality
    • Carry and show, if requested, an identity card with a photo, name and contractor’s address and telephone number
    • Show a copy of our official order on request
    • Will not smoke in your home and politely ask you not to smoke prior to a contractor visit and during the visit
    • Will not use portable radios or similar equipment in your home
    • Wear shoe coverings, when asked to do so
    • Undertake work to a high standard and report any additional problems identified during the course of repairs to us as soon as possible
    • Keep the site, property and other work areas clean and tidy, removing waste and unwanted materials at reasonable intervals and removing all rubbish at completion of work
    • Not accept gifts or payments from you, except where these are made for work carried out under a separate, personal agreement, not forming part of our obligations
    • At all times, comply with current health and safety legislation

Your neighbourhood

  • So you can enjoy your neighbourhood and community, we will:
    • Ensure the schemes are clean and safe
    • Inspect the scheme every year to check the upkeep of the scheme and ensure we are providing an effective service
    • Listen to your reports of anti-social behaviour and take them seriously
    • Deal with anti-social behaviour in accordance with our policy, however, we will not deal with tit for tat arguments.

Lettings and rent

  • When letting homes, we will:
    • Let our homes as quickly as possible and allocate them fairly in accordance with our lettings policy
    • Provide you with information on your property and tenancy
    • Offer Homeswapper as a scheme for mutual exchanges
    • Give you information about how to apply for accommodation via choice-based lettings with the local authority
  • With regards to your rent, we will:
    • Offer a number of different payment options, direct debit is our preferred option
    • Give you the option to view your rent account 24/7 on myhomeonline
    • Give you the option to print/download a rent statement on myhomeonline
    • Provide you with details of money saving advice and benefit changes on our website to help you budget
    • Notify you when your account goes into arrears
    • Take firm action when accounts remain in arrears
    • Take action if residents do not pay their rent in advance
    • Take legal action if arrears increase or persist, which could lead to an eviction

Keeping you informed

Helping us

  • What you can do to help us:
    • Keep to the terms and conditions of your Tenancy Agreement
    • Respect your home, neighbours and neighbourhood
    • Use myhomeonline to monitor your rent account, pay your rent, report non-urgent repairs and keep your contact details up to date
    • Like us on Facebook so we can keep you informed on issues that might affect you or be on assistance
    • Pay the correct rent on time
    • Pay your rent by direct debit, we can set this up for you weekly, fortnightly, monthly on a day suitable to you
    • Report any repairs that we are responsible for as soon as you can
    • Take reasonable care of your home and undertake any repairs you are responsible for
    • Adhere to any confirmed appointments
    • Be polite when speaking to us, we reserve the right to terminate a conversation/meeting if we feel that you are being rude and disrespectful. We will inform you of this before we do so
    • Discuss minor issues with the person concerned to try and resolve them yourself before involving us
    • Ensure access for repairs and safety checks to be carried out
    • Talk to us if you are experiencing problems paying your rent
    • Let us know if your circumstances change
    • Let us know if you're claiming Universal Credit
    • Let us know if you're satisfied with our services via our surveys
    • Give us four weeks notice and a forwarding address if you want to give up your tenancy
    • Let us know if you're dissatisfied with the service, we provide through our complaints procedure
  • Are we keeping our promises? Let us know

    Please let us know if we've not provided what we promised or you would like to make a suggestion on how we can improve our services.

    From your feedback, we can learn and improve our services for residents.