Right to Repair

If the contractor fails to complete the work on time, you may have the right to ask us to employ another contractor to do the work. In the first instance you should contact the Customer Relations team:

 

• Telephone 020 8314 6616
• Write to Lewisham Homes Customer Relations, FREEPOST (no stamp required), SE6 4TW
• Email complaints@lewishamhomes.org.uk  

 

Arrangements may be made for another contractor to undertake the repair. The second contractor has the same amount of time to complete the work as the original contractor.

In the event that the second contractor also fails to complete the work on time you may be entitled to compensation under the Statutory Right to Repair Scheme. Only certain repairs qualify under this scheme, a full list is shown at the end of the section.

The compensation entitlement is £10, plus for every day that the repair remains outstanding a further payment of £2 per day up is paid, to a maximum of £50 for any one job.

Lewisham Council is entitled to offset this compensation against any debt you may owe to the Council.

 

The Statutory Right to Repair Scheme

The Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994

Schedule

Regulations 2 and 4

Defect	Prescribed period (in working days)	Lewisham  Time Limit	Lewisham Priority
Total loss of electric power	1	4 hours	2R
Partial loss of electric power	3	1 day	3R
Unsafe power or lighting socket, or electrical fitting	1	4 hours	2R
Total loss of water supply	1	1	3R
Partial loss of water supply	3	1	3R
Total or partial loss of gas supply	1	1	3R
Blocked flue to open fire or boiler	1	1	3R
Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 31st October and 1st May	1	1	3R
Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 30th April and 1st November	3	3	4R
Blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack, or (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling-house) toilet pan	1	1 or 4 hours if backing up	3R 2R
Toilet not flushing (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling-house)	1	1	3R
Blocked sink, bath or basin	3	1	3R
Tap which cannot be turned	3	1	3R
Leaking from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern	1	1	3R
Leaking roof	7	3	4R
Insecure external window, door or lock	1	4 hours	2R
Loose or detached bannister or hand rail	3	3	4R
Rotten timber flooring or stair tread	3	3	4R
Door entryphone not working	7	3	4R
Mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working	7	3	4R

Source: Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994, SI No. 133 (as amended by SI 1994 No. 844).
Note: n/a = not applicable.