This page is for council tenants to request repairs. There is different guidance if you're a leaseholder.
How you request a repair depends on:
- what the problem is
- whether it's an emergency or not
For many repairs, you should make a request to us. However, there are a number of exceptions.
The exceptions are:
Our partner T Brown Group handles heating and hot water repairs, both in emergency and non-emergency situations.
If you have a domestic gas boiler or are connected to the communal heating system, contact them by phone:
- 0800 634 9434
Day time hours Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm.
Out of hours emergencies Monday to Friday 8pm to 8am, and throughout the weekend.
Exceptions
There are some exceptions when you should contact us by phone instead of contacting T Brown Group. These are when:
- your boiler is under a year old
- you have an alternative heating source such as:
- mechanical ventilation heat recovery system (MVHR)
- air source heat pumps (ASHP)
- other new technology heating supply
If you can smell gas or your carbon monoxide detector goes off, report it immediately to the Gas Emergency Service:
- 0800 111 999
You should also report a gas leak to Cadent.
Contact Thames Water or Affinity Water, depending on who supplies your water.
See:
Requesting a repair from us
How you request a repair from us depends on whether or not it's an emergency.
Emergencies are issues that could have a serious effect on your health or damage to your home if they're not dealt with urgently. They include:
- Major plumbing and electrical faults resulting in total water or power loss
- Loss of drinking water
- Burst pipes or uncontrollable leak
- Serious blockages to main drains, stack pipes or blocked toilets. (If only one within the home)
- Security risks such as boarding up windows and doors
- Serious structural defects
- Communal light failures
When it's not an emergency:
First, you should consider who's responsible for the issue.
If you believe it's us, you should request your repair either:
- by email: repairs.team@hounslow.gov.uk
- using our enquiry form
In an emergency:
Contact us by phone:
- 020 8583 4000
Our daytime hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
Out-of-hours emergencies are Monday to Friday from 6pm to 8am and throughout the weekend.
You can report emergency repairs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Our repairs timescales
Most repairs are carried out by our repairs team at Lampton Services.
If we are unable to clearly identify the issue, we will refer the repair to our surveying team for further investigation. These types of repairs will need a pre-inspection, and we will offer you an appointment for this.
We will attend an emergency repair within 24 hours. This is to make sure that there is no danger to residents or severe damage to property.
Where further repair work is necessary, a follow-up visit will be arranged to complete further repairs.
Examples of emergency repairs include:
- Major plumbing and electrical faults resulting in total water or power loss
- Loss of drinking water
- Burst pipes or uncontrollable leak
- No heating or hot water in winter
- Serious blockages to main drains, stack pipes or blocked toilets (if there's only one in the home)
- Security risks such as boarding up windows and doors
- Serious structural defects
- Communal light failures causing a health and safety concern
For work where the fault or failure does not cause danger to occupants or the public but needs to be put right to prevent inconvenience to you and keep the property in a reasonable condition.
We will attend to an urgent repair within five working days.
Where further repair work is necessary, we will arrange a follow-up visit.
Examples of urgent repairs include:
- Minor leaks and blocked drains and pipes
- Faulty electrical wiring, loose fittings and partial loss of electrical power
- Total loss of hot water
- Leaking roof
- A blocked stack pipe affecting the sink, bath or basin
We will attend to a routine repair within 20 working days.
Examples of routine repairs include:
- Repairing and/or replacing individual kitchen units
- Replacing external door and window furniture (if there is no safety or security risk)
- Replacing a communal wall and/or floor tiles
- Electrical socket or light switch not working
- Minor plumbing work and replacing taps
- Repairing and clearing guttering and down pipes
- Minor roof repairs
- Door entry systems and security gates
- Communal lighting
- Communal drains
- Communal windows
- Communal waste pipes
For works that are larger in nature and require extra planning, we will attend and complete these within 40 working days. We will only plan jobs like these following an initial make safe repair.
Examples of complex repairs include:
- Remedial works following flood damage
- Remedial works following fire damage
Repair responsibilities
Your repair responsibilities are explained in your tenancy agreement. You should keep your home in good condition and let us know when repairs are needed that are our responsibility.
While we take care of some repairs, there are certain repairs that residents must carry out themselves. These responsibilities may change depending on the resident's needs or the type of tenancy or lease.
Generally, tenants are responsible for repairs caused by accidents, misuse, or neglect. This includes damage caused by friends or visitors.
- Keeping the room in good condition
- Replacing sink plugs and splashback tiles around the sink
- Connecting and repairing your own appliances, such as washing machine, cooker, and other white goods
- Clearing blocked sink
- Repairing damaged worktops, cupboards drawers, handles or hinges where this has been caused by you
- Changing fluorescent light tubes and starter
- Replace tap washers
- Repair any trip hazards in flooring that we have provided
- Repair or replace detached or broken unit hinges, drawer fronts, runners, and backs (due to wear and tear)
- Repair or replace units, worktops, and seals (due to wear and tear)
- Replace the sealant around the sink
- Fix or replace extractor fan, pull cord and cooker ventilation hood that have been installed by us
- Repair electrical sockets and isolator switches
- Fix or replace cupboard and drawer handles (due to wear and tear)
- Tighten any loose hinges, drawer fronts, runners, and backboards to units
- Repair or replace flooring installed by us
- Keeping the bathroom and toilet in good condition
- Containing leaks and preventing water damage
- Clearing blocked toilet flushes, sinks, baths, and hand basins
- Replacing the toilet seat lid and hinges
- Replacing bath and sink plugs, chains, and general cleaning
- Repairing or replacing the bath panel, including side and end framing
- Descaling or replacing shower heads and hoses
- Replacing bathroom accessories like mirrors, rails/curtains, riser rods, toilet roll holders, towel rails, and cabinets
- Repairing or replacing the internal dryer over the bath
- Repairing or replacing WC and bathroom door locks
- Replacing light bulbs
- Attend to and repair leaks
- Repair or replace basin and bath taps
- Repair or replace showers we have installed
- Repair or replace shower screens we have installed
- Repair or replace toilet flushing mechanisms Repair or replace shaver points we have installed
- Repair or replace extractor fans and pull cords
- Repair or replace leaking or dripping taps (including mixers) for wash hand basins, baths, and sinks
- Repair or replace sealant around your bath, shower unit, and wash basin
- Repair or replace safety flooring
- Giving us access for an annual gas service if there is a gas supply to your home
- Reporting gas leaks to The National Grid by calling 0800 111 999
- Contacting Thames Water if there are issues with your water supply
- Clearing drain and waste pipe blockages
- Reporting problems with lateral drains and private/shared sewers to your water or company
- Repair your heating system if it breaks down
- Repair or replace radiators and storage heaters
- Fix water leaks from your heating system and tanks
- Fix leaking pipes
- Fix storage tanks and water cylinders
- Clear blockages in stacks (in blocks)
- Repair or replace cracked or collapsed drains that are not the responsibility of the water or sewage company
- Replacing light bulbs and tubes in your home
- Replacing batteries, plugs or fuses
- Replacing TV aerials (unless communal)
- Telephone lines, TV and broadband connections
- Changing batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
- Maintaining and regularly testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms you have installed
- Replacing batteries in carbon monoxide or some alarms you have installed
- Ensuring your appliances are not causing electrical problems
- Reporting faults with utility meters to your suppliers
- Arranging for a qualified person to connect and repair your appliances
- Allowing access for electrical testing
- Repair or replace mains, fuses, and power plug sockets
- Repair or replace faulty light fittings and switches
- Repair or replace extractor fans and pull cords
- Repair or replace hard-wired doorbells
- Repair or replace hard-wired and battery smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Repair electrical hazards like exposed or sparking wires and system shortages
- Electrical testing and rewiring where required
- Keeping doors and windows in good condition, wiping away moisture
- Ventilating your home and preventing condensation
- Arranging access to your home if you are locked out or have lost your keys
- Replacing lost keys
- Repairing or replacing door chains, door numbers, and secondary locks
- Replacing doorknobs, letterboxes and other door furniture
- Maintaining or replacing internal cupboard doors, doors, handles, hinges and latches in good condition
- Oiling catches and hinges
- Replacing broken glass, you have caused damage to
- Cleaning internal windows (houses or flats) and external windows (houses only)
- Maintaining weather strips and draught excluders on external doors
- Maintaining doors (e.g., not installing cat flaps, additional spy holes, or letterboxes)
- Repair or replace insecure external doors, frames, and panels
- Repair internal bathroom and fire doors due to wear and tear
- Repair or replace external fire doors due to wear and tear
- Repair or replace windows that do not open or close
- Repair or replace sashcords and faulty window handles, latches, hinges and seals
- Repair window frames
- Board up windows for health, safety and security reasons
- Keeping all rooms clean and in good condition, not installing Artex or polystyrene tilling, coving or similar materials
- Redecorating (e.g., replastering, painting and wallpaper)
- Repairing hairline and minor cracks or fractures in plastering
- Preventing condensation, wiping away moisture from windows, treating and cleaning mould, ventilation and heating the property
- Reporting a crime reference number when repairs are needed due to vandalism (e.g., smashed windows)
- Sweeping chimneys
- Repairing and replacing items and fixtures and fittings installed by yourself, including any extra security measures or alterations (you must seek authorisation before undertaking alterations)
- Pest control (unless infestation is from a communal area)
- Maintain flooring installed by yourself
- Repair large cracks and severely crumbling surfaces Remedy penetrative and rising damp
- Complete major structural repairs
- Repair handrails and banisters on stairs
- Repair stairs and treads
- Maintain subflooring
- Maintain loft hatches
- Keeping your garden tidy and doing any tree work in your garden
- Weeding paths, paving, and driveways
- Maintaining, repairing, and replacing front garden fences, dividing fences between you and your neighbour, gates, and fixing defective ironmongery, catches, and bolts
- Repairing fence panels, posts, and/or gravel boards
- Replacing washing lines in your garden
- Keeping balcony drains clear and free from debris
- Keeping communal areas free from clutter and personal items
- Reporting communal repairs
- Repair any boundary fence bordering a public area
- Take action for significant health and safety issues
- Repair trip hazards in paths, paving, and driveways
- Repair or replace unsafe garden walls and brick sheds
- Repair or replace roofs, chimneys, guttering, and downpipes
- Maintain brickwork and external walls
- Remove Japanese knotweed
- Maintain communal areas to a good standard
- Maintain communal washing lines and other shared facilities
- Undertake pest control in communal areas
- Maintain communal play areas and shared spaces
- Unblock, stacks pipes, drains, gullies and gutters
Rechargeable works
You may be charged if someone in your household or a visitor is responsible for damage we need to repair. This would include the cost of the repair, an administration fee and VAT.
This is because, (as outlined in your tenancy agreement), you are responsible for taking reasonable care of your home.
When possible, we will let you know if a repair is rechargeable when you first report it and provide an estimated cost. If you do not inform us that you are responsible for the damage, but we find out when an operative arrives, you will still be charged for the repair.
You may also be charged for emergency repairs that are typically your responsibility. Such as lock changes, replacing lost keys, or boarding up broken windows.
Our service standards
When requesting a repair, we will:
- process it on the same day it's reported, unless we need to inspect the job first
- respond to a non-urgent repair requests within ten working days
- offer an appointment from Monday to Friday either in the morning (8am to 12 noon), the afternoon (12 noon to 4pm) or as a full day slot (8am to 4pm) for all non-urgent repairs
- ensure that all residents receive the same level of service regardless of their circumstances
