Housing Management Repairs Policy

The Repairs Policy is currently under review to update the existing version, which was published in 2019. Kensington and Chelsea Council have proposed changes to the policy, which outlines the responsibilities of the Council, tenants, and leaseholders. While the primary focus is on responsive repairs, the policy also addresses communal repairs, planned maintenance, and adaptations.

To refine the policy further, we sought feedback from tenants and leaseholders through a survey, aiming to gather opinions on the proposed changes and additional suggestions for improvement.

• Residents appreciated the transparent inclusion of leaseholders, particularly the addition of a general table outlining repair responsibilities. However, leaseholders requested more detail on what the Council is responsible for repairing versus leaseholder obligations.
• Concerns were raised about the lack of guidance on addressing long outstanding repair issues.
• Residents sought clarity on the Council’s stance regarding laminate flooring.
• Feedback emphasised the need to better support elderly and vulnerable residents during repair requests.
• Residents requested operatives to wear shoe coverings or PPE when entering homes if requested.
• Residents expressed concerns about damp and mould issues and whether they would be effectively addressed.

We have used your feedback to update policy, accordingly, aims to be published in January 2025. The changes that have been made are as follows:

• We have further clarified repair responsibilities for both the Council and leaseholders, specifically around windows, front doors, walls, ceilings, floors, communal pipes, and pipes used exclusively within a leaseholder's flat.
• Section 10 of the policy now includes guidance on how to address long outstanding repair issues. Additionally, we have written a Disrepair Policy which will give further detail on how to address outstanding repair issues, which should be published by March 2025.
• Section 15 of the policy now provides detailed clarification on the Council’s stance regarding laminate flooring.
• We updated our “code of conduct” section to “code of conduct and vulnerabilities” ensuring tailored support for elderly and vulnerable residents. Residents are encouraged to inform staff about their needs so this can be recorded, and additional support can be provided.
• We updated our policy to include a requirement for operatives to wear shoe coverings or PPE upon request.
• The concerns raised about damp and mould are being addressed in a separate Damp and Mould Policy, which will be published alongside the updated Repairs Policy.