to download a copy of the repairs handbook (pdf) - Your Homes ...

Repairs 

booklet 

A guide for tenants 

repairs

Contact information 

Contact information 

This information is about asking for repairs to your home. If you need this in your 

language or a different language phone 0191 278 8633. This information is also available 

in large print, Braille and audio tape. We can also arrange for you to see a British Sign 

Language interpreter. 

Bengali 

Chinese (simplified) 

Chinese (traditional) 

Farsi 

French 

Kurdish 

Portuguese 

Russian 

Spanish

Contact information . . . . . . . . Inside front cover 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

How to report a repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Repair priorities, Our responsibilities . . . . 4 to 6 

Your responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 to 7 

Typical repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Insurance, Bogus callers, 

Energy efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 to 10 

What is condensation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 to 11 

Advice on condensation and mould . . 11 to 12 

Frost protection, Service Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 to 15 

Right to Repair scheme, 

Discretionary Allowance scheme . . . . . . 16 to 17 

Checking electrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Diagram pages 

Airing cupboard and hot water cylinder . . . . 19 

Basins and sinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 to 21 

Baths and showers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 to 25 

Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Electrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 to 28 

Floors, walls and ceilings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 to 30 

Garages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Gutters and rainwater pipes . . . . . . . . . . . 32 to 33 

Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Kitchen units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Locks, latches and fittings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

Outside of the property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 to 40 

Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 to 42 

Stairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Toilets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

Windows and glazing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 to 50 

Useful contact details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 to 54 

Where to find equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 

Contents 

www.yhn.org.uk Repairs Centre 0845 113 8888 

1

Introduction 

We have produced this booklet to help you report repairs. 

Staff in our Repairs Centre use the same booklet, to help them identify exactly what 

fault you are reporting. You can help us make sure we order the right repair, by 

referring our staff to the relevant page and description in the booklet. 

Introduction 

We hope you keep it near the phone and refer to it when reporting a repair. That will 

help us provide a more efficient service and complete more jobs at the first visit. 

We know that an effective repairs service is very important to tenants. That is why we 

have invested in the service and are constantly looking at how it is delivered, to find 

ways of improving the service and reducing repair-related complaints. 

The Repairs Centre has made it much easier to contact our repairs staff and this 

booklet has all our contact numbers. If you use it when contacting us, it will help us to 

help you. 

The Repairs and Maintenance Team, Your Homes Newcastle, produced this guide in 

April 2007. If you have any comments about the guide please contact: Repairs and 

Maintenance Team, YHN House, Benton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7LX. 

Phone: 0191 278 8600 E-mail: yhn@ yhn.org.uk 

2 Repairs Centre 0845 113 8888 www.yhn.org.uk

How to report a repair 

You can report repairs by contacting 

● 

Or 

● 

● 

The Repairs Centre on 0845 113 8888 (Monday to Friday – 8am to 6pm). Please 

provide your phone number where available. 

Emergency repair reporting by phone at any time 

E-mail repairs@newcastle.gov.uk with details of the repair. 

Visit the Your Homes Newcastle website at www.yhn.org.uk and report online. 

● Send us a fax on 0191 277 3674. 

You can also call into your local housing office or customer service centre, where staff 

will help you contact the Repairs Centre. 

Information for tenants 


3


Repair priorities 

Each repair is given a priority code to 

indicate how quickly it will be carried out. 

The priority will depend upon the nature 

of the fault and the possible risk to health 

Priority 

2 hours Out-of-hours emergency 

and safety of the occupants of the 

premises. 

The priority and the target times for 

completing the repairs are set out below, 

along with each type of repair. 

Target completion time 

4 hours Emergency – normal working hours 

Urgent – 1 day 

Urgent – 3 days 

Urgent – complete within 1 working day* 

Urgent – complete within 3 working days* 

7 days Attend by appointment, complete within 7 working days* 

20 days Attend by appointment, complete within 20 working days* 

Rapid response 

Planned maintenance 

Attend by appointment, complete within 5 working days* 

By arranged programme date 

*All target completion times are from date of issue. 


A repair may be upgraded where the 

circumstances merit more urgent 

attention such as: 

● 

● 

● 

● 

there is a risk to health and safety; 

the home is occupied by someone who 

is elderly or disabled; 

there is a child under six months living 

in the property; and 

there is a risk of major damage to the 

fabric of the property. 

Depending on the priority we will 

arrange an appointment for a morning 

or afternoon to suit you and you will 

receive a confirmation letter. 

Your behaviour 

We aim to treat you with respect and in 

return we expect you to do the same. We 

will not tolerate any threats, violence, 

intimidation or discrimination against our 

employees or anyone else representing or 

working for us. 

We would ask you to refrain from 

smoking in the presence of our 

employees or contractors undertaking 

repairs. 

Our responsibilities 

We will make sure all properties are 

kept in good repair, including the 

structure and outside of homes and the 

buildings in which they are situated, 

this includes: 

● drains, gutters and external pipes 

● the roof, outside walls, outside doors, 

window sills, window catches, sash 

cords, glazing 

● putties and window frames and glass, 

including the necessary painting and 

decoration 


www.yhn.org.uk 

Repairs Centre 0845 113 8888 

5


Together with: 

● internal walls, skirting boards, door 

frames, hinges, locks, door jambs, 

thresholds, letterboxes, door handles, 

floors and ceilings, but not including 

painting and decorating 

● plasterwork 

● chimneys, chimney stacks (this does not 

include the sweeping of chimneys) 

● fences, pathways, steps or other means 

of access 

● integral garages and stores 

We will also keep in good repair and 

proper working order the Council’s 

installations for the supply of water, gas 

and electricity, for sanitation and for 

space and water heating, including: 

● 

basins, sinks, baths, toilets, flushing 

cisterns and waste pipes 

● 

● 

● 

● 

electric wiring, gas and water pipes, 

taps (including washers) 

water and space heaters, fireplaces and 

fitted fires 

sockets and light fittings 

repairing shared areas 

Your responsibilities 

You are responsible, at your own 

expense, for repairing all damage to 

Council property caused through neglect, 

carelessness or misuse. 

If you fail to carry out this work we can 

serve you a notice that requires you to 

carry it out. If you fail to respond to that 

notice, the Council can enter your home 

to carry out the work and charge you a 

reasonable sum for it. 


You are also required to pay for the cost 

to the Council, of putting right any 

damage to the property at the end of the 

tenancy. 

The following minor repairs are not 

covered by the Council’s responsibilities. 

You can do these yourself: 

● draught exclusion, provided the doors 

and windows fit reasonably 

● fitting TV aerials or satellite dishes 

(subject to the Council’s permission) 

● repairing minor cracks to plaster 

● adapting doors to accommodate 

carpets 

● fixing minor gaps between skirting 

boards and doors 

● fitting extra catches and safety devices 

to doors and windows and installing 

burglar alarms 

● 

● 

● 

easing and adjusting inside doors and 

their fittings 

supplying and fitting things like 

shower heads, toilet seats, towel rails, 

toilet roll holders, mirrors, 

plugs and chains on sinks, baths and 

basins, curtain rails, washing lines, 

tidy-driers, rotary driers, plugs, light 

fittings, shelving, coat and hat hooks, 

door handles, doors inside your home 

and letterboxes 

minor repairs to kitchen cupboards and 

drawers 


● 

replacing locks if you lose your keys 



7

Typical repairs 


Emergency repairs 

Serious damage to the building 

Danger to health 

Risk to safety 

Risk or damage to the occupier’s 

property 

For example: 

● Gas leaks 

● Total electrical failure 

● Total heating failure (winter) 

● Burst pipes 

● Making the property secure by 

boarding up and so on 

● Making the property safe after 

storm damage 

● Major drainage faults 

● Failure of lighting on communal 

staircases 

Urgent repairs 

Repairs which seriously affect the 

comfort of the resident or cause 

potential damage to the property 

For example: 

● Plumbing and drainage faults 

● Roof leaks 

● Electrical faults to individual 

lights 

● Majority of gas repairs 

● Partial loss of heating 

● Taps which can’t be turned off 

or on 

Routine repairs 

Repairs which will not seriously 

interfere with the comfort and 

convenience of the resident 

For example: 

● Repairs to plasterwork 

● Repairs to doors, windows and 

so on 

● Repairs to bathroom and 

kitchen fittings 

● New sanitary fittings, that is 

bath, toilet and wash-hand 

basin 

The diagrams on pages 19 to 51 are intended to assist you in identifying repairs. 


Insurance 

We strongly advise all our tenants to 

take out household contents insurance. 

Many council tenants mistakenly 

believe that their furniture, belongings 

and decorations are automatically 

insured against theft or damage from 

fire or burst pipes. This is not the case 

and unfortunately some people realise 

this only after the damage has been 

done. If you do not have contents 

insurance you should seriously consider 

getting some. 

We can make it easy for you to insure 

your belongings through the Home 

Contents Insurance scheme. You can get 

an application form from your local office 

or by phoning the Income section at YHN 

House on 0191 278 8644. 

Bogus callers 

Some criminals trick their way into homes 

so that they can steal. This simple guide 

may help you avoid this problem. 

Always check that officials visiting your 

home are genuine. Visiting officers will 

be able to show you their ID. Make sure 

you ask to see it, before you allow them 

into to your property. 

Do 

● use a door chain and spy hole if you 

have one; 

• ask callers for their ID card; 

● refuse entry to a stranger or someone 

you are not sure of; and 

● phone the police if you are not sure 

about the claims of someone calling at 

the door. 




9


Do not 

● allow anyone into your home if you are 

not happy about them; 

● believe someone who is claiming to be 

an official without seeing proper 

identification; 

● part with cash on the promise that 

work will be done in the future; and 

● keep more money in the house than 

you need. 

Remember – a genuine caller will never 

mind you taking precautions. 

Energy efficiency 

● 

● 

● 

Is your home energy-efficient? 

Do you know anything about energy 

efficiency? 

Did you know being energy-efficient 

will save you money? 

If you answer no to any of these 

questions, you are probably losing 

money. Having an energy-efficient home 

will save you money and cost you a lot 

less than you think. 

Further information can be obtained 

from the Energy Advice Centre on 0191 

281 1303. 

What is condensation? 

There is always some moisture in the air 

even if you cannot see it. If the air gets 

colder it cannot hold all of the moisture 

and tiny drops of water appear. This is 

condensation. You notice it when you see 

your breath on a cold day, or when the 

mirror mists over when you have a bath 

or shower. 

Condensation happens during cold 

weather, whether it is raining or dry. It 


does not leave a tidemark. It appears on 

cold surfaces and in places where there is 

little movement of air. 

Advice on condensation and mould 

Is your home damp? Damp housing 

encourages the growth of mites, can 

cause mould on ceilings, walls and 

furniture and can increase the risk of 

respiratory illness. 

The following explains how condensation 

forms and how you can keep it to a 

minimum, so reducing the risk of 

dampness and mould growth. Advice on 

the treatment of mould is also included. 

Is it condensation? 

Condensation is not the only cause of 

damp. Damp can also come from: 

• leaking pipes, wastes or overflows; 

• rain seeping through the roof where a 

tile or slate is missing, through walls, 

spilling from a blocked gutter or 

penetrating around window or door 

frames; and 

• rising damp due to a defective or 

bridged damp proof course or because 

there is no damp-proof course. 

These causes of damp usually leave a 

tidemark. New repair and building work 

can also appear to be damp while it dries 

out. If you do not think the damp comes 

from any of these causes, it is probably 

condensation. 

First steps against condensation 

Wipe condensation off windows, doors 

and sills every morning. Wring out the 

cloth rather than drying it on a radiator. 



11


Try to produce less moisture 

When cooking, cover pans and do not 

leave kettles boiling. 

Washing clothes 

Put washing outdoors to dry if you can or 

put it in a room with the door closed and 

the window open or a fan on. If you have 

a tumble dryer, make sure you vent it to 

the outside (unless it is a self-condensing 

type). 

Paraffin and portable gas heaters 

These heaters put a lot of moisture into 

the air. Ventilate rooms these are used in. 

If you have a problem with condensation, 

try to find an alternative means of 

heating. 

Ventilate to remove moisture 

Some ventilation is needed to get rid of 

moisture being produced all the time, 

including that from people’s breath. 

Keep a small window slightly open or a 

trickle ventilator open when someone is 

in the room. Ventilate unheated rooms 

such as bedrooms for short periods (10 to 

15 minutes) each day to remove moist air. 

On cold or wet days, keeping windows or 

vents open for long periods when rooms 

are not used, may only make the room 

colder and the air damper, which may 

increase condensation. 

You need much more ventilation in the 

kitchen and bathroom when cooking, 

washing up, bathing and drying clothes. 

Closing the kitchen and bathroom doors 

when these rooms are in use will help 

stop condensation spreading. 


Frost protection 

Take precautions 

• Keep your home as warm as possible in 

cold weather. 

• Let warm air circulate by leaving inside 

doors open. 

If you have a burst pipe 

• Turn off the water at the stopcock. 

Service Contracts 

We are responsible for maintaining the following services: 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Lifts 

Stair lifts and patient hoists 

Shower cubicle and toilets 

District and Group heating systems 

• Switch off the electricity at the mains. 

• Switch off any heating systems. 

• Turn on all taps. 

• Immediately phone our Repairs 

Centre on 0845 113 8888. 

• Warn any neighbours who may be 

affected. 

Contacts 

● Named lift company 

● Repairs Centre – phone 0845 113 8888 

● Repairs Centre – phone 0845 113 8888 

● City Build District and Group Heating 

Team – phone 0191 224 0584 or 

0191 224 0598 



13


Gas 

Gas escapes 

If you smell gas in your home follow 

these four simple steps: 

● Turn off the gas supply. The main gas 

on/off handle is next to your gas meter. 

● Open doors and windows. This will 

allow the gas to escape. 

● Don’t light matches or switch lights 

and sockets on or off. Sparks from 

these can ignite escaped gas. 

● Immediately phone Northern Gas 

Networks on 0800 111 999. There is no 

charge for this call. 

Main gas on/off 

lever showing 

on and off 

position 

On 

Off 

Ventilation of gas appliances 

If you have a gas heating appliance a 

vent will be provided in an outside wall 

or window, to provide air for combustion 

purposes. Never block or cover up these 

vents. Should the vent become blocked 

or sealed off, a build up of carbon 

monoxide gas may occur and this will 

have a serious effect on you. Carbon 

monoxide can kill. You cannot see or 

smell it, but if you breathe it in you will 

quickly become tired and dizzy, possibly 

with headache and chest pain. 

Gas repairs or servicing 

We will arrange to carry out a service and 

safety check every year for each central 

heating appliance and you will be 

provided with a copy of the service 

sheet. This annual check is compulsory 

by law. 


Should you be out when the contractor 

calls, please make sure you return the 

access card or phone to arrange a date 

for access. The contractor will make at 

least three attempts to gain access and 

then a letter will be sent from us, or our 

agents, requesting that you make an 

appointment for the gas service. 

If we are unable to gain access we will 

obtain a warrant from the court under 

the Environmental Protection Act to 

allow us to force entry. You may be 

charged for the cost of this and any 

legal proceedings. 

How to relight gas boiler pilot light 

For wall-mounted boilers there is usually 

a spy hole for you to check that the pilot 

light – a glowing flame – is still lit. If you 

have a back boiler behind a fire, the pilot 

light is underneath the fire. 

If you have any problems with the 

following: 

● the pilot light is not lit (relight it 

following the manufacturer’s 

instructions, which are usually on the 

side of the boiler); 

● the pilot light still does not work; 

● the pilot light is lit but your heating is 

not working; or 

● the electronic ignition is not working. 

Please contact gas servicing on 0845 113 

8888, for advice if you are not sure what 

to do. 

Note – Many new appliances have 

electronic ignition so have no pilot light. 



15


Right to Repair scheme 

The Right to Repair scheme was 

introduced for council tenants in April 

1994 under the Citizens’ Charter 

scheme. It was introduced to make sure 

that certain urgent repairs which may 

affect the health, safety or security of 

tenants are done quickly. By law, we 

must carry out certain small, urgent 

repairs that might affect your health, 

safety or security within a set number of 

days. 

Repairs that are covered by the right to 

repair are called ‘qualifying repairs’. If 

the contractor fails to complete any of 

these qualifying repairs on time, a second 

contractor maybe requested to attend. If 

the second contractor also fails to do the 

work on time, you may be entitled to 

compensation. 

Below are some examples of qualifying 

repairs and the timescales we have to 

complete them. 

● Unsafe power, lighting or electrical 

fitting – one working day 

● Blocked flue on an open fire or boiler – 

one working day 

● Toilets which do not flush – one 

working day 

● Loose or broken banisters or handrails 

– three working days 

● Leaking roof - seven working days 

Discretionary Allowance scheme 

(delay in carrying out repairs) 

The discretionary allowance scheme 

covers unreasonable delay to emergency 

and essential repairs. Unreasonable 

delay is classed as any delay beyond one 

week for emergency repairs, or two 


months for essential repairs, from the 

time of reporting the repair to the time 

it is completed. 

Examples of emergency repairs are: 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Burst pipes and tanks 

Electrical and gas faults (making safe) 

Blocked drains 

Heating or hot-water system failing in 

winter 

Any fault likely to injure people 

Examples of essential repairs are: 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Severe water penetration 

Severe leaks to radiators or pipes 

Unsafe ceilings 

Collapsed floors 

Insecure locks and catches on outside 

doors 

You can get more details about the Right 

to Repair and the Discretionary 

Allowance schemes from: 

Administration section 

YHN House 

Benton Park Road 

Newcastle upon Tyne 

NE7 7LX 

Phone: 0191 278 8600 

The details are also on our website at: 


The information is in the ‘Your Home’ 

section under ‘Reporting your repairs’. 

Information is also available at local 

housing offices (see the ‘Useful 

addresses’ in this booklet for contact 

details). 



17

Checking electrics 

Action to take if switches trip off 

A 

B 

Miniature Circuit Breakers 

switch off automatically if 

there is a fault on the 

circuit. 

© Northgate (2007) 

A 

Residual Current Device (RCD) 

Your main electric switch may now incorporate an 

automatic switch off device called a Residual 

Current Device (RCD). 

If a situation arises which creates a potential shock or 

fire risk, the RCD will switch off automatically. 

If the reason for this is not clear then you should: 

● switch off all MCBs (marked B in the drawing); 

● return the RCD switch to the ‘on’ position (marked 

A in the drawing); 

● switch on each MCB in turn until the RCD 

automatically switches off; and 

● switch off and unplug any appliance connected to 

that circuit. 

If more than one, try to switch the RCD to the ‘on’ 

position after disconnecting each appliance. This way 

the faulty appliance can be identified. 

B Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) 

There might also be smaller switches which replace 

fuses. These are Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs). 

If a circuit is overloaded, or a fault occurs, the MCB 

protecting that circuit will switch off automatically. 

If the reason for this is not clear then you should 

● Put the MCB switch back to the original position. 

If it will not stay on 

● Switch off and unplug any appliance on that 

circuit. 

If there is more than one, try to return the MCB switch 

to the ‘on’ position after disconnecting each appliance, 

so that the one causing the fault can be identified. 

Should either the RCD or MCB switch not return to 

the ‘on’ position, there could be a fault in your 

circuit, which you should report to us. 


Airing cupboard and hot water cylinder 

What is the fault and its number? 

1 

Shelving to airing 

cupboard damaged 

2 

Hot water cylinder 

damaged or leaking 



19

Basins and sinks 


Basins 

1 

2 

Water seeping 

between basin and wall 

Taps to basin damaged 

3 

4 

Waste blocked 

Waste damaged or split 

5 

Trap damaged or split 



Basins and sinks 


Sinks 

1 Taps to sink 

2 Mixer to sink 

damaged 

damaged 

3 

Water seeping between 

sink and wall 

4 

5 

6 

Waste blocked 

Waste damaged or split 

Trap damaged or split 



21

Baths and showers 


4 

Thermostatic shower unit 

(non electrical) not working 

properly 

1 

Water seeping between 

bath and wall 

5 

Taps to bath 

damaged 

2 

Bath panel loose 

6 

Waste blocked 

3 

Bath panel damaged 

or split 

7 

Waste damaged 

or split 

8 

Trap damaged 

or split 



Doors 


Outside doors 

Timber door 

Metal door 

1 

Door will not open or 

close properly 

8 



3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Architrave damaged 

Draught excluder 

damaged or missing 

Small part of frame 

to door rotten 

Frame to door 

damaged or split 

Frame to door damaged 

beyond repair 

2 

Panel to door damaged 

9 

Door damaged 



23

Doors 


Inside doors 

1 



2 

3 

Panel to door 

damaged 

Architrave damaged 

5 

6 

Frame or lining to door 

damaged or loose 

Frame to door damaged 

beyond repair 

4 

Door hanging off 

hinges 

7 

Door damaged 

beyond repair 



Doors 


Patio doors 

1 

2 

Aluminium door not 

opening or closing 

properly 

Lock damaged 



25

Drainage 


1 Gully blocked 

4 Drain blocked 

2 

Manhole cover and 

frame damaged 

5 

Drain or underground 

pipe damaged 

3 

Manhole cover and 

frame loose 



Electrics 


Lighting 

1 

Pendant light fitting damaged 

or not working properly 

2 

Fluorescent light fitting damaged 


3 

Batten light fitting 

damaged 

4 

Light switch damaged or not 

working properly 

5 

Bulkhead light 

not working 

6 

Time switch not 




27

Electrics 


Power 

1 Extractor fan not 

2 Main smoke 


detector broken 

3 Socket outlet damaged 

4 Cooker control 


unit damaged 



Floors, walls and ceilings 


Floor and wall tiles 

1 Area of wall tiles damaged 

4 PVC, vinyl or thermoplastic floor 

(up to 1 square metre) 

tiles damaged (up to 1 square metre) 

2 Area of wall tiles damaged 3 Tiles to fire surround 5 PVC, vinyl or thermoplastic floor 

(over 1 square metre) 

damaged or missing tiles damaged (over 1 square metre) 



29

Floors, walls and ceilings 


Floor, wall and ceiling repairs 

6 Architrave 

7 Cracks in wall 

1 Ceiling plaster or 

plasterboard damaged 



8 Wall plaster or 



2 

Ceiling plaster or 



9 

Wall plaster or 



3 

4 

Skirting board 


Airbrick in wall 


10 

11 

Floorboards loose 

Floorboards 


5 

Chipboard flooring 




Garages 


2 

3 

4 

Timber garage door will 

not open or close properly 

Frame to timber garage 

damaged 

Hinge damaged or 

missing 

8 

Metal garage door will 

not open or close properly 

1 Lock damaged 

5 Rollers or cables 

or missing 

damaged 

6 

7 

Dent in garage 

door 

Lock damaged 

or missing 



31

Gutters and rainwater pipes 


Gutters 

4 

PVC gutter 

leaking 

8 PVC outlet damaged 12 Bargeboard 

or missing 

damaged 

5 

Cast iron gutter 

leaking 

9 

Cast iron outlet damaged 

or missing 

1 

2 

3 

PVC stop-end 


Cast iron stop-end 


Gutters blocked 

13 

Fascia or soffit 

damaged 

6 

Part of PVC gutter 


10 

PVC gutter bracket 


7 

Part of cast iron gutter 


11 

Cast iron gutter bracket 




Gutters and rainwater pipes 


Rainwater pipes 

4 

PVC rainwater 

pipe loose 

6 

Part of PVC rainwater pipe 


5 

Cast iron rainwater 

pipe loose 

7 

Part of cast iron rainwater 

pipe damaged or missing 

1 

2 

Hopperhead to PVC 

rainwater pipe 

damaged 

Hopperhead to cast 

iron rainwater pipe 

damaged 

10 

11 

Bracket to PVC 



Bracket to cast iron 



3 

Rainwater pipe 

blocked 

12 

Gully blocked 

8 

9 

Shoe to PVC rainwater 


Shoe to cast iron rainwater 




33

Heating 


1 Room thermostat not 

3 Electric fire not 



2 Night storage heater 

4 Radiator not working 

not working properly 

properly 



Kitchen units 


1 

2 

3 

Door will not open 

or close properly 

Door damaged 

Door not aligned 

with frame of unit 

10 

11 

12 

Wall unit rotten or 

damaged beyond repair 

Unit loose 

Aluminium trim to 

unit damaged 

4 

Drawer will not open 


5 Drawer damaged 

13 Aluminium trim to 

beyond repair 

worktop damaged 

6 

7 

Catch damaged or 

missing 

Hinge damaged or 

missing 

14 

15 

16 

Worktop loose 

Worktop damaged 

Worktop support 

loose or damaged 

8 Base unit rotten or 

9 Plinth damaged 




35

Locks, latches and fittings 


4 

Spy hole damaged 

or missing 

1 

Letterplate damaged 

or missing 

5 

Security chain 


2 

Cylinder night latch 

damaged 

6 

‘D’ handle damaged 

or missing 

3 

Mortice lock 

damaged 

7 

Overhead door closer 




Outside of the property 


Clothes posts 

1 

Concrete clothes post 


2 

Metal clothes post 




37



Fences 

1 

Any type of fence 


2 



3 



4 

Concrete post damaged 

or breaking up 

5 

Close-boarded fence 


6 

Paling fence damaged 

beyond repair 





Gates 

1 

Concrete gate post damaged 




39



Walls, paving and steps 

1 

2 

Concrete paving damaged 


Concrete paving cracked 

4 

5 

Concrete step damaged 


Concrete step loose 

6 

7 

Paving slab loose 

Paving slab cracked 

3 

Concrete coping 


8 

Brick coping 




Roofs 


Roof and chimney repairs 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Gas cowl damaged 

or missing 

Back boiler flue 

blocked 

Pointing to chimney 

stack damaged 

Flaunching to 

chimney damaged 

7 

Chimney 

blocked 

5 

Barge board 

damaged 

8 

Asphalt to flat roof damaged 

(up to 2 square metres) 

6 

Fascia or soffit 

damaged 

9 

Asphalt to flat roof damaged 

(over 2 square metres) 



41

Roofs 


Tiles and slates 

3 

4 

Ridge tiles loose 

Ridge tiles damaged 

or missing 

1 

Slates damaged 

or missing 

5 

6 

Valley tiles loose 

Valley tiles damaged 

or missing 

7 

8 

Hip tiles loose 

Hip tiles damaged 

or missing 

2 

Tiles damaged 

or missing 



Stairs 


Nosing 

Tread 

Riser 

1 

Handrail damaged or split 

2 

Handrail loose 

3 

Nosing damaged 

4 

Tread damaged 

5 Riser damaged 

6 Newel post damaged 



43

Toilets 


1 Toilet overflowing 

3 Toilet will not flush 

properly 

4 

Toilet not refilling 

properly 

5 

Small pipe at back of 

pan damaged or leaking 

2 

Toilet blocked 

6 

Large pipe at back of 

pan damaged or leaking 



Windows and glazing 


Metal window glazing 

1 

2 

Putty or beads 

damaged 

Clear or obscure glass 

broken to aluminium 

window (single glazed) 

Obscure 

single glazed 

3 

Georgian-wired glass 

broken to aluminium 

window (single glazed) 

Georgian-wired 

single glazed 



45



Metal window repairs 

2 

Window will not open 


3 

Fasteners damaged 

or missing 

1 

Internal cill board 

damaged 

4 



5 

Casement stay 






PVCu window glazing 

Obscure 

double glazed 

1 


broken to PVCu window 

(double glazed) 

Obscure 

single glazed 

2 



(single glazed) 

3 Georgian-wired glass 

3 Putty or beads 


damaged 



double glazed 


single glazed 



47



PVCu window repairs 

1 



2 



3 


or missing 

4 


damaged 

5 

Friction stay damaged 

or missing 





Timber window glazing 

Obscure 

double glazed 

Obscure 

single glazed 

1 

Putty or timber 

beads damaged 

2 

Georgian-wired glass 

broken to timber window 



double glazed 

3 Clear or obscure glass 4 Clear or obscure glass 

broken to timber window broken to timber window 


(double glazed) 


single glazed 



49



1 

Frame loose or 

damaged 

4 



2 

Small part of 

frame rotten 

5 


or missing 

3 


damaged 

6 



7 

Casement stay 




Avison Street CHO 

Blakelaw 

Byker 

Cruddas Park 

Elswick 

Fenham 

Gosforth 

Avison Street (off Stanhope Street),Arthur’s Hill, NE4 5DX. Open Monday, 

Tuesday,Thursday, Friday – 8.30am to 4.30pm and Wednesday – 8.30am to 

3pm. Phone: 0191 277 1300 (Office) Fax: 0191 277 1299 

Sheriff Leas, Springfield Road, Blakelaw, NE5 3DS. Open Monday,Tuesday, 

Thursday, Friday – 8.30am to 4.30pm and Wednesday – 8.30am to 3pm. 

Phone: 0191 277 1000 (Office) Fax: 0191 277 1011 

45 – 47 Brinkburn Street, Byker, NE6 1QN. Open Monday,Tuesday,Thursday, 

Friday – 8.30am to 4.30pm and Wednesday – 8.30am to 3pm. 


Cruddas Park Shopping Centre,Westmorland Road, NE4 7RW. Open Monday, 



71 Mill Lane, Elswick,NE4 6TB. Open Monday to Friday – 8.30am to 12.30pm. 


199 – 201 Two Ball Lonnen, Fenham, NE4 9RS. Open Monday,Tuesday, 



Council Offices, High Street, Gosforth, NE3 1JL. Open Monday,Tuesday, 



Useful contact details 


51


Newbiggin Hall 

Newburn 

North Benwell 

North Kenton 

Scotswood 

Shieldfield 

St Anthony’s 

1 Yetholm Place, Newbiggin Hall Estate, NE5 4ED. Open Monday to Friday – 

8.30am to 12.30pm. Phone: 0191 277 1400 (Office) Fax: 0191 277 1388 

Council Offices, Newburn Road, Newburn, NE15 8QJ. Open Monday,Tuesday, 



68a Adelaide Terrace, North Benwell, NE4 8BD. Open Monday,Tuesday, 



Kenton Centre, Hillsview Avenue, North Kenton, NE3 3QJ. Open Monday to 

Friday – 8.30am to12.30pm. Phone: 0191 277 4360 (Office) 

Fax 0191 277 7899 

468 – 470 Armstrong Road, Scotswood, NE15 6BY. Open Monday to Friday – 

8.30am to 12.30pm. Phone: 0191 277 1355 (Office) Fax: 0191 277 1363 

Stoddart House, Clarence Walk, Shieldfield, NE2 1AB. Open Monday,Tuesday, 



172 – 174 St Anthony’s Road, St Anthony’s,Walker, NE6 2ND. Open Monday, 




Walker 

Walker Centre, Church Walk,Walker, NE6 3HR. Open Monday,Tuesday, 



West Denton 

Asylum Service Phone: 0191278 8620 

Community Care 

Alarm Service 

Insurance Claims 

Section 

Investment 

Delivery Team 

Leasehold 

Management Service 

Technical and 

Maintenance Team 

Outer West Customer Service Centre,West Denton Shopping Centre,West 

Denton Way, NE5 2QZ. Open Monday to Friday – 8.30am to 4.30pm. 


Phone: 0191 278 8699 Fax: 0191 278 7755 Minicom: 0191 278 7754 

E-mail: commcarealarmservice@yhn.org.uk 

Phone: 0191 278 8668 

Freephone: 0800 0911255 (East area) 

0800 0911256 (Inner West area) 

0800 0911257 (Outer West and North area) 

Freephone: 0800 091 0082 

Phone: 0191 278 8600 (Reception) or Freephone: 0800 091 1266 



53

Right to Buy Team Phone: 0191 278 8677 or Freephone 0800 091 1310 

Information Useful contact for details 

tenants 

Newcastle Furniture 

Service 

Newcastle Tenant’s 

Federation 

Envirocall 

Newcastle Energy 

Centre 

Newcastle Warm 

Zone 

Complaints Officer 

Unit 1,Wincomblee Road,Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 3PF. 


E-mail: furniture.service@yhn.org.uk 

First Floor, 1 Pink Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5DW. 

Phone: 0191 232 1371 Fax: 0191 233 0467 

E-mail: info@newcastletenantsfed.org.uk 


E-mail: envirocall@newcastle.gov.uk 

Phone: 0191 281 1303 Fax: 0191 211 5785 

E-mail: energy@newcastle.gov.uk 

Phone: 0191 277 7373, David Connor (Newcastle Warm Zone 

Director) ext 27373 Fax: 091 277 7370 

E-mail: warm.zone@newcastle.gov.uk 

Democratic Services, Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, 

NE99 2BN. Phone: 0191 211 5116 or 0191 211 5180 

E-mail: complaints@newcastle.gov.uk or online at www.yhn.org.uk 


Please fill in the details in the box below. This information may be useful when you have 

to report a repair. 

Item 

Position in your home 

Boiler 

Fuse box 

Gas tap or meter 

Stopcock 

Trip switch 

Water tank 

Rent reference:_______________________________________________________ 

Property reference: _________________________________________________ 

Where to find equipment 


55

Notes 


Published in July 2007 for Your Homes Newcastle by: 

Northgate Information Solutions 

People Building 

Maylands Avenue 

Hemel Hempstead 

Hertfordshire 

HP2 4NW. 

Phone: 01442 204816 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval 

system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means electronic or mechanical, including 

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Northgate 

Information Solutions.

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