Repairs

EMERGENCY REPAIRS 4 Hours

Usually a fault or damage likely to injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a tenant of the premises in which immediate repairs are required. Examples of emergency repairs include:

• a burst water service or a serious water service leak
• a blocked or broken toilet system
• a serious gas or roof leak
• a dangerous electrical fault
• serious storm, flood, fire or impact damage
• a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply to the premises
• a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance on premises for hot water, cooking or heating
• a fault or damage that makes premises unsafe or insecure
• a serious fault in any staircase, lift or other common area which inhibits or unduly inconveniences residents in gaining access to or using the premises

PRIORITY REPAIRS: 24 hours

Usually a fault or damage in which there is no immediate risk of injury to persons, damage to property or there will be only moderate inconvenience for a tenant should the repair be completed within the next working day. Examples of priority repairs include:

• a minor water service leak
• a minor roof leak
• minor storm, flood, fire or impact damage
• a failure or breakdown of a non-essential service or appliance on the premises
• a non-operational light fitting or power point
• difficult to open and/ or close door locks
• a faulty stove element
• security lighting not working
• no power to half of the residence

GENERAL REPAIRS: 7 – 14 days

Usually a fault or damage in which there is no risk of injury to persons, damage to property or there will be minimal inconvenience for a tenant should the repair completed within 14 working days. In most cases, general repairs will be scheduled for completion during the next available day the Maintenance Team is in your area. Examples of general repairs include:

• patching and painting of internal walls
• tightening of kitchen/ bathroom cupboard door hinges
• repairs to furniture and fittings
• servicing of sliding doors
• replacement of common area light bulbs
• slow dripping taps
• trees which need lopping
• leaking gutters or downpipes
• faulty internal door locks
• water hammer
• doors jamming
• uneven hard paving (trip hazards)

If you lose your keys, you will need to pay for replacement keys.

You may want to order a spare set of keys, and keep them in a safe place, for example with a trusted friend or relative. This can avoid you having to pay costly locksmith call outs if you lose your keys and need access to your home.

For some unit complexes, keys are ‘restricted’ – this means you can only get another key from Bric. You cannot get this type of key cut at a locksmith. This is for your security – it means that Bric controls all the keys to the unit complex.

If you need a repair at your home, tell us as soon as possible.

• Please tell us when you first notice a problem (if possible) – don’t wait until the item is broken or the repair has become very urgent;
• Call as early as possible during the day – especially if it is an urgent repair, so we can organise a contractor as soon as possible.

Please be patient if we need to ask some questions.

• We may need to ask you some questions. Sometimes we can help you trouble shoot and fix the problem over the phone. It also helps for us to work out what’s gone wrong and provide good information to the contractor.

Give us as much information as you can

Tell us as much as you can – it’s useful to have photos. This means the contractor can come prepared to repair/fix the problem. This includes things like:

• The make and model of an appliance e.g. hot water system
• The exact location of the problem e.g. the hot water tap in the kitchen
• Please describe what is happening – e.g. when did the problem start? Is there a complete breakdown, or intermittent faults? How severe is the problem (e.g. for a tap, is it a slow drip, or is it a constant stream of water?)

Keep in contact and provide access

• Make sure we have your up to date phone number and email address
• Keep your phone with you and answer it if we or our contractor need to contact you
• Be at home at the agreed time if you’ve agreed to provide access to our maintenance contractor.
• The repair can be completed more quickly if you are at home to meet the contractor, rather than the contractor having to collect keys from our office.

Give us feedback as soon as possible if you are not satisfied with the quality of the repair. Please also give us positive feedback where a contractor has done a good job.

WHO WILL CARRY OUT REPAIRS TO MY HOME?

For most Bric properties, repairs are organised by Bric, using suitably qualified and/or licenced contractors. You can ask to see their ID when they arrive.

For properties owned privately managed by a real estate or private owner, Bric will contact the real estate or owner to organise the repair.

STAFF AND CONTRACTOR SAFETY

The safety and well-being of staff and contractors is important to Bric. We ask that tenants are respectful and courteous, minimise trip hazards, and restrain dogs and ensure children are kept away from the work area.
We require our staff and contractors to wear footwear within the property – this is for health and safety reasons.

Please make sure you are familiar with the fire safety requirements for your property.

For unit complexes, make sure you know the fire exit routes. Attend the fire evacuation training that Bric organises each year.

Always report any missing or damaged fire safety equipment to Bric – for example smoke detectors, fire extinguishers or hose reels.

Please read our factsheet about lithium battery safety here.

You can also read more about fire safety and lithium-ion batteries here.

If you wish to make any change or modification to the property, you need to apply for permission from Bric.
Examples are air conditioning, or fixing items to walls.

Requests for modifications due to disability or mobility issues

Some tenants require changes to support them to continue to live independently in their homes. If you require a modification to your home, the first step is to contact a home modification service and have an Occupational Therapist assess your needs.

Once you have done this, please contact Bric for permission to carry out the work.

We can advise you on the process – please contact your Tenant Services Officer to discuss your requirements.