Recharges
Charging for work that we carry out which is a tenant's responsibility.
If we need to carry out repairs that are your responsibility, or we have to spend significant time resolving tenancy or neighbourhood issues, we will recharge you for the cost of this work. Called recharges, these debts are incurred as a result of costs to us that are a result of your actions.
For example, if we spend substantial time dealing with untidy gardens or antisocial behaviour, and make reasonable efforts to resolve the issues, but a lack of tenant co-operation means we then have to go beyond what is reasonable, we will recharge you for this time.
When we need to carry out work such as this, we will write to you and explain that you will be asked to pay for the work. Here are two examples of the way we do this:
- We will start to recharge for untidy gardens after we have made two visits and informed you that any further visits will definitely be recharged as the matter has not been resolved
- If you ask us to repair something, such as a clogged drain or blocked toilet, we will inform you that you will be recharged for the work if we find that you have caused the problem.
When we inform you that you will be recharged for work, you have the option to get the work carried out privately. However, if the work has health and safety implications, requires a certified gas or electrical contractor, or the damage itself represents a risk to life and property, we will always have our contractors complete the work so you will not be able to get this done privately and you will be recharged.
If you report a standard repair, but we find on fixing it that it is a result of damage caused by you, we will advise you that you will be recharged.
As with rent, we expect payment on time and as soon as possible. If you cannot afford to pay the full cost in one go, we can work with you to set up a payment arrangement, but the full cost must be repaid within 12 months. We will not extend this period under any circumstances.
If you want to dispute responsibility for something we recharge you for, you can send us your dispute in writing. Your dispute will be looked at by a manager within seven working days and a decision will be made regarding responsibility. Once a decision is reached, you will be informed of the outcome and our reasons for the decision.
Recharges FAQs
A recharge is where we charge you (a tenant, leaseholder, or other responsible party) for costs incurred due to your actions. This includes damage or neglect caused by you, your household, or visitors. Recharges may also apply to tenancy breaches or neighbourhood issues such as untidy gardens or antisocial behaviour.
You may be recharged for:
- Missed appointments
- Changing or replacing locks or keys
- Causing vermin or pests in communal areas
- Failure to carry out work you are responsible for
- Abandoned vehicles
- Removing personal belongings and rubbish from communal areas
- Accidental or deliberate damage in the home, garage, or communal areas
- Poor DIY
- Unauthorised or authorised improvements/alterations/adaptations
- Falsely claiming repairs or using unrelated crime reference numbers.
We will inform you in advance that you may be charged. If you report a repair (e.g., a blocked toilet) and we find that the issue was caused by you, we will inform you that you will be recharged.
Yes, you may arrange for repairs privately if we notify you in advance. However, if the work involves health and safety risks, or requires certified gas or electrical contractors, we will carry out the work ourselves. In such cases, you cannot arrange private repairs.
Prior authorisation is required for gas/electrical work, and original certificates must be submitted upon completion.
If our contractor discovers that the issue was caused by you (e.g., hammering a nail through a pipe), we will inform you that you will be recharged for the repair.
In some cases, yes. For non-urgent repairs that are not our responsibility but you request us to carry out, we may require payment in advance. Only in urgent cases will we complete the repair before receiving payment.
If you cannot afford to pay the full amount at once, we can set up a repayment plan. The full cost must be repaid within 12 months. We cannot extend this period.
You can dispute the recharge by sending your appeal in writing (email accepted). A manager will review your case within seven working days and inform you of the decision and reasons.
If the work has not yet been done and you refuse to pay, we will not proceed unless the issue poses a health and safety risk. If the work has already been completed, we will attempt to recover the debt. This may include seeking a money judgement order through the Small Claims Court or referring the debt to a recovery agency.