Looking after your home

"When you tell us something’s wrong, the first thing we do is work out how urgent it is. Not every job is an emergency, but every repair matters. We think about who lives in the home – for example, if anyone has health issues or extra needs – and what time of year it is, as well as about what it is that needs fixing.

We’ve got three main types of repairs:

Routine repairs are everyday jobs that aren’t dangerous but still need sorting. Think of dripping taps, plaster cracks, or a broken extractor fan. We aim to fix these within 20 working days, though sometimes it can take a bit longer if it’s part of a bigger or planned job.

Urgent repairs are more serious - like a loose handrail, faulty smoke detector, or a small water leak. We’ll usually be there within five days. If we can’t finish on the day, we’ll order parts and come back as soon as they arrive.

Emergency repairs are when something could put you in danger or seriously damage your home - such as a major leak, total loss of power, or no heating in winter. In these cases, call us straight away - day or night - and we’ll be there within 24 hours.

You can report repairs through our customer portal, via an online form on our website, email, or by phone (always phone us if it’s about damp or mould or an emergency).

We’ll find a convenient time for your repair and give you a morning, afternoon, or all-day slot. We’ll text you the details and send a reminder (it will show as ‘Cottsway’). You can’t reply to that text, but you can contact us if you have questions. Someone aged 16 or over must be at home when we visit, and our staff will always carry ID badges.

Sometimes jobs take longer than expected if we find something unusual or need special parts, but we’ll always try to get things sorted quickly and leave your home tidy."