Leicester City Council - Our Service Standards

Our Service Standards

Letters

We will respond to letters within 10 working days.
We will write in easily understandable language.
We will give the name of the person to contact.

Visiting homes

We will make an appointment to visit you if possible.

When they arrive, our staff will:

Show you their ID badge,
Explain why they are there,
Be polite,
Before they leave, our staff will explain what will happen next.

Answering the phone

We will answer phone calls within six rings.
We will answer 88% of all phone calls to our repairs call centre within 26 seconds (this standard is reviewed every year).
We will be courteous.
We will call back or write if we cannot give you an answer at the time of your call.
We will only transfer your call elsewhere if we know where to.

Minicoms

We will make sure disabled people have access to the minicom service.
We will provide a minicom in our main reception areas.
We will answer phone calls within six rings.
We will be courteous.
We will call back or write if we cannot give you an answer at the time of your call.

Repair Categories

Emergency repairs. We will attend within three hours (outside normal working hours).
Priority 1 repairs. We will attend within 24 hours.
Priority 2 repairs. We will attend within 10 working days on average.
Priority 3 repairs. We will attend within nine weeks on average.

Complaints

We will respond to complaints within 10 working days.

Empty properties
When you move into an empty property it should:

Be wind and watertight.
Be secure, with changed door locks and full sets of keys for all external doors being
available.
Have usable windows
Have safe paths
Taps and waste for plumbedin washing machine (if there is currently space available in
the kitchen).
Have a hot water system that is operable.
Have at least one working, clean and usable toilet.
Have a useable bath or shower.
Have a usable sink.
Have a safe and useable form of space heating. (if existing heating fails on the day of moving in a portable electrical heater will be provided).
Have gas safety checks carried out on the day of occupation.
Have a door on the toilet or bathroom.
Have a kitchen door.
Have at least one useable worktop and cupboard.
Have all floors made good with no loose, dangerous or missing floorboards.
Have a balustrade to the staircase and landing (may be temporary).
Ceilings to be in good order.
Not have polystyrene tiles to the kitchen ceiling.
Have safe and working electrical fittings, with no exposed wires or cables.
Have an electrical cooker and/or gas cooker point.
Have no graffiti in the property.
Have no mould growth.
Have no rubbish inside the property, including the loft.
Kitchen layouts, in empty bungalow properties, should have space for two electrical
white goods in addition to the cooker (wherever possible without doing major works being required, such as extending the kitchen.)

Lettable Standard
When you look round a council property as a prospective tenant, you won’t be seeing it at its best – so it might be quite hard for you to imagine it as your future home.

Here’s a checklist of the work we’ll be doing on the property. Once all of these are done, it will look and feel more like a home.

Please take a look at the list before you decide on whether you’d like the property. It’s a big decision to make, and we don’t want you to be put off by something that we will be dealing with.

Before you move in, we will:

Check that the property is safe and secure, and wind and water tight.
Check that all electrical switches and fittings are in place and are in safe working order,
and carry out an electrical safety check before you move in.
Make sure there is some form of heating and a source of hot water, and that both are in good working order.
Check there is a gas and/or electrical cooker point (Please note: it is vital that you have your cooker connected by a qualified and competent person. The Council is not responsible for connecting cookers).
Clean the sinks and sanitary fittings.
Make sure that all living areas are free from rubbish.
Issue you with a full set of keys, once you have signed for your new tenancy.

On the day you move in, we will:

Remove all security screens and re-glaze windows where necessary.
Fill the water systems and check for leaks (particularly in the winter).

Once you have moved in, we will:

Remove any outside rubbish that was there before you moved in (but not any rubbish
from your moving in, such as cardboard boxes or your unwanted belongings).

Repair any fences, gates or paths.

Meters
Once you have moved in you will have to contact the gas and electricity suppliers to give them your details and meter readings.

You are also responsible for having a gas or electricity meter fitted, if necessary. (When you sign for the property you will be told if the meters have been removed).

Decoration
We do not normally redecorate homes before new tenants move in, although we may make an exception for tenants that are disabled or pensioners.

However, you may be entitled to a decorating allowance in the form of credit and/ or vouchers. The housing officer will discuss this with you when you sign up for your new tenancy.

Taking notes
During your visit to your prospective home you may want to note down any questions you would like to ask the housing officer when you return the keys.