Under the Right to Repair scheme you have the right to have certain repairs carried out quickly and easily. 

These are called ‘qualifying repairs’ and include urgent repairs that are likely to affect your health, safety and security.  

When you report a qualifying repair, it will be categorised as a RR1 (within one working day), RR3 (within three working days) or RR7 (within seven working days). We will not offer you an appointment for this type of repair, but you will be told the date that the repair should be completed by. If the repair is not attended to by this date then you should tell us and we will investigate. If the work has not been attended to by this time you can apply for compensation.  

Which repairs are included? 

Certain small urgent repairs (up to the value of £250) are included if they are likely to affect your health, safety or security. These are called qualifying repairs. 

Qualifying repairs: 

• blocked flue to open fire or boiler 
• blocked bath, sink or basin 
• door entry phone not working 
• total or partial loss of gas supply 
• total or partial loss of space or water heating 
• leaking from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern 
• leaking roof 
• kitchen or bathroom mechanical extractor fan not working 
• partial or total loss of electrical power 
• unsafe power or lighting socket or electrical fitting 
• loose or detached banister or hand rail 
• rotten timber flooring or stair tread 
• insecure external window, door or lock 
• tap which cannot be turned 
• total or partial loss of water supply 
• non-flushing or blocked toilet, leaking foul drain or soil stack – where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling 

What happens next? 

You should get in touch to tell us what repairs need to be done. We may need to send someone to your home to check the problem first. If the repair comes under the Right to Repair scheme, we will instruct our repairs team to carry out the work in the set time.  

How long does the council have to carry out the repair? 

This depends on the type of repair you need, but we will tell you how long it should take. Qualifying repair times are set by law – not by Chesterfield Borough Council. 

What happens if we don't do your repair in time? 

If we don’t carry out your repair in time, you should contact us and let us know. The timescales to attend the repair will start again. If we do not attend within the second timeframe, you may be entitled to compensation. 

You probably cannot claim compensation if the repair work is cancelled because of unforeseen circumstances, such as extreme weather or if you do not allow us access. 

Compensation 

If we have failed to complete the repair within the set timeframe after the second request, you can ask for compensation.

You will get £10 in compensation. For every extra day you wait, you will get another £2. The most compensation you will receive for any one job is £50.

We will pay your compensation – unless you already owe us some money. If you do owe money to Chesterfield Borough Council, we will take away the amount you owe from your compensation.