Departments

Longford Town Council Finance Department

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HOUSING

Longford Town Council

The overall aim of the Housing Policy is to enable every household to have available to them an affordable dwelling of good quality, suited to its needs, in a good environment and as far as possible at a tenure of its choice. The general strategy for realising this policy is that those who can afford to do so should provide housing for themselves and those unable to do so from their own resources should have access to social housing or income support to rent private housing.

Functions
The functions of Longford Town Council in relation to housing are as follows:
- To provide and manage rented Local Authority housing for those unable to provide housing from their own resources
- To provide and manage accommodation for travellers
- To promote home ownership through tenant purchase schemes.To be a facilitator for approved voluntary or non-profit housing organisations by providing rented accommodation and facilities to enforce housing standards and controls in relation to private rented dwellings.

LONGFORD TOWN COUNCIL
HOUSING MAINTENANCE POLICY

GENERAL

Longford Town Council currently has a housing stock of approximately 450 no. houses. This constitutes a significant capital asset, which has been provided by public funding. It is essential therefore that this asset is preserved and also provides good living conditions for residents of these houses. Repair and maintenance of dwellings is one of the most important and most challenging elements of the public housing service and accounts for a substantial expenditure and there is therefore a need to achieve an efficient operation. Longford Town Council recognise that the efficiency of the maintenance procedures and the quality of the service is one of the main determinant of customer satisfaction and that a well-maintained housing stock can greatly enhance the quality of life and social well-being of tenants.

LEGISLATION

Under the terms of housing legislation, local authorities have primary responsibility for the repair and maintenance of the public housing stock. The maintenance powers of local authorities are set out in Sections 58 & 61 of the 1996 Housing Act and the minimum standards to which local authority accommodation should be maintained are prescribed by Section 9 of the 1992 Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. Provisions for a tenancy agreement is set out in Article 83 of the 1980 Housing Regulations and this confers some responsibility for interior maintenance on the tenant.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR & MAINTENANCE

The repair and maintenance of local authority housing is the joint responsibility of both the local authority and the tenant.

1. The Council have specific responsibilities for the following items of repair:-

The Council shall keep and maintain the dwelling house in good tenantable condition with respect to structural repair during the tenancy, to include the following:

Replacement of external windows and doors, screens and frames; when and where deemed necessary.
Replacement of gutters, downpipes, fascias, soffits and bargeboards.
Repairs to structure of roof including repairs to the roof tiles following storm damage.
Replacement of hot water cylinder, including all fitments and attachments and also including attic tanks.

2. Tenant Responsibility in relation to Repair & Maintenance of Local Authority dwellings:

The following matters are specifically the responsibility of the tenant and when the tenancy agreement is signed by the tenant they are advised of their responsibilities detail in “Appendix 1”:-

Routine decoration, upkeep and maintenance of the premises
Painting of all external paintwork, including windows, doors and fences.
Proper cleaning of chimneys
Maintenance of drainage system including periodic cleaning of septic tank as required.
Maintenance and repair or replacement of glazing, fasteners, locks, hinges, bolts and stays in doors and windows.
Maintenance and repair of sanitary fittings including w.c., wash hand basin, bath, sink, sink unit, including all fitments and attachments and including all water and waste pipes leading thereto and therefrom, and replacement of any of these items where required.
Maintenance and repair of range, including all fitments and attachments and replacement of range parts and range where required.
Continued maintenance and repair of all electrical fittings in full.
Continued maintenance and repair of all fences, gates and entrances including the roads and pathways.
Regular cutting of grass in front and back lawn.

In the event of a tenant failing to carry out repairs for which he/she is responsible, such repairs may be carried out by the Council and the cost of same to be charged for the addition of an appropriate amount to the weekly rent, and the Council will not accept any liability in respect of damage which may have been caused to the contents of the house as a result of any delay in carrying out these repairs.

MAJOR REPAIRS BY TENANTS

Where tenants wish to undertake major repairs or structural alterations at their expense they must first obtain approval for the works. The proposed work must not compromise the future use of the dwelling and the work must be undertaken by a competent contractor. Longford Town Council will facilitate tenants and residents association to play an active role in the repairs and maintenance service.

Longford County Council may provide reconstruction loans to a tenant where they are satisfied that the proposed works will enhance the value of the dwelling.

RE-LETTING OF HOUSES

When local authority houses become vacant prior to re-letting these houses shall be brought up to a proper standard. The applicable standard shall be consistent with the standard to which the house was originally constructed. This work can place a strain on resources owing to the level of expenditure, which is sometimes necessary to bring the dwelling up to an acceptable standard. It is important that this work is undertaken in the shortest timeframe possible due to the possibility of vandalism to vacant dwellings and also the poor public image of having house vacant where there is a general need for housing.

HOUSING MAINTENANCE BUDGET

The Housing Maintenance Budget will be decided at the Estimates time in each year having regard to the resources available. Longford Town Council will adapt a pro-active and strategic approach to the management of response maintenance, which should increase the effectiveness and value for money of this element of the repairs and maintenance service and free up resources for investment in preventative maintenance. The Council will endeavour to collate basic information on the housing stock to establish a programme of works n ecessary to prevent its deterioration. This programme will integrate long-term, medium-term and short-term maintenance planning.

CLASSIFICATION OF REPAIRS

The aim of Longford Town Council is to provide a fast and effective repair service to our tenants. To achieve this within the limited budget and fulfil our obligations to our tenants. Repairs should be prioritised depending on the degree of urgency. The general classification of repairs is:-

Emergency
Routine
Planned

Emergency repairs are required to be undertaken at the earliest possible time and generally within 24 hours. Examples of emergency repairs include:

Major planning leak
Dangerous electrical fault
Major storm damage
Failure of entire electrical system
Lack of water supply to dwelling

Routine repairs are general house repairs, which are the responsibility of the Council. These are undertaken as resources permit.

Planned maintenance is general repair and maintenance of a preventative or long-term nature. It includes items such as window and door replacement, external painting, electrical or insulation upgrading. This work is normally applied to a number of houses and is generally undertaken by contract.