BHA Repairs Service - Priority Repairs

Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, Scottish secure tenants and short Scottish secure tenants have the right to have small urgent repairs carried out by their landlord within a given timescale. This is called the Right to Repair scheme. The Right to Repair scheme applies to all tenants of local authorities, housing associations (including tenants who are members of fully mutual co-operative housing associations), and water and sewerage authorities.

When you report a repair to us, we should let you know whether it is our responsibility and whether it is a qualifying repair under the Right to Repair scheme. We may still need to inspect your home to see if it qualifies as a right to repair.

Once BHA has confirmed it is a Right to Repair we will:

• Tell you the maximum time allowed to carry out the repair
• Tell you the last day of that period
• Explain your rights under the Right to Repair scheme
• Give you the name, address and phone number of their usual contractor and at least one other contractor from a list
• Make arrangements with you to get into your home to carry out the repair.

If the contractor we appointed to do your work does not start the qualifying repair within the time limit set, you can instruct another one of our contractors to carry out the works. It cannot be any contractor but has to be one appointed by BHA as one of our repairs contractors.

The other contractor should then tell BHA that you have asked them to carry out the repair, but we will ask you to inform BHA as soon as possible if this is what you wish to do. BHA will pay you £15 compensation for the inconvenience. If our main contractor has started but not completed the repair within the maximum time, you will also be entitled to £15 compensation.

The new contractor has the same length of time to carry out the repair as the original contractor however, if they do not carry out the repair within the time limit set, you will be entitled to another £3 compensation for each working day until the repair has been completed. This amount can add up to a maximum compensation payment of £100 for any one repair.

If the contractor cannot gain access to carry out a  Right to Repair,  your Right to Repair is cancelled.

The table below sets out how BHA will prioritise your repair and how this matches the requirements under Right to Repair legislation.