Rechargeable Repairs Policy

Residents were asked for their views on our Rechargeable Repairs Policy, which outlines the process for charging tenants for repairs caused by damage or neglect. 

The council shared the policy in two housing policy engagement sessions, as well as with various resident engagement groups, including the Tenant and Leaseholder Scrutiny Group and members of the Sandwell Community Information & Participation Service. 

Online consultation took place over a 4-week period, from February 5th to March 5th, 2025.

In total, 8 responses were captured by the online public consultation.

The majority of respondents (63%), agreed with the aims of the policy. One respondent disagreed with the aims of the policy. The majority of respondents also believed the policy to be clear and easy to understand. 

Respondents also told us that paper copies of the Tenant Handbook should be made available to tenants who cannot or do not access the internet, and that we should consider how we communicate with tenants who do not speak English as a first language. 

Responses have been carefully considered by the council and a consultation report has been produced. A copy of the report can be downloaded.

As a result of the feedback given by residents, we will conduct a review of language barriers online, in person, and in our policy documents. As part of the review, we will assess current online tools available for language support, identify gaps in language accessibility and develop a plan to implement additional resources or tools to address these gaps.

We will also create a repairs-specific booklet that combines information from the Repairs Policies and the Tenant Handbook into an easy-read document.