New leak response service launched
All leaks reported in Hackney Council homes across the borough will now be visited by a plumber by the end of the following day at the latest under a new service as part of the Council’s commitment to tackling damp and mould.
The Council is speeding up its times for responding to reports of leaks as part of its damp and mould action plan launched by the Mayor of Hackney last year, as well its investment in continually enhancing its housing service for its tenants and delivering a safer Hackney for all.
Leaks are one of the common causes of damp and mould and tackling them early can help prevent the issue spreading or potentially causing issues in neighbouring homes.
Under the new service a plumber from the Council’s housing repairs team will visit any Council home where a leak is reported by the end of the following day to either fix it or schedule any work needed to repair it.
If anyone detects a leak they should contact the council’s repairs centre on 0208 356 3691 as soon as possible so that a visit can be scheduled. If the call is outside of normal office hours it will be dealt with in the same way by the Council’s emergency repairs team.
If they are not repaired quickly, leaks can not just lead to damp and mould forming in people’s homes but also lead to far greater damage not just to their home but their neighbours as well.
This is why speeding up our response times for dealing with leaks is important in our work to ensure that our residents have decent, safe and warm places to call home. It’s part of investment to enable us to continually improve the housing services we deliver.
In the past we know that how we have responded to damp and mould may not have been as good as we would have wanted. However, through the steps outlined in our action plan we are sending out a clear commitment to do all we can to tackle the issue.
There are also some simple tips people can follow to help prevent the build up of condensation – which can lead to damp and mould – in their home. These can be found at https://hackney.gov.uk/damp-and-mould