For information on repair responsibilities you can view our tenant repairs handbook or leaseholder repairs handbook. The guides cover whether you or the council are responsible for a repair.
Discretionary repairs
Ealing Council strives to offer a repairs service that meets the needs of all tenants. In certain circumstances elderly, disabled, or vulnerable tenants may be entitled to discretionary repairs. These are repairs that are not usually our responsibility but which we may carry out to help those residents with recognised special needs.
We want to provide an excellent service to our tenants and we assess any request for a discretionary repair on its individual merit. However, the following guidelines have been established to assist officers and tenants with the decision making process. The scheme is not open to leaseholders.
We will consider carrying out discretionary repairs if the repair is reasonably required and you meet one of the following conditions:
- you have a disability, are seriously ill or get a care package from the council's social care services; or
- you are 65 or over and there is no person below the age of 65 living in the property
- where not doing the repair would endanger you or other residents, or would damage your home or other properties – the resident would probably be recharged for this
- where you, or someone living with you, has experienced confirmed anti-social behaviour or harassment, and extra security work is needed
- where the damage has been caused by a break-in. You will need a crime reference number and we will make safe the area until the crime reference number is validated
To help us apply the discretionary repairs policy fairly, we will keep information that tells us that you may qualify for this service on our database.
We may in some circumstances recharge you for the costs of providing this service. We will advise you of this before carrying out the works.
In certain cases, we may put you in touch with a voluntary service organisation that can help.
Ealing Council also operates a Handyperson scheme for tenants who are over 60, disabled, a single parent in receipt of benefits, or someone who is being released from hospital. Typical work which may be undertaken by the handyperson includes replacing light bulbs, putting up curtains/tracks/blinds (but not curved corded types), fixing down hazardous carpets, rugs, trailing electrical leads etc. and fitting grab rails, towel rails, shelves etc., to walls. For further information, please look at the council's home improvement agency page.