New reporting system for Housing Repairs launched for city council tenants

repair

City of Lincoln Council, in collaboration with other local authorities, has launched a new digital service to make it more convenient for tenants to report their housing repair needs.

The Housing Repairs reporting tool has been funded through the Local Digital Fund of the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

City of Lincoln Council received £350,000 for the project and is the first council in the UK to implement the service, which will be available for other local authorities to use also.

Now, tenants can book non-emergency repairs on the web rather than telephoning the council, making the service accessible 24 hours a day.

To do this, tenants simply need to visit: https://repairs.lincoln.gov.uk and fill in the form provided.  This will book the repair and send the tenant either an email or text to confirm the booking.

This new service aims to provide a better experience for residents and will also free up phone lines for residents who still need help though non-digital channels.

Residents who are not able to book their non-emergency repairs online can still contact customer services on 01522 873333 to make an appointment with the repairs team.

Please be aware that due to the high demand for housing repair requests the council receives, the appointment offered to the tenant may be some time away.

The service has been developed in partnership with public sector technology company Made Tech. 

In the future, there are also plans to add more features to the service, including the ability to amend or cancel a booking, report communal repairs and offer repair options to leaseholders. 

Cllr Donald Nannestad, Portfolio Holder for Quality Housing at City of Lincoln Council, said: “Thanks to the hard work of City of Lincoln Council and the Made Tech team, we’ve developed a new service that improves services for our tenants in Lincoln.

“We’ve put user research at the heart of the service, and I’m proud of the work the teams have done to make this service accessible to those who need it.”

Glen Ocsko, Head of Local Government at Made Tech, added: “City of Lincoln Council has led the way in developing this pioneering service. We’re delighted to have been able to work with them as a team in its creation. 

“The new housing repairs service has the potential to transform how residents interact with councils across the UK. It will improve living conditions and make sure that those that need help get it sooner rather than later.

“We believe openness and collaboration between providers and councils is the best way to deliver great services quickly and cost-effectively. We’re proud to have helped create a service that can be reused by local authorities everywhere, so hopefully these benefits can be shared far and wide.”
 

Published on May 16th 2022