Since July we’ve been piloting an on-site handyperson service to improve the maintenance in communal areas in some of our West London neighbourhoods.
What is Great Places to Live?
Great Places to Live (GPL) is a programme we set up to improve our neighbourhoods by looking at the things that matter most to you.
Find out more about GPL.
Why are we trialling the service?
Some of you told us that you were unhappy with the repair services that we were providing. To help us resolve this for you, we decided to pilot a new approach in some neighbourhoods. If all goes well, hopefully, we can start rolling it out to more developments.
We believe your development will benefit from a more tailored service, where a single person is responsible for the majority of day-to-day communal repairs. A dedicated handyperson for your site can establish closer ties with you and your building and take ownership and pride in completing jobs to a high standard.
Where are the trials taking place?
We put the first handyperson pilot in place last year in East London, it was so successful that it’s continued to run this year. We’ve now launched a new pilot in West London at Wood Lane, Academy Place, Trico House, Jantzen House, Sperry House, Fusiliers Way, Feltham Town Centre (Bergenia House, Pieris House, Buddleia House, Quince House), Smoothfield Court, Poole Court, Silchester Apartments, Issa Road, Beldam Way and Pontes Avenue.
What are the benefits?
- Having one point of contact for your communal repairs
- A quicker repair services with less waiting
- More first-time fixes
- Proactive maintenance to minimise the number of repairs needed
- Access to regular status updates directly from your handyperson
- On-hand advice and knowledge from a professional
- A contractor dedicated to your block’s maintenance
- If your handyperson is unable to fix it themselves, they’ll make sure the issues are reported to a qualified person who can get the job done as soon as possible.
What have we found out so far?
So far, we’ve received excellent feedback from residents in our 9 pilot neighbourhoods about how the service is going.
92% of you think the quality of repairs has improved. 73% of you are satisfied with the repairs and maintenance completed in your block. There have also been 114 fewer repairs needed.
What do you have to say about it?
“Having a handyperson is definitely an improvement, even if he can't help, he can give advice” – Resident from Wharf Road
“I noticed repairs are dealt with quicker” – Resident at Manbey Park Road
“Unless they are waiting for parts, repairs are done quickly, when the repairs are done they work” – Resident at Orion House
“Everything is done quickly; the handyperson is good” – Resident at Burford Wharf
How can I find out more?
You can get in touch with your property manager or officer who will be able to give you more information on the handyperson service and their contact details.