Our Approach to Maintenance | YourPlace Housing Ltd

YourPlace understands that our properties are a highly valuable public asset. Our maintenance program forms part of a broader Strategic Asset Management Plan which recognises the importance of maintaining properties to improve the safety and well being of tenants and protect the amenities and value of properties.

By working closely with tenants, YourPlace Housing can deliver better asset management services, maximise the life of properties, and foster tenants’ pride in their homes.

YourPlace Housing aims to:

provide a high quality and consistent maintenance service to our tenants and their families
retain and improve the quality of homes we own
provide an efficient and effective maintenance service

To ensure maintenance is well managed, YourPlace has a panel of well established pre-qualified contractors to carry out emergency, responsive and planned maintenance. This ensures a coordinated response to all maintenance requirements in a timely and cost effective manner.

Planned Maintenance

YourPlace Housing believes that a planned approach to maintenance rather than a responsive approach is more cost effective and delivers better maintenance solutions to tenants.

Planned maintenance is scheduled taking into account:

Life cycle upgrades identified during building inspections
Risk assessments undertaken through our 3 yearly building inspections
Overall budget allocation in line with our 10 year forecast
Any legislative requirements

Vacancy Management

When a property becomes vacant, some of the Planned Maintenance work may be schedule earlier to minimise future disruption to an incoming tenant. As a standard YourPlace Housing will ensure that vacant properties are clean, safe and habitable for the next tenant. This scope of work includes:

Compliance assessments for smoke alarms, electrical safety, TMVs/TV, plumbing and window/door security
Ensuring the property is secure
Changing locks and keying alike
Appliance checks to ensure good working order
Cleaning throughout
Gardens, front and back are neat and tidy
Lawns are mowed

Cyclical Maintenance

Regular maintenance is carried out in common areas. Works include general upkeep, cleaning of internal common areas, lawns and gardens.

Compliance

YourPlace is responsible for ensuring that the following item are inspected or serviced in accordance with the relevant standards/legislations:

Thermostatic Mixing Valves regulating water temperature to all outlets in the bathroom/s
Smoke Alarms
Tempering Valves regulating water temperature to other areas of the house, i.e. kitchen and laundry

Preventative Maintenance

This category includes scheduled work that is undertaken to avoid breakdown or deterioration of the property. Works include roof and gutter inspections, tree pruning and termite inspections. Preventative Maintenance helps to reduce the level of responsive, planned and structural work that may be required.

Responsive Maintenance

YourPlace Housing provides a responsive repairs and maintenance service appropriate to the tenant and needs of the portfolio.

Our Responsive Programme has 3 categories which comply with Community Housing Maintenance Accommodation Standards. These categories will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure compliance with legislative requirements, other agreements and to meet tenant expectations.

Repair Category	Response Time
Priority 1 – Urgent Repairs that cause serious health, safety or security risk to the tenant and or property, including gas leaks, loss of water or power supply, serious flooding, broken water mains/pipes or where the property will be further damaged if work is not carried out immediately.	Within 4 hours of notification
Priority 2 – Urgent Repairs that pose significant inconvenience or has the potential to develop into a health, safety or security risk to the tenant including major roof leaks, appliance/smoke detector failure, or critical taps that cannot be turned on.	Within 24 hours after notification
Priority 3 – Non-Urgent Repairs that will not compromise the health, safety or security of the tenant or the security of the property and may have already been identified on the Property Maintenance Plan. These repairs include fly wire replacement, minor leaks, cracked roof tiles, renewal of silicone seal to shower/bath.	Within 14 days or a longer reasonable period

Specialist Disability Accommodation Programmed Maintenance

SDA Programmed Maintenance applies to properties where a tenant has SDA included in their plan.

In addition to planned maintenance identified during building inspections, SDA Programmed Maintenance can be used to fund:

Supports for independent living – ramps, grab rails, specialist lighting/switches
Refurbishments – to improve accessibility and functionality
Other work that would enhance the tenant's independence and enjoyment of the property

YourPlace Housing will work with the tenant, tenant's family and Support Provider to identify priorities to develop an annual maintenance program for a particular house. The program will take into account budget parameters and the age and value of the property.

Appartment Blocks – Common Areas

YourPlace Housing works with tenants to ensure the environment around their property is well maintained. This includes:

cleaning and maintenance of common areas
grounds and lawn maintenance

To report an issue with the grounds maintenance in your block please call the Asset Management Team on 08 8351 8466.

You are responsible for looking after any lawn or garden surrounding your own property to which you and your family have sole use, including balcony or terrace gardens. It is your responsibility to water, weed, fertilise and trim any plants and ensure the removal of garden waste.

If your property is part of a strata corporation and you are not sure whether you are responsible for lawn and garden maintenance, please contact the Asset Management Team for advice on 08 8351 8466.