Taking pride in your home and community is not only proven to be beneficial for your health and wellbeing – it can also contribute to creating a better future for everyone in your neighbourhood.

• Your home

  On average, we spend almost five thousand hours of our lives at home, so it is important to create a space that you are proud of. 

  As your landlord, we are responsible for a wide range of repairs and maintenance in your home, from central heating to the very structure of your walls and roof.

  Repairs are often avoidable, by ensuring your home is well maintained. 

  As our customer you are responsible for keeping your home and garden in a reasonable condition, in addition to:

  • Rechargeable repairs (usually caused by damage or negligence) 
  • Repair or replacement of your own floor coverings
  • Internal decorations and decorative features such as architraves, picture rails, internal glazing, minor cracks or uneven surfaces to internal plastering work
  • Accessory items including – light bulbs, wash basin and bath, plugs, toilet seats, metre cupboard keys, radiator keys, curtain rails/blinds
  • Replacing damaged or lost keys, adding additional locks
  • Replacing fixtures and fittings, including bathroom and kitchen units, internal and external doors due to misuse or damage
  • Managing infestations (i.e. insects, rodents, bees and wasps)
  • Unblocking of sinks, basins, toilets, drains and pipes due to misuse or damage
  • Prevention and controlling condensation

  Need help with the repairs and maintenance you are responsible for? Watch our series of easy-to-follow video guides.

• Your neighbourhood

  Vibrant neighbourhoods are places where people are proud to live – somewhere friendly and safe that is kept clean and tidy. 

  You can play a big part in creating a vibrant place for you, your family and neighbours to live. 

  Community gardens

  In alleyways and vacant spaces like those found in your neighbourhood, other customers have created vibrant community gardens to share. 

  

  Funding is available to help you form a committee to create a space like this that your community can enjoy together. To find out more, please email enquiries@ovh.org.uk or call 0300 365 1111.

  Fly-tipping

  Fly-tipping can have a damaging impact on people and the environment, so it’s important to dispose of rubbish and unwanted items correctly. 

  You should never:

  • Have excessive amounts of rubbish within the boundary of your home
  • Discard bagged or loose rubbish in alleyways or on pavements 
  • Leave larger items such as mattresses, sofas and kitchen appliances, in alleyways, on pavements or in surrounding areas
  • Put your bins out on any other day than specified by your council

  Those found disposing of their rubbish improperly could be at risk of recharges for removal costs, receiving a fine of up to £400 and losing their tenancy.

  If you are aware of anyone fly-tipping in your area, you can report this confidentially by contacting us on 0300 365 1111.

• Your community

  You are central to the creation of a thriving, inclusive community in your neighbourhood. There are plenty of ways to get involved, from joining our Customer Voice Group to starting a community garden or even applying for a grant from our Community Development Fund.

  Community safety

  Anti-social behaviour (ASB) can have a negative impact on the mental health and well-being of those living in your community. 

  Take pride in your community by visiting our guide to ASB,to learn more. To get support with ASB, you can email enquiries@ovh.org.uk or call 0300 365 1111.

  False emergencies 

  False emergencies can have a detrimental impact on your community, taking vital services away from those who need them most. 

  The following emergency repairs can be reported 24/7 by calling 0300 365 1111. 

  • Total loss of electrical power or water supply
  • Total loss of heating in cold weather
  • Unsafe electrical sockets or fittings
  • Blockage of your only toilet
  • Blocked drain with sewage overflow
  • Burst water pipe where the resident is unable to control or isolate the water supply
  • Severe roof leak
  • Minor water leak which cannot be contained and is likely to cause damage
  • Loose or falling brickwork/concrete likely to cause injury or damage
  • Boarding up a broken door or window
  • Loss of keys (if you have home contents insurance, this may be covered in your policy – if not you will need to pay for the cost of us gaining entry to your home and replacing the locks)

  In a life-threatening emergency such as a fire, health or crime please call 999.

  For non-emergency repairs, please email repairs@ovh.org.uk, or call us on 0300 365 1111 between the hours of 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), or via our customer portal, My Account.

Our commitment

On our mission to create opportunities and change lives, we are dedicated to forging a better future for customers across the North West.

• Our homes

  We are proud of our good quality homes that are safe, well managed and maintained to a high standard in line with the Government’s Decent Homes Standard.

  Our Asset Management Team and repair service work hard each year to ensure our homes are fit for the future.

  In 2022/23, we invested over £36 million to improve our existing homes through repairs, maintenance and improvement projects.

• Our neighbourhoods

  We are committed to creating vibrant neighbourhoods for our communities as we strive towards building a better future.

  Our Community Safety Team works hard each year to make our communities a better place, without anti-social behaviour (ASB).

  In 2022/23, we hosted 21 community action days to support customers with ASB and reduce fly-tipping in neighbourhoods.

• Our communities

  Our dedicated Stakeholder Engagement Team works hard each year to support local volunteering and community groups to achieve their goals.

  We make an annual commitment of £15,000 to initiatives across our communities through our community development fund.

Get involved

You can join our Customer Voice Group by signing up online, emailing getinvolved@ovh.org.uk or calling 0300 365 1111.

We are here to help