Further to the Chief Minister’s announcement of 2 March 2021 and the subsequent advice we have been given, we would like to inform you of changes to our services and how they may affect you.
We have taken steps to ensure that the majority of our workforce will be working from home, which may cause slight delay to response times for general requests and administrative processes.
Contacting us
You can still contact the housing team in the usual way and on the numbers below:
|
All housing and maintenance queries |
685955 |
Mon-Fri 9am – 5pm |
|
Out of hours essential maintenance repairs |
494012 |
after 4pm until 9am each weekday and 24 hours over weekends/bank holidays |
Please note that during busy periods you may find the telephone line busy until an officer is available to take your call, your patience in this matter is greatly appreciated. The officer who initially takes your call may need to refer your query to other officers working remotely, you may be provided with an alternate number to call or we can arrange for a colleague to call you back.
Our counter services will be closed until further notice.
Paying your rent
Your rent is required to be paid weekly as per your tenancy agreement, there has been no change to this arrangement because of lockdown. If Covid related issues have affected your ability to pay rent then please contact us on 685955 as a matter of urgency to discuss this with a member of the housing team. Alternatively, you can email housing@gov.im.
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, people who receive benefits at the post office using a MiCard can now be paid directly into their bank account instead. For further details, please visit the Social Security website or call Social Security on 685656.
We also encourage tenants to pay their rent by Direct Debit, you can request a direct debit mandate form from the Housing team.
Essential Maintenance and Repairs
As per previous lockdowns, we are prioritising essential repairs and maintenance work only. This includes but is not restricted to:
- Loss of electricity
- No heating or hot water
- Burst pipe(s) leading to flooding of your property
- Toilets or drainage failing
- Rain water ingress causing flooding of your property
If you are unsure about whether your request is an emergency, please call +44 1624 685955 and our maintenance team will assess the priority of the work.
If arrangements are made to carry out any works in your home, in order to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus, please cooperate fully with our customer services and maintenance teams. This will include answering questions regarding your present household circumstance and practicing safe distancing within your home whilst maintenance works are carried out.
Other Services
Reduced housing administration services are now in operation and as a result processing times may be a little longer than usual for application forms and other routine tasks. We will not be carrying out housing visits or inspections during lockdown.
We will continue to work with all necessary precautions following the latest public health guidance
