[Last updated 13/12/21 at 12:25]

We are continuing to provide services to our customers with strict health and safety measures in place and there is no material change to our service despite the UK coronavirus (COVID-19) alert level increasing from Level 3 to Level 4. We are regularly reviewing the situation and will update this page as necessary if and when the situation changes.

Please head to the government website for all of the latest advice on restrictions relating to the spread of coronavirus.

We know that it remains a challenging time for many customers with concerns over finances and employment. To ease some of the stress, we’ve pulled together an easy to read coronavirus wellbeing guide which outlines lots of great tips, support, and advice.


Repairs and home visits

  • Our repairs and maintenance service continues as normal which includes all home safety requirements. When our engineers are in your home, they will be following our covid secure risk assessment and we request you to make sure the room they are working in is well ventilated. You can still report repairs in the normal way (legacy Bromford customers) or log your request through your online account (legacy Severn Vale customers). We did, however, experience a significant increase in demand for repairs over the spring and summer and are still working our way through a small backlog. We appreciate your patience and if you haven’t heard back from us yet, please rest assured we will be in touch soon.

    If you've recently moved into one of our new build homes you may still be within the defects period, during which time the housebuilder is responsible for putting things right. Please report any issues to us as usual but be aware that some developers are still needing more time to respond to calls which may result in some delay in getting the work completed.

  • Following the new work from home guidance, our neighbourhood coaches continue to work in our communities. Please continue to contact your coach in the normal way as they are here to support you.

    If you don’t know who your coach is, you can find your neighbourhood coach using our handy search tool.

  • Yes. All colleagues visiting customer homes and communal areas in blocks and schemes will be wearing a face covering unless medically exempt. In light of new government guidance and to keep everybody safe, we would also ask you to wear a face covering if you are able to.

    All of our frontline colleagues will continue washing hands or using hand sanitiser throughout the day to maintain a high level of personal hygiene and to minimise the spread of all viruses including Covid-19. When our colleagues are visiting your home, please ensure the room they are working in is well ventilated.

  • We have reviewed all our contractors risk assessments and, as a minimum, they too will be following the same controls as Bromford colleagues. They have been informed of our policy regarding face coverings and are required to comply with the policy.

Rent

  • We are always here to support customers to sustain their tenancies, and we will provide support where we can to anyone that has concerns about paying their rent. If you are struggling to pay your rent because you have been impacted by coronavirus, we would ask you to contact us as soon as possible to discuss your situation.

    In order to continue to provide our services and to maintain your homes, we must still collect rent, but no customer will be evicted for being unable to pay their rent because of the impact of coronavirus.

    We commit to not taking any unreasonable action to recover rent arrears that accrue during any period of financial difficulty resulting from the impact of the virus. We will work with our customers to find affordable solutions in order to help people through the difficulties they are experiencing.

    Our aim is always to do everything possible to ensure our customers can sustain their tenancies and remain in their homes. 

  • Please call your neighbourhood coach, as we are here to help. Your neighbourhood coach will be able to talk you through your circumstances and provide advice.

    You can find the details for your neighbourhood coach here.

    Alternatively, you can also contact a member of our customer services team by contacting us.

    If required, a member of our customer services team or your neighbourhood coach can refer you through to an income management adviser to contact you to discuss your situation with you in more detail.

Contacting us

  • Yes. Demand into our contact centre is still high so please be patient and we will answer as soon as we possibly can. Please consider avoiding calling during peak periods, which are first thing in the morning or over the lunch period. There are many services you can use online, such as paying your rent or checking your latest rent statement, you can go online at: 

    www.bromford.co.uk for Bromford/Merlin customers 

    www.svhs.org.uk if you have a Severn Vale Housing Association tenancy

Our priority is to maintain the highest level of service possible whilst keeping our customers, colleagues, and contractors safe. We know this continues to be a challenging period on many fronts so please talk to your neighbourhood coach if you have any concerns and we thank you for your support and patience.