Milton Keynes City Council’s repair service

Milton Keynes City Council’s repairs service for council homes is delivered by Mears. If you live in a council property you can contact Mears to report repairs. When you report a repair please make sure that Mears have up to date contact details for you.

During the Right To Buy process, and while there is a tenancy agreement in place, please continue to report repairs in the usual way. Once there has been legal completion the responsibilities for repairs transfer to the owner of the property. Please refer to your legal documents for clarifications on repairs and maintenance responsibilities.

Emergency repairs

Contact Mears right away to report an emergency repair to your council home or communal area.

  • Telephone Mears on 0330 123 2522, this is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We aim to visit and make a temporary fix within 4 to 24 hours.
  • If you can smell gas or suspect a gas leak, call the National Gas Emergency Service first on 0800 111 999, have your postcode ready. Then contact Mears on the number above.

Report routine repairs

The easiest way is to report your repair online via our repairs digital portal, where you can also arrange an appointment convenient for you. We aim to visit within 28 days (though it’s usually much earlier).

Alternatively:

  • Telephone Mears on 0330 123 2522
  • Email Mears with your details and a brief description of your repair, and the Mears call centre will contact you to make an appointment.

Repair appointments

Mears offer appointments between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. You will be given either a:

  • Morning appointment - 8am to 1pm
  • Afternoon appointment - 1pm to 5pm
  • All-day appointment - 8am to 5pm

This means that an operative or contractor will arrive at your home within these time periods. Please also note:

  • If Mears have your mobile number, you will receive text notifications about your appointment.
  • Mears staff and contractors will identify themselves on arrival and will show you their identification. If you are unsure, please telephone Mears on 0330 123 2522 to check.
  • The aim is to complete the work on the first visit but depending on the repair it may be necessary for a follow up visit and Mears staff will inform you of this.
  • You may be contacted by Mears Customer Care Team to check you are happy with the repair to your home when the work is completed.
  • We understand that circumstances can change. So, if you’re unable to be at home at the arranged time, please contact Mears directly to re-arrange your appointment.

Tenant responsibilities and recharges

You are responsible for some minor repairs and maintenance to your home. This does include keeping your home in a good and clean condition.

Some of the repairs you are responsible for include: changing light bulbs, replacing toilet seats, repainting walls, changing or fixing carpets, fixing any property that belong to you. For more information and advice on how to carry out some simple repairs please visit our Tenants information and advice page.

Milton Keynes City Council seeks to deliver value for money to all its tenants, and therefore we will seek to recharge and recover any identified costs incurred outside of our accepted area of responsibility from the responsible tenant. This includes repairs required to any fixtures or fittings in the property, or in the communal areas as a result of accidental or deliberate damage cause by the tenant, their family, visitors, or neglect.

For more information on the responsibilities of tenants, please refer to your tenancy agreement.

Leaseholders and shared owners' responsibility

If you are a leaseholder or a shared owner, under the terms of your lease you are responsible for servicing, maintaining, and repairing things that are inside your property, such as fixtures and fittings.

Generally, the council are responsible for maintaining and looking after the areas outside your home, including internal and external communal areas, fixtures and fittings. However, some leases may determine that the leaseholders or shared owners have that responsibility. If you are not sure, please contact Home Ownership team who will be able to clarify for you.