Service Standards – Our Promise to you

Private Sector Housing Services play a key role in delivering the city’s housing strategy.

Our aim is to improve the conditions of private housing making the best use of the limited resources available. In doing so we work with

Our objective is to have decent private sector housing for landlords, tenants and homeowners in Sheffield. To do this:

We offer advice and information to landlords, tenants and homeowners so that they can maintain their home in good repair.
We work with homeowners, landlords and tenants to improve standards of private housing.
We make sure our limited funding goes to people who need it most to help improve their homes.
We help provide adaptations so people can comfortably stay in their home.
We take action against landlords and home owners who fail to meet acceptable standards

We will achieve this objective in accordance with government guidance, laws, regulations and codes of practice.

In providing our services to achieve these objectives we will work to the following Customer Care Standards:

We will always be courteous

However you choose to contact us our staff will be welcoming, provide their name, tell you which section they work for and will offer you assistance.
If our staff need to visit you at home, we will make an appointment with them where appropriate and will always show them an up to date identity card.

We will always be responsive

We will answer all telephone calls within 4 rings. If the person you need to speak to is not available, you can choose to speak to someone else who can help. If you leave a message we will get back to you within 1 working day.
We welcome and value your comments, complaints and suggestions about how we run our services and all feedback will be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt (or within 3 working days for e-mail contacts).
When you contact us with a question or complaint we will aim to respond in full within 20 working days of receipt. If this is not possible within that time, we will let you know what we have done with your complaint, and when you can expect a full reply;
We will see you on time if you have an appointment;
If you contact us and don’t have an appointment, we will try to see you promptly. We will apologise if we have to keep you waiting.
Provide any written information in plain English. When necessary we will make arrangements, such as providing translators, to ensure that all information is clearly understood.

We will always keep you informed

Whatever we are doing to help, we will explain what you can expect from us and how long it is likely to take.
At times we may need to refer your enquiry on to another member of staff who can provide you with the help or information that you need. When we do this we will make sure that we choose the right person, and pass all the relevant information on to them.

Your commitment to Us

Keep us informed of any changes in your circumstances that may affect any services that we provide to you.
Attend any appointment on time, or let us know if you cannot do so.
Behave in a considerate and polite way so we can give you and other customers the standard of service you would expect.

How we will keep to these standards

We will monitor our performance against these standards by:-

Asking you what you think about our service through customer satisfaction surveys we carry out on all aspects of our service and
Using any feedback to review and improve our services
Telling our customers our formal feedback procedures inviting comments, complaints and compliments