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Maintenance

Workplace Safety Policy

Bruce County Housing Corporation (BCHC) is committed to providing a healthy, comfortable and productive work environment for our employees. 

To ensure staff safety while visiting in your home we ask:

  •  Please secure pets while BCHC employees visit, as pets are sensitive to their space and may become protective, putting employees at risk
  •  Please do not smoke while BCHC employees visit.  In compliance with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, smoking will be prohibited in all enclosed workplaces and enclosed public places in Ontario as of May 31, 2006.  While employees visit in your home this area becomes their work place.  This policy applies to employees and contractors.
  • BCHC staff wears safety shoes in your home for their protection.
  • Please ensure walkways to your home are clear so that the BCHC employee can safely approach your home.
  • Please ensure there are no hazards in your home that would endanger you or the persons providing service.

Non-Emergency Repairs

Please report any non-emergency maintenance repairs to the Maintenance Department during regular office hours from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by calling 1-877-396-3450 or 519-396-3450 and press 1.

A repairperson will be scheduled to come to your home. We aim to address all reports of maintenance repairs within the next business day.

Under normal circumstances 24 Hour Notice will be given before entering an apartment to do repairs.

 Maintenance Repairs During Business Hours Call:

1-877-396-3450 or 519-396-3450

Press 1 

Maintenance Emergencies

Emergencies include no water, no heat, no power in the unit, broken water pipe, and fire. Call day or night to report maintenance emergencies.

A landlord is not required to give notice to enter a unit in the case of emergency.

  After Hours/Weekends/Holidays

Maintenance EMERGENCIES Call:

1-800-265-3022 or 519-396-3439

 

 

 BCHC Staff Entering Your Unit

In some cases BCHC Staff may need to enter your unit without written notice as per the Residential Tenancies Act:

A landlord can enter a tenant’s rental unit without written notice if:

  • There is an emergency such as a fire or water leaks, etc.
  • The tenant agrees to let the landlord in, 
  • The landlord or tenant has given a notice of termination, or they have an agreement to end the tenancy, and the landlord wants to show the unit to a potential new tenant (in this case, although notice is not required, the landlord must try to tell the tenant before entering for this reason).

 In most cases BCHC will enter your unit only after having given you at least 24 hours written notice. In any case where at least 24 hours written notice has been given to the tenant the written notice will set out:  the reasons for entry; the date the Landlord will enter and the time of entry between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

BCHC will enter the unit once they have given the tenant 24 hours written notice for the following reasons:

  • To make repairs or do work in the unit, 
  • To carry out an inspection, where reasonable, in order to determine whether repairs are needed or to conduct an annual inspection of property
  • To allow a potential tenant, mortgagee or insurer of the complex to view the unit, 
  • To allow a potential purchaser to view the rental unit (note: the Act also allows a registered real estate agent or broker to enter for this purpose if they have written authorization from the landlord),
  • To allow an engineer, architect or other similar professional to make an inspection for a proposed conversion under the Condominium Act; or
  • For any reasonable purpose allowed by the rental agreement.

Damages and Chargebacks

If damages occur at your unit or in your building by you, or a person (guest) that you permit on the property or a pet (yours or one that you permit in your unit), BCHC will charge you the cost to repair or replace damaged property.  This does not include regular wear of property but damage caused willfully or by negligence.  Tenants are charged according to BCHC Charge Back Policy.  Tenants will receive a letter outlining the labour and material charges enclosing any applicable invoices.   Tenants are charged actual material costs less applicable tax rebates received by the Corporation.

Unit Inspections

Generally inspections of the Family Units will take place annually and the Adult and Senior Units will be inspected every second year. It there is reason to believe that the unit is not being satisfactorily maintained building inspections will take place more often. You will receive at least 24 hours written notice prior to a unit inspection setting out the reasons for entry; the date the landlord will enter and the time of entry between 8:00 a.m. and 8 p.m. BCHC staff can enter the unit even if the tenant is not at home, after having given the correct notice.