Guide to reporting repairs on Housing Online

Once logged into your Housing Online account a number of tiles are shown on the summary page.

You should select the ‘My Repairs’ tile to report a new repair or make changes to an existing repair.

Screenshot of a web portal titled 'My Summary' with a grid layout of service options. The page shows a redacted welcome message followed by 12 clickable service tiles arranged in 4 rows and 3 columns. The tiles include: My Accounts (£ symbol), Browse and bid for properties (house icon), Update My Contact Details (phone icon), Complete a Homechoice Application (bed icon), My Saved Homechoice Application (checkmark icon), My Accepted Homechoice Application (checkmark icon), My Messages (envelope icon), My Repairs (wrench icon, highlighted in yellow), View My Tenancies (house icon), My Documents (document icon), Contact Us (phone icon), and My Personal Details (person icon). Each tile has a light blue background with black icons and descriptive text below.

The Repairs Summary page will open. This page shows the repairs reported for your property. These can be filtered if necessary.

Screenshot of a 'Repairs Summary' web page showing a property maintenance portal. At the top is a navigation breadcrumb trail with links for 'My Preferences', 'Home', and 'Homechoice Change of Circumstances Form'. The main content shows a property selector dropdown for a flat in Berkshire, Reading (address redacted) with an 'Actions' button. Below is a filtering section with fields for Repair Number, Description, Date From, and Date To, plus a 'View' button. The page displays repair records in a table format showing: SRO Number 641 reported on 05-FEB-2025 at 10:38 for 'Rewasher and/or repair tap' with status 'Raised', and SRO Number 640 reported on 05-FEB-2025 at 10:37 for 'Clear blockage in basin' also with status 'Raised'. Each row has an 'Action' dropdown button. The table header indicates this shows repairs for the selected flat.

You can report a new repair. To do so select the ‘Action’ button next to the property address and select ‘Report a Repair’.

Screenshot of a 'Repairs Summary' page showing the top portion of a property maintenance portal. The page displays a property selector showing 'Flat 1' in Reading with redacted address details. On the right is an 'Action' dropdown menu that's currently open, revealing two options highlighted in yellow: 'Report a Repair' and 'View Related Repairs'. Below is a filtering section with fields for Repair Number, Description, Date From, and Date To, along with a 'View' button. The interface allows users to search and filter repair records for the selected property.

A new screen will open giving information about the service, explaining which repairs cannot be made using the online account. When ready, select ‘Click Here to Report a Repair’.

Screenshot of a 'Report a Repair' page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. At the top is a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button and the Reading Borough Council logo. The page contains a purple header with 'Welcome' and several sections of explanatory text about the repair reporting process. Key information includes: instructions to read notes before proceeding, contact numbers for unavailable repairs (0800 318 296, 9am-5pm), and details about tenant responsibilities for fixtures and fittings. The page explains emergency repairs (0800 318 296 or 0118 937 3737) and communal repairs (0800 318 296 or 0118 937 3737). There's an important message in a gray box stating that each repair will be checked to determine responsibility. At the bottom is a prominent yellow button labeled 'Click Here To Report A Repair'.

This will open a visual diagnostic tool that will help you identify the issue and select the repair needed. There is also a search box that can be used, for example search for ‘dripping tap’ will bring up a list of matches.

Screenshot of a 'Report a Repair' page showing a category selection interface from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. At the top is a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button, the Reading Borough Council logo, and a search bar. The main content area displays a grid of repair categories, each with an illustrative icon and label. The categories are arranged in 4 rows and include: Basins and sinks, Baths and showers, Doors, Electrics, Floors/walls and ceilings, Garages, Gas servicing, Gutters and rainwater pipes, Heating and hot water, Kitchen units, Locks/latches and fittings, Outside the property, Roofing, Stairs, Toilets, Water services, Windows and glazing, and Damp medic. Each category is presented as a clickable tile with a simple graphic illustration. There's a purple 'Contents' header with a 'Back' button in the top right corner of the content area.

The system will step you through a series of screens to pinpoint the repair. The screens will vary depending on the repair category chosen.

Screenshot of a basin repair selection page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows a breadcrumb navigation 'Contents > Basins and sinks > Basins' with a 'Back' button. The main content displays various basin repair options with checkboxes and corresponding illustrations. On the left side is a detailed diagram of a basin with waste pipe components, with options for 'Basin is loose', 'Basin is damaged', 'Waste pipe is damaged', 'Trap is damaged', and 'Basin is blocked'. In the center are tap-related options including 'Tap is loose', 'Tap is dripping', and 'Tap will not turn on or off' with an illustration of a dripping tap. On the right is a waste grid illustration with the option 'Waste grid is damaged or missing'. At the bottom is a section for 'Overhaul any type of mixer tap' with an illustration of a mixer tap, and text indicating 'Types of taps' with a help icon. The page instructs users to 'Please select the label that best describes the fault or damage.

You will be asked to confirm the broken fixture or fitting was installed by Reading Borough Council. If ‘No’ is selected here you will be told that the job is your responsibility and you will have the option to return to the beginning.

Screenshot of a repair job ordering page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows a purple breadcrumb navigation trail reading 'Contents > Basins and sinks > Basins > Job Ordering'. Below is a heading 'Basin tap is dripping' followed by the question 'Has this been installed by Reading Borough Council?' with two grey buttons labelled 'Yes' and 'No' for the user to select from.

You will be reminded that any accidental or deliberate damage caused by you will be rechargeable. You can proceed at this stage or return back to the beginning.

Screenshot of a repair reporting page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows the header 'Report a Repair' with a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button and the Reading Borough Council logo. The breadcrumb navigation shows 'Contents > Basins and sinks > Basins > Job Ordering' with a 'Back' button. The main content displays 'Basin tap is dripping' as the repair type, followed by the question 'How was the damage caused?' There's explanatory text stating that if the damage was caused by accidental or deliberate damage or DIY repairs by the tenant or visitors, the job will be rechargeable and handled as emergency repair only, with the rest being the tenant's responsibility. At the bottom are two buttons: 'Proceed' and 'Return to Contents'.

Depending on the repair requested there may be a health and safety question.

Screenshot of a health and safety assessment page for a toilet repair. The page header reads 'Cistern will not flush properly' followed by the question 'Is this causing a Health and Safety risk?' Below is explanatory text stating 'A Health and Safety risk could include:' followed by three bullet points: 'The occupants are classed as vulnerable', 'Young children live in the property', and 'There is no other working toilet in the property'. At the bottom are two gray buttons labeled 'Yes' and 'No' for the user to select from.

If the repair is considered a health and safety risk it will be an urgent (U) or emergency repair and must be called through for the team to raise the repair. Urgent (U) appointments cannot be made online. A message (like the one shown below) will be displayed and you will not be able to proceed with raising this repair online.

Screenshot of an emergency repair notification page. At the top is a yellow highlighted banner stating 'This job has been highlighted as an emergency. All emergency repairs must be reported on our Repair line:' followed by the phone number '0800 318 296 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or 0118 937 3737 (at other times)'. The page contains detailed instructions about what information will be needed when calling, including name, address, phone number and repair details. There are three sections with emergency guidance: 'Water Leak?' with instructions about locating stopcocks and when to call emergency services, 'Gas Leak' with the National Gas Emergency Service number (0800 111 999 or minicom 0800 371 787), and 'No Electricity' with advice about checking credit meters and reporting power cuts to electricity providers. At the bottom is a 'Return to Contents' button.

If ‘No’ is selected and there are no health and safety concerns the job details page will appear next.

Screenshot of a repair job ordering form from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows 'Report a Repair' as the main heading with a breadcrumb navigation showing 'Contents > Basins and sinks > Basins > Job Ordering'. The form is for 'Basin tap is dripping' and contains a job details section with the following fields: Job description (filled with 'Rewasher and/or repair tap'), Quantity (showing '1'), Unit of measure (showing 'No'), Location (dropdown showing 'Please select...'), Trade (showing 'Plumber'), Comments (text area with placeholder text 'Enter details of your repair request' and '216 characters remaining'), and Type of Tenancy/Repair (dropdown showing 'Please select...'). At the bottom is an 'Order' button. The page includes explanatory text about providing relevant information and adding additional details in the comments box.

The location needs to be entered from the drop-down list. You can add comments and type of tenancy/repair. Select ‘Temporary Accommodation’, ‘Homes for Reading’ or ‘Reading’ depending on your tenancy.

Screenshot of a repair job ordering form from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows 'Report a Repair' with breadcrumb navigation 'Contents > Basins and sinks > Basins > Job Ordering'. The form is for 'Basin tap is dripping' and displays job details including: Job description ('Rewasher and/or repair tap'), Quantity ('1'), Unit of measure ('No'), Location (dropdown set to 'Kitchen'), Trade ('Plumber'), and Comments (text area with 'ADD YOUR COMMENTS HERE IF NEEDED' and '184 characters remaining'). The 'Type of Tenancy/Repair' dropdown is currently open showing options: 'Please select...', 'Homes for Reading - Plumbing Repair' (highlighted in yellow), and 'Temporary Accommodation - Plumbing Repair'. The form includes explanatory text about providing relevant information in the comments box.

When you are satisfied that the details entered are correct you can select the ‘Order’ button.

Screenshot of a completed repair job ordering form from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The breadcrumb navigation shows 'Contents > Basins and sinks > Basins > Job Ordering' with a 'Back' button. The form is titled 'Basin tap is dripping' and contains filled job details: Job description ('Rewasher and/or repair tap'), Quantity ('1'), Unit of measure ('No'), Location (dropdown set to 'Kitchen'), Trade ('Plumber'), Comments (text area showing 'ADD YOUR COMMENTS HERE IF NEEDED' with '184 characters remaining'), and Type of Tenancy/Repair (dropdown set to 'Reading - Plumbing Repair'). At the bottom is a prominent yellow 'Order' button. The page includes explanatory text about providing relevant information and adding additional details in the comments box before adding to the job basket.

The system will process the request and search for available appointments. This can take up to 45 seconds.

Screenshot of a processing page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. At the top is a link for 'Homechoice Change of Circumstances Form'. The main content shows 'Report a Repair' as the heading with a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button below it. The page displays a processing message stating 'Your request is being processed' followed by 'This page will refresh automatically once processing is complete' and 'Please wait. This may take up to 45 seconds'. At the bottom is a red loading spinner icon indicating the system is processing the request.

The system will bring back available appointments for you to book. If there are no appointments available the repair will be requested, you will be given a reference number and someone from our team will email your appointment date and time to you. You will receive this email within 5 working days.

If appointments are available, you can select one appointment and click ‘Book Appointment’.

Screenshot of a successful repair request confirmation page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows 'Report a Repair' as the heading with a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button and the Reading Borough Council logo. A purple banner displays 'Successful' followed by text stating 'Works order 6431 successfully created. Please make a note of this reference and quote it in any future correspondence.' Below is an 'Appointment Information' section explaining that users should indicate when they require an appointment and only one appointment may be selected. The page shows a calendar of available appointment slots from Monday, February 10, 2025 through Wednesday, February 26, 2025, with four time slots each day: 08:00 to 12:00, 09:00 to 12:00, 12:00 to 16:00, and 12:00 to 17:00. At the bottom is a yellow 'Book Appointment' button.

A pop-up message will show the chosen appointment date and time, and ask you to confirm. Select ‘OK’.

If you select ‘Cancel’ you will be taken back to the appointment screen to re-select.

Screenshot of an appointment confirmation dialog box from the Reading Borough Council housing portal (housingonline-test.reading.gov.uk). The dialog displays the message 'You have selected an appointment on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 08:00 to 12:00.' followed by 'Do you want to book this appointment slot?' At the bottom are two buttons: a green 'OK' button (highlighted in yellow) and a 'Cancel' button.

The system will process the request. This can take up to 45 seconds.

Screenshot of a processing page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. At the top is a link for 'Homechoice Change of Circumstances Form'. The main content shows 'Report a Repair' as the heading with a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button below it. The page displays a processing message stating 'Your request is being processed' followed by 'This page will refresh automatically once processing is complete' and 'Please wait. This may take up to 45 seconds'. At the bottom is a red loading spinner icon indicating the system is processing the request.

A confirmation message will display, confirming the appointment has been made and giving a reference number for the repair.

The reference number is referred to as the works order (W) number and can be found on the summary and repairs details page.

Screenshot of a completion page from Reading Borough Council's repair reporting system. The page shows 'Report a Repair' as the heading with a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button and the Reading Borough Council logo. A purple banner displays 'Finished' followed by confirmation text stating 'You have successfully booked an appointment.' Below that is a reminder message: 'Please make a note of this reference 643/1 and quote it in any future correspondence.' At the bottom is a gray button labeled 'Report Another Repair'.

The requested repair will now appear on the Repairs Summary page.

From the summary page you can open the details of the repair and click through to amend or cancel. Select ‘Action’ alongside your chosen repair.

Screenshot of the 'Repairs Summary' page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows a property selector dropdown for 'Flat 1' with redacted address details and an 'Actions' button. Below is a filtering section with fields for Repair Number, Description, Date From, and Date To, plus a 'View' button. The main content displays repair records for the selected flat, showing two entries: SRO Number 644 reported on 05-FEB-2025 at 10:56 for 'Rewasher and/or repair tap' with status 'Raised', and SRO Number 643 reported on 05-FEB-2025 at 10:55 for 'Rewasher and/or repair tap' also with status 'Raised'. Each row has an 'Action' dropdown button, with the second row's button highlighted in yellow. The page includes a dropdown to select the number of rows to display.

Select ‘View Repair Details’.

Screenshot of a repairs summary table from Reading Borough Council's housing portal showing repair records for Flat 1, 26 Granville Road, Berkshire, Reading, RG30 3QD. The table displays multiple repair entries with columns for SRO Number, Date Reported, Repair Description, Repair Status, and Actions. Entries include: SRO 645 (05-FEB-2025, 10:58) for 'Overhaul monobloc or mixer tap', SRO 644 (05-FEB-2025, 10:56) for 'Rewasher and/or repair tap', SRO 643 (05-FEB-2025, 10:55) for 'Rewasher and/or repair tap', SRO 641 (05-FEB-2025, 10:38) for 'Rewasher and/or repair tap', and SRO 640 (05-FEB-2025, 10:37) for 'Clear blockage in basin'. All repairs show status 'Raised'. One of the Action dropdown menus is expanded, showing options highlighted in yellow: 'View Repair Details', 'View Action History', and 'Upload a Document'. There's also a dropdown to select the number of rows to display.

The repair details will be displayed. This will show the latest update, the appointment date and time, along with a few other details.

Screenshot of a 'Repairs Details' page from Reading Borough Council's housing portal. The page shows a 'Back to Repairs Summary' button at the top and displays details for Works Order Number 643/1 'Rewasher and/or repair tap' with an 'Actions' dropdown button. The page contains several sections: Latest Update stating 'The work was passed to the contractor and an appointment has been made for the AM (8 - 12) on 26-FEB-2025', Address showing 'Flat 1' with redacted details in Berkshire, Reading, Reported Date of '05-FEB-2025', Appointment Date and Time of '26-FEB-2025 08:00:00 - 12:00:00', and Works Order Details including Work Order Description ('Rewasher and/or repair tap'), Works Order Status Date ('05-FEB-2025 10:38'), and Work Order Status ('Issued').
Last updated on 22/08/2025