Repairs

Boston Housing Authority (BHA) is obligated to maintain your apartment in good repair. If something breaks in your apartment, you should call in a “Work Order Request” as soon as possible. BHA will schedule the work promptly. Some repairs will be prioritized based on urgency. Conditions that are considered emergencies will be addressed within 24 hours.

Residents who need repairs to their apartments should call the Work Order Center at (617) 988-4357/HELP.

The Work Order Center is open for calls between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and for maintenance emergencies from 4 p.m. to midnight. From midnight to 8 a.m., calls are answered by Public Safety dispatch operators and referred to the Operations Duty Officer who will direct staff to respond to emergency calls.

All work orders are assigned a number and tracked in a computer system. You should be given the work order number for repairs that you request so that you can track the satisfactory completion of the work.

BHA understands that all apartments will experience normal wear and tear. BHA will make normal wear and tear repairs when they are seen at an inspection or if you call in a Work Order Request.

If you damage any item in the apartment due to deliberate actions or negligence, BHA will charge you for the repair.

The State Sanitary Code contains helpful information regarding resident maintenance responsibilities. Work Items Classified As Emergencies

Work Items Classified as Emergencies

Refrigerator not working at all
Stove – failure of all burners
Flooding condition of any origin
Fire
Gas odor
Toilet stoppage; flooding or inability to use the toilet if the unit has only one toilet
No heat in the entire apartment: September 15 to June 15 only
No hot water
Waste line backup/blockages indicating a main drain blockage
No electricity in entire unit
Broken/malfunctioning elevator (in buildings where there is only one or if both are down)
Entry door or door locks are not secure
Lockouts
No water
No gas
No hallway lights throughout building
Live steam leak in apartment or accessible common area
Any condition deemed to be a health or safety hazard
Any call that indicates there is no response from resident from neighbors or relatives or other visitors concerned for the resident's health or safety

For Public Housing