Dacorum Borough Council has announced a five-year deal with a contractor that will complete the maintenance of its homes.

Last Wednesday, the authority confirmed that Cardo is overseeing repair work, maintenance, and on-site work at its council homes. Dacorum Borough Council says it decided to retain the company after listening to feedback from tenants using its service.

The council also announced a series of upgrades that are planned to improve the service over the next five years.

Dacorum Borough Council says that tenants should still report repairs using the same process they followed beforehand. The council has also revealed that Cardo uses a live-tracking system meaning residents can track the arrival of their caretaker.

Caption: L - R Dacorum Mayor Cllr Garrick Stevens, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Property Services, Cllr Simy Dhyani, Dacorum Borough Council Chief Executive Darren Welsh with Cardo engineer and Ricky Lang, Head of Safe Homes.

placeholder image — Caption: L - R Dacorum Mayor Cllr Garrick Stevens, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Property Services, Cllr Simy Dhyani, Dacorum Borough Council Chief Executive Darren Welsh with Cardo engineer and Ricky Lang, Head of Safe Homes.

Cardo uses a transparency policy which involves tenants being sent the name and a picture of the person arriving to carry out repairs or checks.

Dacorum Borough Council also says it is using a new IT system that will support more accurate diagnosis of repair issues.

The council also says the deal will lead to clearer appointment information regarding what repair is to be carried out.

Dacorum Borough Council says that tenant feedback played a key role in agreeing the contract. The council revealed that it held engagement events prior to signing the deal and created a ‘tenant voice panel’.

Michelle Mitchell, chair of the panel, said: “We will play an important role in monitoring progress giving valuable scrutiny, challenge, and resident insight to help ensure that there are improvements for tenants. As a voice for tenants, we will make sure residents remain at the centre of new decisions and improvements to the service.”

The council says that Cardo has committed to running apprenticeships, training programmes, social value initiatives and community investment projects, over the five-year period.

Councillor Simy Dhyani said: “Our priority is making sure every resident lives in a safe, comfortable and well-maintained home. Since Cardo took over the repairs service, they have worked closely with the council to maintain continuity, improve performance and build on our shared commitment to putting residents first.

"This new contract marks the next phase of that partnership. By introducing new technology, greater transparency and an even stronger focus on customer service, we are creating a repairs service that is more responsive, reliable and accountable. We have listened to our residents, learned from their feedback and continued to invest in improving the service. This contract reflects our determination to keep raising standards and deliver the high-quality repairs service our residents deserve."

The council has a dedicated repairs page on its website which can be viewed here.

Liam Bevan, CEO of Cardo Group said: "This reappointment reflects three years of hard work and trust between Cardo and Dacorum Borough Council and we're incredibly proud of what that partnership has achieved together. It's a strong endorsement of the quality and consistency our team delivers day in, day out. We're looking forward to building on this foundation - investing further in local apprenticeships, supporting community projects, and continuing to deliver the standard of service Dacorum's residents expect and deserve."