Occupier Maintenance Issue

Emergency

If there is a fire at the property under no circumstance should you try to put it out yourself.

You must immediately evacuate the property and then contact the emergency services to report the fire. After that you must contact us by telephone

If the discolouration is as shown in this picture, then the problem could be mildew.

If the discolouration is mildew, then you may want to remove the mildew with an appropriate product. Removal of mildew is often an occupier's responsibility under the terms of their lease.

If the leak cannot be contained and/or it is causing damage to the property (especially if it is penetrating into an electrical fitting), it is classified as an emergency and it must be reported to us through this system and by telephone as soon as possible.

Office number: 01582 343000

If safe and convenient to do so, you should turn the water off immediately using the stopcock. The stopcock is usually turned clockwise to stop the flow of water.

The stopcock in a property can typically be located:

• Underneath the kitchen sink
• In an airing cupboard
• In the basement
• Under the floorboards by the front door

If the leak is coming from the above or adjacent property, you must try to contact those occupants immediately.

Problem with washing machine

If safe to do so, please perform the following checks on your washing machine before raising the issue:

Washing machine not draining properly?

• Please check to see if the washing machine filter is clear of anything causing a blockage. Refer to the appliance manual for how to clean the filter. The repair may be chargeable if items left in your laundry like coins have blocked the filter or any other parts of the washing machine. If your washing machine still does not drain, please continue to report the problem through our system.

Re-set your washing machine.

• This can usually be done by safely unplugging and plugging the machine (wait 1 minute between each step). Note that these are general guidelines and that you should refer to your appliance manual.

Run a service wash on your machine.

• A service wash means spinning the machine without any clothes in it at a high temperature. Most manufacturers now recommend you use a certain cycle to do this or newer machines provide a special drum-cleaning program. Please refer to your appliance manual. If possible, also clean the soap drawer and rubber seal around the door. If these are not cleaned properly, mould and bacteria can fester in the washing machine.

If the above has not solved the problem, please continue to submit your repair request.

Property services

Property services are offered at a cost to the property tenant/occupier and are not covered by your standard contract with the agency or landlord.

If you submit a request for a service we will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm whether it can be provided and, if so, at what cost.

Alarms

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms can be mains powered or battery powered. If your alarm is battery powered and is not functioning correctly please check that whether the batteries require replacement before reporting your issue. The replacement of alarm batteries is often an occupier's responsibility. Please check the terms of your agreement to identify who is responsible for replacing alarm batteries in your property.

Emergency

If you have a gas leak or you can smell gas you must immediately evacuate the property and then contact National Grid Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

After that you must report this issue both through this system and by telephone

Furniture, Fixtures & Fittings

Please note that your landlord is only responsible for the items they have supplied to you for use during the tenancy.

If the issue relates to something belonging to you or if you have damaged something belonging to your landlord it is your responsibility to fix / repair / replace it.

If the issues relates to an electric appliance please first check the circuit breakers to ensure they do not need to be reset. Also, some landlords have service contracts or extended warranties for specific appliances, if you have the details of any such cover in place you should call the provider to arrange a service call.

If the issue relates to something supplied to you by your Landlord please continue to report it online.

Oven not working correctly (electric)

If safe and convenient to do so please perform the following checks before reporting an issue:

• Please check your fuse box or consumer unit to see if circuit breakers require resetting.
• Please ensure that the isolation switch is in the 'on' position.

Is the oven clock set? A common problem is that an electric oven will not function unless this is done. The time does not have to be correct. However, the timer must not be flashing. Please check your instruction manual for instructions on how to resolve this.

Fuse Box

Please check your fuse box or consumer unit to see if circuit breakers require resetting. If circuit breakers do not require resetting please report this issue through this system and contact us by telephone.

Check electricity

First telephone the electricity board to check that the loss of power is not because of a general power cut, unpaid bills or failure to pay for connection. If the loss of power is not due to one of those factors then you must report this issue through this system and contact us by telephone.

Dishwasher does not work correctly

If safe to do so, please perform the following checks on your dishwasher before raising the issue:

Dishwasher not cleaning dishes properly:

Make sure to use the correct amount of rinse aid and dishwasher salt. This will otherwise cause dishes to come out "streaky" and glasses will appear cloudy.

Often, cleaning the spray arm, filter, and float will solve the problem. Consult the manual for how to do this for your particular appliance. Below are some general guidelines:

• Remove the spray arm and clean out the holes. Doing this will also give you access to the filter.
• Clean the filter, usually accessed under the spray arm. Rinse it thoroughly, making sure to remove any food debris. You can also use an appropriate vacuum cleaner to remove the finer debris.
• Clean the float in order to make sure it can move up and down freely.

If this does not help solve your issue, please continue to report your repair through to us.

Communal/Shared Facilities

This problem relates to a shared facility.
If you submit this problem through our system we will try to refer the problem to the person or company that manages the shared facility (this is usually a Block Management Company).

We recommend that you also directly notify them of the problem yourself. Their details should be in the documents that you received when your occupation started.

Blocked Gutters

Please note that often tenants are responsible for keeping the gutters clear from any blockages. If the gutters are blocked, you may need to arrange for these to be cleared at your own expense. Please check the terms of your tenancy agreement before contacting us.

Toilet not flushing?

You should always have the use of a toilet. If you do not, then this would be considered an urgent issue and must be reported to us both through this system and by telephone.

If the toilet will not flush and the toilet otherwise drains as normal without leaks, if safe and convenient to do so there is a temporary solution until the plumber attends as follows:

Pour a half-full bucket of water at a fast but controlled pace. This will achieve the same result as flushing the toilet. Only do this if the toilet is not blocked.

Keep your drains clean by following the below:

• Never pour grease or cooking fat down the sink or drain.
• Carefully remove any food waste from plates before rinsing them in the sink.
• Do not flush wet wipes, makeup wipes, sanitary towels, harsh chemicals or any other items down the toilet – dispose of these in a bin.
• Remove excess hair from the plughole after each time you use the shower to avoid blockages.

Tumble dryer does not work correctly

If safe and convenient to do so please perform the following checks before reporting an issue:

Please check your fuse box or consumer unit to see if circuit breakers require resetting.
Please check the dryer is plugged in and powered.
Make sure the filter is clean. Dryers collect fibres and it is important to ensure that all fluff and items from the filter are regularly cleared out. Please refer to your instruction manual on how to do this.

Locks

If you cannot gain access to the property or the property is not secure, this is an emergency and must be reported to us through this system and by telephone.

Mould

If the mould is similar to the one shown in this picture then the problem may be due to condensation. Small patches of mould can be wiped off but please report larger patches or problems.

If the mould has arisen due to condensation and that condensation has been caused by the action of a tenant (such as drying clothes indoors without adequate ventilation or blocking off an air brick) then remedying the issues caused by the condensation are often an occupier's responsibility. You should keep your property sufficiently aired and ventialted in order to prevent the above especially during colder periods.

Tips to avoid condensation:

• Cover boiling pans and open a window if you are cooking
• Dry your clothes outdoors when possible. Do not dry your clothes over radiators.
• Ventilate your tumble dryer
• Use extractor fans if they have been fitted in your bathrooms
• Wipe up water lying on window sills in the morning

Check boiler

If safe and convenient to do so, please perform the following checks on your boiler before reporting an issue:

• Make sure that the electricity and boiler are turned on
• There is enough credit on the meter
• The thermostat is not turned down
• Re-set the boiler by pressing the reset button. Consult your boiler manual for specific guidance.
• Check the boiler pressure. Please refer to your boiler manual to find out what the correct pressure should be and how to re-pressurise your boiler.

If the boiler cannot be turned on or if there is no hot water after the boiler has been turned on and enough time has passed to heat the water then please report this issue through this system and contact us by telephone.

Washing machine not draining

If safe to do so, please perform the following checks on your washing machine before raising the issue:

Washing machine not draining properly?

• Please check to see if the washing machine filter is clear of anything causing a blockage. Refer to the appliance manual for how to clean the filter. The repair may be chargeable if items left in your laundry like coins have blocked the filter or any other parts of the washing machine. If your washing machine still does not drain, please continue to report the problem through our system.

If this does not work please continue to report your repair through to us.

Fridge is not working correctly

If safe to do so, please perform the following checks before raising the issue:

Water accumulates in the base of the fridge:

• This is often caused by a blocked drain tube/defrost outlet. In most fridge/freezers, there will be a defrost outlet. This is usually a round hole located in the back wall of the fridge, near the compartments at the bottom. Look to see if anything has blocked the hole. Some fridges come with an unblocking utensil; you can also use something like a straw or a cotton bud. Unblock the hole and once done, pour a (very) small amount of warm water into the hole to check it drains properly again.

Ice has built up at the back of the fridge:

• Make sure you defrost the fridge on a regular basis

For any other problems, please continue to report the problem online with as many details as possible.

Manhole

If the situation is dangerous or potentially dangerous this is classified as an emergency and must be reported to us both through this system and by telephone. If the situation is not an emergency or urgent issue please state any relevant details in the notes section.

Emergency!

This is classified as an emergency and should be reported by telephone as soon as possible.

Light Bulbs

The replacement of light bulbs is often an occupier's responsibility under a lease. Please check the terms of your agreement to identify who is responsible for replacing light bulbs in your property.