Repairs. If you smell gas call Transco on

Transcription

1 Repairs If you smell gas call Transco on

2 This leaflet contains useful information about the repairs service for tenants, as well as both your rights, our rights and responsibilities. If you smell gas Open the doors and windows to clear the gas Check to see if the gas is from an unlit cooker or a pilot has gone out. If so turn the appliance off and do not try to relight it until all smell of gas has been cleared from the property If the leak cannot be stopped by turning off an appliance, or you are uncertain whether it has stopped, turn the main gas supply off at the meter and phone the National Gas Emergency Service 24 hours a day on Do not turn any electrical switches on or off For all other gas repairs, contact us in the first instance on freephone Don t forget that you can book urgent and routine repairs online at with our easy to use reporting system. You can also check the status of repairs that you have reported. You can also book a repair by either phoning us on , or by letter, or by making a personal visit to the office. If you need the emergency service outside normal working hours, please phone When reporting a repair Please be ready to give the following information when reporting a repair: your name property address times when someone is usually at home to enable the repair to be carried out or an inspection made telephone number where you can be contacted (if you can provide a home, mobile and work number it would be helpful) as much detailed information as possible about the repair that you are reporting The person taking your repair request will tell you when the work should be completed. If an inspection is needed first you will be told at the time the repair is reported. Appointments can be made for urgent and routine repairs. For all jobs, other than emergency repairs, you will receive written details of the work to be done and the expected completion date. This will take the form of a repair receipt. Following completion of your repair you may be asked to complete a satisfaction survey regarding amongst other things, the speed and quality of the work carried out. Spending a few minutes to give us this information will help us to improve future services to residents. 2 3

3 Condensation If you are having problems with condensation, please read our separate leaflet on this subject called Condensation Advice. Your responsibilities You are responsible for keeping your home in good condition, attempting to solve minor problems and for insuring the contents of your home. You are expected to take reasonable precautions to prevent damage caused to the property by: fire frost burst water pipes blocked drains and sinks Decorating inside your home It is up to you to decorate the inside of your property. It is preferred that walls are not decorated with textured finishes but in the event of this occurring we reserve the right to charge the resident for reinstating the plasterwork. If your decorations are damaged by our work in your property, we will make good the affected area or offer you a decorating allowance. If water damage is caused by you or a neighbouring resident (such as letting a bath overflow), we have no responsibility to make good the water staining and the resident causing the damage is responsible for the costs. This is a very good reason to have contents insurance. Please note: Making good does not mean redecorating the entire wall, ceiling or room. It simply means that the affected area will be redecorated to match existing decorations as closely as possible. Alternatively, a decorating allowance may be offered to you. Other items that are a tenants responsibility are as follows: (We may be able to do this work at a charge) toilet seats light bulbs - including fluorescent strip lights and starter motors in kitchens and bathrooms battery smoke detectors (mains powered detectors are our responsibility) waste blockages in kitchen sinks, hand basins, baths and toilets tiling - that is additional to the standard three rows of splash back tiles plugs for sinks, baths and wash hand basins floor coverings - including adapting doors to accommodate carpets domestic appliances 4 5

4 broken glass re-pressurising gas central heating boilers setting timers on heating and hot water systems investigating if a fuse has tripped outside taps and water butts dividing fences between properties front or rear driveways any slabbed or paved area that is not a main access into the property garden sheds garden maintenance including responsibility for trees, shrubs and bushes in both front and rear gardens washing lines - excluding communal gardens television aerials - excluding communal aerials for flats telephone points pest control loss of keys - including being locked out of a property or repairs required after forced entry. Rooftop s obligations We are obliged to keep the structure and exterior of your home and the building in which it is situated in good repair. We also undertake to keep in good repair and proper working order installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity for sanitation and for room and water heating. Blocked drains are sometimes the responsibility of Severn Trent Water or other local water authorities. In the case of flats and maisonettes, we will take reasonable care to keep common entrances, halls, stairways, lifts, passageways, rubbish chutes and any other common parts in reasonable repair. If you still have any queries about who is responsible for a specific repai, then please ask us using the normal number for reporting a repair which is We prioritise repairs into three categories, emergency, urgent or routine, to determine how quickly the repair will be carried out. Emergency repairs An emergency is defined as something which could not have been foreseen and could cause danger to health, residents safety, serious damage and/or destruction to property. Emergency call out contractors will normally make safe to enable full and proper repairs to be undertaken during normal working hours, with a proper repair being carried out the next working day. The types of work they attend include: 6 7

5 gas boiler failure total loss of electrical power unsafe electrical sockets or fittings loss of heating in cold weather loss of immersion heater - if this is the only source for hot water severe roof leak blockage of an only toilet blocked drain with sewage overflowing - unless drain serves more than one property which may be the responsibility of Severn Trent or the local water authority burst water pipe - where the resident is unable to control or isolate the water supply water leak - which cannot be contained and is likely to cause damage loose or falling brickwork, concrete or roof tiles boarding up of door or window opening securing ground floor door or window loss of keys (will be chargeable) We recognise that pensioners and vulnerable residents will need special consideration in certain circumstances. If a contractor is called out to carry out a repair as an emergency when it is not justified as an emergency, then you are liable to be charged for all costs concerned. Where a resident has caused the emergency themselves the association will send a bill to cover the cost of responding. You may also be charged if you fail to be in for an agreed appointment. Emergency repairs will be carried out within 24 hours. Urgent repairs These are repairs which materially affect the comfort or convenience of the resident. In certain circumstances these repairs could be treated as an emergency. The list includes: partial loss of electrical power or light unsafe power, lighting socket or electrical fitting partial loss of water or gas supply loss or partial loss of heating or hot water blocked or leaking drains, or soil pipe toilet blocked or not flushing leak from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern leaking roof insecure external window, door or lock door entry phone not working 8 9

6 Urgent repairs will be completed within seven days. Routine repairs All other jobs are classed as routine, and we aim to complete these jobs within 30 calendar days. These are jobs that are a nuisance, but do not affect your safety, health or security. For example, repairs to doors and minor plumbing problems. We expect that as time passes, normal wear and tear will occur to your home. However, should your home need a repair because of either neglect or damage either by you, friends or family, we will expect you to carry out any necessary repair. If a repair is needed because of your neglect or damage, we may give you notice to make good and in some cases we may carry out the repair on your behalf and then charge you for the cost. Improvements and alterations Before you make any alterations to your home you must write to us to obtain permission. We have to ensure that your home is not damaged or made unsafe. In some cases you will also have to obtain Planning Permission or Building Regulations or approval from the Local Authority. An alteration is anything which is an addition or change to the property or its gas, electrical or water supply. Examples of typical alterations are: moving/removing fitted units or doors modifications to central heating; plumbing in washing machines or other appliances building patios knocking down walls double glazing fitting a gas fire, installing a solid fuel fire or building a feature fire place enclosing porches extensions installation of new kitchen or bathroom additional fencing satellite dishes and aerials fitting different light switches; or adding or removing electric points All electrical work must be done by a qualified electrician under Part L of the Building Regulations requirements and a safety certificate supplied. Your rent will not increase as a result of any improvements you make but you will be responsible for repairs

7 If you do not obtain permission you may be charged to repair or restore your home. At the termination of your tenancy you may qualify for a compensation payment, less an allowance for depreciation, for an improvement or alteration you carried out after the first of April Please see our separate leaflet on ompensation. It is important to note that you must have had written permission from us prior to any work being carried out. Contact us for more information. Helpful hints You are responsible for keeping the inside of your home in good condition. To help you do this it is best to carry out small tasks and checks to prevent future problems. Regularly wipe down all windows affected by condensation and if any mould has formed, clean it off using a wash of diluted bleach, or a proprietary product available from DIY shops and supermarkets. Limescale can be removed from baths, sinks, shower heads and taps with a descaler available from DIY shops and supermarkets. Blockages in kitchen sink waste pipes can be prevented by flushing through using a drain clearing product. Outside gullies should be kept clear of leaves and other debris so that water drains away easily. Make sure you know where the main stopcock is and how to turn it off. Also, be sure to know how to turn off your electricity and gas supply in an emergency. If you do not know, ask any of our staff or contractors when they next visit you. Electrical issues When a switch is tripped, open the cover on the consumer unit to expose the trip switches. The Consumer Unit is usually next to the electricity meter. Check which switches have tripped to the OFF position and put them back to the ON position. For more detail, refer to any information supplied. If tripping occurs again it is probably being caused by a faulty appliance. You need to identify which circuit is affected and which appliance on that circuit is causing a problem. Please phone us if the matter does not appear to be straight forward

8 Contractors Code of Conduct Anyone working for us will: always introduce themselves and show you their official identification be polite and patient dress presentably and wear covers on shoes where necessary keep appointments with you and be on time be flexible about access to your home working arrangements tell you when it is necessary to cut off essential services and give you reasonable notice (they will provide temporary services if necessary overnight) make sure that all bathroom and kitchen fittings are left operational and clean and tidy at the end of the working day cover your furniture with dust sheets while the work is going on clean up the rooms after work has taken place (and any areas that workers have to go through to get to the work) at the end of the day keep the outside of your home clear of rubbish only park in agreed areas or with your permission They will not: smoke, swear or play radios in your home enter your home without permission use pneumatic drills or other noisy appliances outside the working hours given leave tools in your property overnight use any electricity, vacuum cleaner, phone or any other appliances without your permission let anyone else into your home If you have any concerns about a contractor, please phone us on FOR YOUR FUTURE USE Location of stopcock:... Location of fusebox:... Location of gas supply:

9 Rooftop Housing Group 70 High Street Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 4YD Rooftop Housing Group Printed June 2014