Maintenance FAQs

If your query relates to one of the following, please read the FAQs first:

Lost keys:

If you lose or mislay your keys, let us know immediately. If during office hours we will endeavour to provide you with a key.

If out of hours and someone is called out, £25 call out charge will apply.

If it is necessary to call a locksmith, you will be required to pay the locksmith before he carries out any work.

Leaks

From a copper water pipe or tap

Please turn off your water at the stop tap normally found under the kitchen sink. Then turn on the bathroom taps to drain the water from the pipes and the tank.

From the ceiling from bathroom above

Stop using the bathroom. If you were using the shower or bath recently, then it'ï¿½ï¿½s likely the leak is coming from the drainage pipe or through a damaged or worn seal, so don'ï¿½ï¿½t use them again. Don'ï¿½ï¿½t forget that the water may keep coming through the ceiling for an hour or so after your bath. Don'ï¿½ï¿½t switch on the ceiling light below the bathroom and try and catch the water in buckets.

Washing machine

Please switch the machine off. If the leak is coming from the water supply into the appliance then turn the red and blue plastic taps behind to the off position. Mop up the water with newspaper or towels.

From the roof

Catch the water in a bucket. Use newspaper and towels to soak up the water.

Failure of Electrical Supply

Total Failure

Firstly, check to see if your neighbours have electric. If not, there may be a wider network fault. If the fault is limited to your property, then go to your fuse-box and re-set any switches, which have tripped to 'off'.

Partial failure, e.g. downstairs lights

Check the fusebox and if a fuse has tripped, re-set it, once only. If it trips again and there is no obvious fault such as a blown bulb, unplug all electrical appliances in the house especially kettles, irons, hair straighteners and washing machines and then re-set the fuse again. If the fault cannot be traced to a particular appliance in this way, an electrician will need to be called and you should reporthe fault to us.

Boiler Not Firing

Oil-fired Central Heating

If you have an oil-fired heating system, the most common problems arise when tenants allow oil to run out. When this happens and you get a refill, you'ï¿½ï¿½ll often find the burner will not come on due to an airlock. Sometimes pressing the red button ONCE ONLY will allow the pipe to fill and the burner to fire. If this doesn'ï¿½ï¿½t work, you'ï¿½ï¿½ll need to have the air bled from the pipe before the system will re-start. If you ask the oil delivery man to bleed this pipe he'ï¿½ï¿½ll usually do so for a charge of £5 to £10, whereas if we have to call a plumber out the costs to you will be significantly greater.

It is important that you don'ï¿½ï¿½t continue to press the red reset button as this can cause expensive damage to boiler components.

Gas-fired Central Heating System

If you experience problems with a gas-fired heating system, let us know. Some problems are easily dealt with but in most cases, a gas engineer will need to call.