Smell Gas? Carbon Monoxide detector bleeping? If you think you can smell gas or your carbon monoxide detector is alarming you must call the gas emergency help line number immediately on 0800 111 999 (free – lines open 24 hours). They will attend your property and ascertain if there is a gas leak. If they trace a leak they will either fix the problem or make the property safe. If it transpires that the leak is inside the property you would then need to call our office and we will instruct a Gas Safe registered engineer to attend.
Please note that we are only able to arrange maintenance call outs to properties that we fully manage. If we do not fully manage the property that you are renting you must report any maintenance problems directly to your landlord.
Before you report a maintenance issue please follow this fault finding and problem solving guide:
No Electricity, sockets not working? Lights not working?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlKeBJ41fH4
Water Leak – how to locate your stop valve / stop cock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUMup6v6blk
How To Fix or Repair a Sticky or Stuck Door Knob Keyhole Using WD-40 Penetrating Oil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz1G4qGbRAo
How to change a lightbulb:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW2Br1yjwZA
How to test a mains operated smoke alarm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWCfGsxlFXE
How to change a battery and test a battery smoke detector
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gryBwY5Bfw
If you have been unable to resolve the situation by following the above instructions then, for all non-urgent maintenance issues please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Please add as many photos as possible to ensure that we are able to send the most appropriate contractor out to you. On receipt if your email we will instruct a contractor. The contractor will then contact you directly to book in a time to visit you. Please remember that contractors work Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm. It is a tenant’s responsibility to be available to let the contractor in. If you are not able to be at home yourself it is acceptable for you to ask a friend, neighbour or family member to be at home to let the contractor in. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can drop a spare set of keys to our office for the contractor to use.
Out of Hours Emergency:
What classes as an emergency?
The contractor will only attend out of office hours in an absolute emergency. An emergency would be, for example : a water leak that is causing damage to the property and that you have not been able to contain (i.e. by turning off the stop cock); no heating or hot water and you have young children, elderly persons, or other vulnerable persons living at the property and the temperature is below freezing or the break down had occurred over a weekend leaving you without heating or hot water for longer than 24 hours.
These numbers must NOT be used if the call out could have waited until the next working day and/or would not be classed as an emergency.
Emergency contractors:
Smell Gas? Call 0800 111 999
Gas engineers:
SMI tel: 07976919873
KW Heating: 07989234373
APL Plumbing: 07976471185
Electricians:
Chris Leaver: 07867628662
O'Brien Electrical: 01322 630774
Locksmith: (if you have locked yourself out then you must pay the locksmith yourself)
Aquarius Locksmiths: 07718 086747
Village Locksmith: 07876030082
General Maintenance:
Christopher Gaites: 07949 116953
Charlotte Laver: 07472874489
M & M Property Maintenance: 07970369520
KMJ Oddjobs: 07990 523548
If you have any emergency arrangements given to you by your landlord then you must follow these. For example if your Landlord has provided 24/7 insured maintenance/emergency cover (for example: British Gas Homecare).
If no emergency arrangements are in place or they do not cover your particular emergency, please make sure you have phoned the contractors listed above and that you have also completed the contact form and supplied photos. Please note: If the emergency is due to any act of negligence or responsibility of the tenant then you will be liable to reimburse the cost of any call out that takes place and/or any works carried out.
If you have not been able to contact one of our approved contractors and we fully manage the property, as a tenant you have authority to secure the property and prevent any further damage occurring at the property. Any costs incurred as a result of you taking reasonable actions would usually be refunded (exceptions do apply). Please note that if you lock yourself out then the cost of employing a locksmith is not refunded to you. If you call someone out and the job is not classed as an emergency or is not the landlords responsibility, then the cost of the job / call out will not be refunded to you. Please also note that if the contractor cannot ascertain if gps lettings fully manage the property then you may be asked to pay the call out charge, you would then need to let our office know when we reopen to arrange reimbursement. The costs of emergency call outs are usually reimbursed – but exceptions do apply, so it is absolutely imperative that you only call out a contractors if it is an absolute emergency and it is a landlords responsibility to pay for the call out. If you do call out a contractor you must only instruct him to make the property safe / secure. You are not authorised to allow the contractor to carry out remedial works / decorative works / any non essential non emergency works.
Examples of when an emergency call out would and would not be deemed appropriate.
Example 1 – Water leak
You return home at 8pm on a Saturday evening and find that water has damaged the kitchen celling. You must try and see where the water has come from, and if there is an ongoing leak. On investigation you discover that the water had come from the bath waste, it isn’t still leaking through, and only leaks when you empty the bath of water. This is not an emergency. No further damage is being caused to the property. This can wait until normal office hours to report.
Example 2 – Water leak
You return home and discover that water is dripping through your ceiling from the flat above. You knock on the door of the flat above but no one is home. A leak from a neighbouring property into your own should be reported to us, but we are unable to ask any contractors to attend, as our contractors cannot force entry into neighbouring properties. If the leak is severe then you can call the fire brigade who may enter the other property. If there are any phone numbers in the communal areas of the block management company then please call them, as they will have the contact details of the owner of the other flat. If it is a minor leak then put a note on the door of the other flat, so that when they return home they can call out a contractor to fix the leak in their property.
Example 3 – No Electricity
You return home on a Saturday evening and find that you have no electricity. Firstly you must see if a switch has tripped on your consumer unit. If it has please re set the switch. If you are unable to reset the switch you need to work out what is causing the switch to trip (this may be your own kettle, microwave, or maybe a light that has a light bulb that has blown). Quite often this is a process of elimination and you would be able to fix the issue yourself. If you are unable to locate what is causing the electrics to trip, then you may need to call out a contractor. Please note that if it transpired that it was something that you owned that was causing the electrics to trip you may be liable for the call out – so please do as much of your fault finding first.
Example 4 – Unable to open front door
If you return home and you are unable to open your front door you may need to call out the emergency locksmith. Please note that if you cannot get in because you have lost your keys then you will be liable for the call out charge.
Example 5 - No heating and Hot water
If you have a gas boiler first look to see if there are any error codes on the boiler. The most common reason that you will have no heating and hot water is because the pressure has dropped within your boiler, causing it to cut out. Many boilers can be very easily re-pressurised by tenants, and takes minutes to do. If the error code indicates your problem is low pressure, or you can see that the pressure has dropped on the pressure gage, put into youtube your boiler make and model and see if there are any easy to follow videos on how to re pressurise your boiler. If this is the problem, one you have re pressurised your boiler you will instantly have heating and hot water again.
This is a generic link to show how some boilers can be easily re-pressurised, if yours looks different see if you can find a help video that shows you your own boiler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr6k8eBqoOg
Also check if the boiler has a reset button on the front, this may need pressing.
Finally please check that you have not run out of gas (if you have a key or card meter). We have several call outs every year for no heating and hot water, which are solely as a result of a tenant running out of gas. Once you top up your card you may also need to press the reset button on your boiler. Please note that call outs for this reason will be down to the tenant to pay for as this is not a landlord responsibility.
If none of these options fixes your problem, and we fully manage the property, then please call our office. If you are unable to get hold of us, and unable to get hold of one of our approved emergency plumbers and it is exceptionally cold and / or you have vulnerable members of your family, then tenants are authorised to purchase a temporary form of heating, the cost of which will be refunded by your landlord up to the value of £20.00 for a one bedroom property, £40.00 for a 2 or 3 bedroom property and £60.00 for a 4 or more bedroom property. Please follow all the safety guidelines on the temporary heaters that you purchase and do not leave them unattended.
