Tenants

Emergency: 999

In an emergency the fire service, police service and/or ambulance service can be contacted on 999.

National Gas Emergency number: 0800 111 999

In a gas emergency act quickly and take the following safety steps:
i. Get fresh air immediately. Open all doors and windows to ventilate the room.
ii. Switch off the appliance and do not use it again until it has been checked by a Gas Safe
registered engineer.
iii. Turn off the gas supply at the mains.
iv. Call the National Gas Emergency number (see above).
v. If you are feeling ill visit your GP or the hospital immediately and tell them that your
symptoms may be related to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Electricity supply

In the case of loss of electricity please check the fuses or circuit breakers for the property and reinstate if safe to so. If the fuse continues to blow please report as a maintenance issue and an electrician will be called.
If neighbours have also lost power please contact your electricity provider for assistance.

Water supply (Enquiries: 0845 601 8855, Emergency: 0845 600 8855)

If you have had your water cut off or if you have concerns over the quality of your water please contact Scottish Water.

Television, internet or telephone failure

Please contact the appropriate supplier. These are contracts held between yourself and the supplier and our firm unfortunately cannot provide any assistance.

Noisy neighbours

Having noisy neighbours can be very unpleasant. Unfortunately this is a domestic issue and we are powerless to help as much as we would like. The best course of action is to contact the environment health department in the council – each council’s details can be found easily by a simple internet search. We advise following the steps below in the first instance:
i. If you feel safe enough to do so, try to make personal contact. Many times you will find that your neighbours had no idea they were causing a nuisance.
ii. If you prefer to keep a distance, use an anonymous letter or note. Be amiable, and try to let your neighbour see things from your perspective – if they are reasonable people they are likely to appreciate that everyone needs sleep.
iii. Collect evidence. If your efforts at informing your neighbours that they are causing a nuisance are unsuccessful, you will benefit from having a diary of their noisy behaviour when you contact the authorities.
iv. Be safe. When in doubt, do not engage your noisy neighbours – if you fear that they might escalate the situation into something beyond just noise making, or you feel frightened, bullied or intimidated, then contact the police rather than putting yourself into a potentially unsafe situation.

Appliances

If you are unsure how to operate any of the appliances in your property please consult any manual provided. In the absence of a manual please contact our team. Make sure you bear the following points in mind when cooking:

Cooker

i. Use the large switch on the wall near to the cooker to turn the power on and off.
ii. Clean the cooker regularly. Deposits of fat and grease (especially in the grill pan) can easily catch fire.
iii. Open windows or turn on the extractor fan if steam or smoke builds up

Microwave Oven

i. Do not put any metal items inside the microwave
ii. Clean the inside regularly to prevent damage to the microwave

Boiler

If your boiler has stopped working please check whether the pressure on the boiler is within operating limits (usually 1 to 1.5 Bar on the pressure gauge). If not please follow the operating instructions for topping up the boiler being careful not to exceed the green area on the pressure gauge. If the water pressure is correct please contact us, making a note of whether the heating and/or water are still working and whether power appears to be getting to the boiler (visible lights or electronic display).

Mould

Steps to reduce/ prevent mould growth on walls and windows

Keep windows and walls dry inside by:
Ventilating rooms by opening windows and using any vents provided.
Wiping away condensation.
Heating rooms.
Open blinds to warm rooms with sunlight.
Please try and avoid drying clothes inside properties if a drying area is provided outside.
Alternatively ensure the drying area is well ventilated. Drying clothes inside can lead to mould problems.
Keep cupboards and bedrooms uncluttered and well ventilated.
IMPORTANT
These measures need to be observed on a daily basis particularly during the winter months.
Where mould has built up on surfaces due to ignoring this advice you may incur a charge for redecoration.

Steps to reduce/prevent mould growth in the shower/bath area

Leave the shower door open after showering.
Open a window and/or use the overhead exhaust fan.
For internal bathrooms leave the bathroom door open.
Keep mildew from taking hold by spending a few seconds wiping shower walls with a cloth or sponge after each shower.
If the shower area is subject to mildew, periodically spray it with a mildew inhibitor and disinfectant.
IMPORTANT
These measures need to be observed on a daily basis. Where mould has built up on surfaces due to ignoring this advice you may incur a charge for re-caulking and/or grout cleaning.

Loss of keys

If you have lost your keys, you will be charged for replacement and a £15 administration charge. If there is any loss of keys outside of standard office hours you will have to arrange for a lock smith at your own cost or find alternative accommodation.

Smoke alarms

To avoid setting off a smoke alarm:
Do not dry clothes on radiators or in rooms
Do not use candles or joss-sticks in the house
Do not smoke or use any naked flames in the house
Do not use solvents or bleach in concentrated amounts
Keep your kitchen door shut: if smoke is allowed to escape through the door it may activate the smoke detector
NEVER try to disable the fire alarm system by removing or covering detectors, disabling the electricity supply or removing batteries. This is very dangerous and you will be charged for repairs.

Personal Contents Insurance

Please note that your own personal possessions are not covered by your landlord’s or our insurance. We advise that you take out personal contents insurance for your belongings whilst living in the property. We will not accept any liability for any damage to property/thefts that may occur.

When to contact your letting agency

Serious incidents for which the emergency number should be used – 24 hour line

Immediate danger to personal safety in the property
Serious damage to building
Serious water ingress
Fire alarm faults/fire
Smashed window
Burglary where the property cannot be secured
A blocked toilet is not an emergency unless it is the only facility and it has started to over flow. If a blockage is found at night, please try to avoid flushing and try to contain the situation until the morning when it becomes far easier for us to find available contractors

Serious incidents for which the office should be called between 9am and 6pm seven days

Blocked toilets or urinal
Heating failure – it is assumed that any tenant will have suitable warm clothing and/or bedding to get through a single night of failed heating.
Hot water failure – we will endeavour to fix any hot water failure as quickly as possible. While not ideal, as an interim measure, please use the supplied kettle which can be used to provide hot water for washing dishes and bathing.

Incidents for which the office should be called between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday

Faulty Tap (where flooding unlikely)
Shower Faulty
Burglary (assuming property has been made secure)

Minor incidents – e-mail only

Repairs to light fittings/replace
Microwave not working
Faulty blinds or curtains
TV aerial faulty
Furniture faulty
Intercom not functioning
Fridge/freezer faulty
Cooker faulty
Blocked sink
Minor repairs to building fabric