Maintenance Guidance
During your tenancy maintenance may be required to the property or to items within the property. These will be categorised into emergency and non-emergency. Water and/or gas escape are deemed as emergencies and are given the highest priority. When central heating systems fail, whilst this is a high priority, it may not always be possible to get a contractor to attend the same day. The earlier in the day we hear of a problem, the better chance we have of resolving it within the same working day. Washing machine breakdowns and other plumbing issues, whilst important and need to be rectified, are not classed as emergencies. Again, the earlier the problem is reported, the quicker we can get it rectified.
Emergency Contacts: FOR GAS LEAKS CALL NATIONAL GRID GAS IMMEDIATELY ON 0800 111 999. Gas supplies to the property can be turned off at the meter box. For further instructions, please refer to the National Grid website: http://www.nationalgrid.com. During the period that our office is closed, emergency plumbing cover, such as water leaks, will be provided by 24/7 Heating & Plumbing Ltd, 07714670347
Non-emergency Contacts: During your tenancy, should you have any non-emergency maintenance issues, please contact our Milton Keynes office on 01908 419 258 between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday, or alternatively email us at lettings@haigpp.co.uk.
Below is some advice that may help you during your tenancy.
Non-emergency Contacts: During your tenancy, should you have any non-emergency maintenance issues, please contact our Milton Keynes office on 01908 419 258 between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday, or alternatively email us at lettings@haigpp.co.uk.
Below is some advice that may help you during your tenancy.
Emergencies
For any emergency heating breakdowns or water leaks that occur outside our normal office hours of Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, please contact 24/7 Heating & Plumbing on 07714670347. This number is only to be used in the event of an emergency (please see guidelines below).
Please bear in mind that, although contractors may be able to diagnose faults, certain parts may need to be ordered before repairs can be carried out.
Emergency Guidelines
The following guidelines provide details on what is an emergency fault (which will be dealt with immediately), and what is a non-emergency fault (which will be dealt with during normal office hours).
An emergency shall be deemed to have occurred when an unforeseen situation arises which, if not dealt with quickly would:
- Cause injury or danger to life;
- Damage or cause further damage to the home; or
- Render the house unsafe or insecure.
Heating / Plumbing
Burst Pipes
Turn off the water supply at the stopcock, usually located under the sink, and open all taps so the water drains from the system quickly. Alternatively, water can be turned off at the water meter in the street by turning the black handle inside the water meter cover. If the water is affecting the electricity, switch off the supply at the mains. During office hours contact Haig Property Limited on 01908 419 258. Out of office hours, in the first instance, contact our preferred contractors 24/7 Heating & Plumbing on 07714670347. If unavailable, contact an emergency plumber.
Water Leaks
Emergency repairs to leaking waste pipes to baths, sinks or appliances are normally only carried out if the fittings or appliance is unusable because of the leak. If the leak can be caught with containers, do this, and report the repair during normal working hours. The tap or fitting can be isolated by using the isolation valve on the pipe supplying the faulty area. If an isolation valve is fitted it will have a small flat screw so that it can be turned off using a flat blade screwdriver. Simply turn the valve through 90 degrees / one quarter to shut the water supply off.
No Water
If it is only your home without water, during office hours contact Haig Property Limited on 01908 419 258. Out of office hours, in the first instance contact our preferred contractors, 24/7 Heating & Plumbing. If unavailable, contact an emergency plumber.
No Heating / Hot Water - Gas
If you have an electric immersion heater as an alternative means of supplying hot water then you are expected to use this until repairs can be carried out as routine maintenance.
Check to see if the pilot light has gone out, if so, follow the instructions for re-lighting. Check the thermostat to see if it has been switched to a high or low position. Modern boilers can be susceptible to loss of pressure over time or electronic programmers losing memory. Sometimes problems can be resolved by resetting/restarting the boiler and controls. Please try following the boiler re-set procedure usually indicated on the front panel on modern boilers.
Modern boilers will have a pressure gauge or digital reading and should normally show in the ‘green’ or read approximately 1 bar of pressure. If pressure falls below the recommended level, the boiler will switch off to avoid damage. Often the pressure can be easily topped up by either a filling key fitted to the bottom of the boiler, or by looking for a small tap on a silver loop pipe, which acts as a filling loop. You must be careful not to over pressure the system. There is normally a red line indicating the correct pressure.
NOTE: You should not need to remove the cover of the boiler to find a filling loop. Boiler covers should only ever be removed by a qualified Gas Safe Engineer. If you have no heating, you should contact Haig Property Limited on 01908 419 258 during office hours. Out of office hours and during extreme weather conditions only, please contact our preferred contractors, 24/7 Heating & Plumbing on 07714670347 If unavailable contact an emergency ‘Gas Safe’ registered gas company.
If you have an electric immersion heater as an alternative means of supplying hot water then you are expected to use this until repairs can be carried out as routine maintenance.
Check to see if the pilot light has gone out, if so, follow the instructions for re-lighting. Check the thermostat to see if it has been switched to a high or low position. Modern boilers can be susceptible to loss of pressure over time or electronic programmers losing memory. Sometimes problems can be resolved by resetting/restarting the boiler and controls. Please try following the boiler re-set procedure usually indicated on the front panel on modern boilers.
Modern boilers will have a pressure gauge or digital reading and should normally show in the ‘green’ or read approximately 1 bar of pressure. If pressure falls below the recommended level, the boiler will switch off to avoid damage. Often the pressure can be easily topped up by either a filling key fitted to the bottom of the boiler, or by looking for a small tap on a silver loop pipe, which acts as a filling loop. You must be careful not to over pressure the system. There is normally a red line indicating the correct pressure.
NOTE: You should not need to remove the cover of the boiler to find a filling loop. Boiler covers should only ever be removed by a qualified Gas Safe Engineer. If you have no heating, you should contact Haig Property Limited on 01908 419 258 during office hours. Out of office hours and during extreme weather conditions only, please contact our preferred contractors, 24/7 Heating & Plumbing on 07714670347 If unavailable contact an emergency ‘Gas Safe’ registered gas company.
Gas Leaks
IF YOU SMELL GAS, IMMEDIATELY SWITCH OFF THE SUPPLY AT THE MAINS OR METER, CONTACT NATIONAL GRID GAS ON 0800 111999 IMMEDIATELY AND FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE. If in doubt, during office hours contact Haig Lettings Limited on 01908 419 258
No Heating / Hot Water Electric
Check to see if the fuses have tripped or blown. Check if the electricity supply is operating. If not follow the guidelines for no electrical power.
Check to see if the fuses have tripped or blown. Check if the electricity supply is operating. If not follow the guidelines for no electrical power.
Electrical
No Power
If the lights and sockets within the property all go off, this is likely to be a power outage. Check with your neighbours to find out if they are also without power. If this is the case, it is probable that there has been a supply issue in your area. That being so, contact the emergency number for the relevant supply authority. Alternatively, if it is just your property, and you have lights but no sockets or vice versa, then it is likely that a trip-switch on your fuse board has tripped. This can be caused by a light bulb blowing or a faulty appliance. This is perfectly ‘normal’ and a safety mechanism. You should be able to push the trip-switch back to ‘on’ on a lighting circuit and only the blown bulb will remain off. To change the bulb, switch the trip-switch ‘off’, replace the bulb and switch the trip-switch back to ‘on’ again. If on a plug circuit, the trip-switch will not remain ‘on’, then unplug everything from their sockets, reset the switches and then one by one put the plugs back in. It is likely that when the faulty appliance is plugged in, it will again trip the circuit. Unplug the offending item and then connect all other items. If you have followed these guidelines and still have no power, during office hours contact Haig Property on 01908 419 258. Out of office hours, please contact in the first instance our preferred contractor J R Electrical on if they are unavailable, please contact an emergency electrician.
Anything Else
Blocked Drains / Pipes
Drain pipes or waste to WC pans will be unblocked as an emergency within 24 hours; however, if the blockage was caused through negligence (i.e., nappies, wet wipes etc) you will be re-charged all costs associated with the unblocking.
Blockage of waste to baths and sinks is the tenants’ responsibility.
Washing Machine
Where a washing machine fails to finish a cycle or drain correctly it is often due to something blocking the filter. Checking filters and ensuring they are clear is the tenants’ responsibility and whilst we are happy to send a contractor for this issue, if the filter is at fault the tenants will be liable for the callout charge. We recommend that before an issue is reported, the filter is checked. The filter is usually located at the front of the machine near the floor. Sometimes this is under a cover and sometimes visible. Once any cover is removed the filter will normally unscrew and can be checked for blockage before being refitted.
Note: When removing a filter, it is usual for some water to escape so ensure you have something available to catch it.
Doors / locks
Emergency repairs will only be carried out if the door affected is an external door or the only access to the property and it cannot be secured. Sometimes locks can become sticky from cold and dirt. A quick spray of lubricant such as WD40 can rectify many issues. Where locks fail through normal use the landlord is liable for costs and any issues should be reported as soon as you become aware of them so that we can arrange for repairs to be carried out. Tenants are responsible for loss or damage to locks through negligence or excess force. Where a tenant locks themselves out of the property, we recommend a locksmith is called. In certain circumstances we may hold a set of keys on file, but this is not the case on every property, and we do not offer a keyholder service. Should keys be lost, the Landlord may reserve the right to insist that locks are changed to ensure security of the property. A copy of the key(s) to any lock changes must be supplied to us within 3 days of the locks being changed.
Weather Damage
Repairs will be carried out to garden fences and boundaries resulting from a storm. However, this will be subject to ongoing weather conditions and dependent upon availability of fence panels, repairs may be delayed.