Caring for your home

It is your responsibility to keep your property secure.

If you lose your keys or lock yourself out, you must call a locksmith and pay for the service.

If you use a security-door fob key which is damaged or faulty, we will replace it free of charge.

If you lose it, or you cannot return it to us for any reason, you will have to pay for the new one. These keys are expensive and take a few days to replace.

If your pipes freeze:

• turn off the water supply at the stop tap
• turn off the central heating or put out the fire if you have a back boiler
• drain the water system by turning on the taps until they run dry
• find out where the pipe is frozen
• if it is frozen in the loft, open the hatch to let the warmer air in
• thaw the pipe with a fan heater, hairdryer or hot-water bottle

If your heating is affected, and you live in one of our council homes, we may be able to provide some portable heaters. Please contact us

If you are going away for a few days in the winter and you have central heating, leave it running on its lowest setting. This helps to prevent pipes freezing.

If you are leaving your property for more than 21 days:

• turn off and disconnect all electrical appliances (except your freezer)
• turn off the water at the stop tap
• when you return, drain the hot and cold system of water by turning on the taps and flushing the toilets
• ask a friend or neighbour to keep an eye on your home
• leave your heating on a low setting in the winter

If you are leaving your property for a long period of time, then please contact us

If you have an air source heat pump in your home, you may find the below user guides helpful.

Mitsubishi

• Mitsubishi ecodan guide
• Mitsubishi ecodan wireless controller guide

Vaillant

• Vaillant aroTHERM plus guide
• Vaillant sensoCOMFORT guide

If you are having trouble with your heating or hot water, before calling us to arrange a visit from a gas engineer, you may find the solution in the below troubleshooting guide.

• Central heating and hot water troubleshooting guide

There comes a time in the life of any property when the installed wiring may no longer meet current standards, and either parts of the property or the entire property may require rewiring.  You will find details of what to expect during a full or partial rewire in the below guide.

• Electrical rewire guidance for tenants

There will be times when you will need to allow external contractors into your home for important safety checks, repairs, and maintenance to ensure your property remains safe for you to live in.  Below you will find a guide on allowing contractors into your home, along with a selection of logos belonging to some of our contactors and a brief description of the work they do.

• External contractor guidance and logos

Blocked drains can be a common cause of confusion for tenants, especially when it's not always clear who is responsible for a blockage.

You may view the drainage system as part of the building and assume your landlord should be liable for its upkeep, but determining the cause of the blockage will help clarify who should be responsible for the cost.

Our fact sheet on drainage issues offers guidance on common causes of blocked drains and what the council is responsible for.

• HRM fact sheet: drainage issues

Most homes will experience cracking at some point, no matter how well-designed or well-built they are. The cracks are not normally serious and are very unlikely to affect the stability of the building.

Our fact sheet on cracks and structural issues offers guidance on when cracking is a cause for concern.

• HRM fact sheet: cracks and structural issues

Condensation can form on windows for a number of reasons and is something most people will experience in their homes.

Our fact sheet offers guidance on common causes of condensation and advice on how to deal with it.

• Download factsheet about condensation on the inside of a window

Electric storage heaters are a great way to save energy during off peak periods especially overnight but they need to be used correctly. Keep the input constant at the amount you need, but turn the output down to a minimum when you don’t need the heating on or turn it off at the wall.