Gas appliances that are not regularly maintained can produce carbon monoxide gas. You cannot see, smell, or taste it and it can be fatal. Leaking gas appliances can also cause explosions.

What we will do

• We will carry out a gas safety test and boiler service every year.
• We will contact you when your gas safety test is due to arrange an appointment.
• If the appointment is not convenient, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can rearrange it with you.  It is vital that your appointment is less than one year after the date of the last service complete.
• The engineer will check the condition of the carbon monoxide detector and smoke/heat alarms in your home, and will renew battery-operated fittings as required.
• Any hard-wired fittings that need replacing will be reported to us and we will make an appointment for an electrician to do this work.
• Once the test is complete, you will receive a certificate to confirm that your gas appliances are safe.
• If further work is needed, this will be treated as a priority and completed as soon as possible.

What you need to do

We have a legal duty to carry out your gas service on or before the due date every year.

• It is vital that you are home for your appointment and that you allow our engineer in to carry out this service.
• If the appointment time and date is not convenient, it’s important that you contact us as soon as possible to arrange a new date and time.
• The service takes approximately one and half to two hours to complete.

If you do not allow our engineer into your home to carry out this work by the due date, you are in breach of your tenancy agreement with us and at risk of eviction.  You are also potentially putting yourself, your family, and neighbours at risk and we will take legal action to make sure the gas service is completed on time.

Can you smell gas?

If you can smell gas, immediately contact Transco, the National Gas Emergency Service, anytime on 0800 111 999.

We carry out a full electrical installation inspection every five years, to make sure the electrical installation in your home is safe and in good condition.  If the electrical installation is in poor condition, this can cause a fire in your home, putting you, your family, neighbours, and your home and belongings at risk.

What we will do

We will send an electrician to inspect the electrics in your home once every five years, to make sure it is safe and in good condition. This includes checking that it is:

• free from any serious electrical hazards
• sockets are not overloaded
• residual circuit breakers are fitted (to reduce the risk of accidental fires)
• the installation is installed in compliance with the electrical regulations that were in force at the time when the work was carried out

The electrician will also:

• immediately repair any defects that present a health and safety risk
• report any other defects that are not deemed a risk to us, and we will make an appointment with you for the repairs to be carried out as soon as possible

What you need to do

• It is vital that you are home for your appointment, and that you allow the electrician in to carry out the inspection.
• If the appointment time and date isn’t convenient, it is important that you contact us as soon as possible to arrange a new date and time.
• Please allow up to four hours for the inspection to be completed.
• Make sure access is provided to all rooms in your home and that all parts of the electrical installation are accessible.

If you do not allow our engineer into your home to carry out this work by the due date, you are in breach of your tenancy agreement with us and at risk of eviction.  You are also potentially putting yourself, your family, and neighbours at risk and we will take legal action to make sure the electric inspection is completed within five years of the last inspection.

Stock condition survey

What we will do

• A surveyor will carry out a visual inspection of the inside and outside of your home.
• The surveyor will note the condition of the main elements of the property, i.e. the roof, walls, windows and doors, kitchen, bathroom, heating and electrics, and will record when they should be planned for replacement.
• The surveyor will also look out for any other significant defects such as damp.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) survey

This survey assesses the energy efficiency of a property.  Once completed, the certificate provides a performance score and recommends specific ways in which the efficiency of your property could be improved.

If you are due to have a stock condition or EPC survey carried out, we will write to you to arrange an appointment.

What you need to do

• If your appointment date is not convenient, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can rearrange it with you.

Fire alarm

If you live in a block of flats and there is a fire alarm fitted, we carry out weekly testing to make sure the alarm system is working correctly.   A qualified electrician will also service the fire alarm twice a year.  This includes testing the fire alarm panel, call points, smoke and heat detectors and sounders in the communal area and your home.

Emergency lighting

If you live in a block of flats we test the emergency lighting once a month.  A qualified electrician will also service the emergency lighting installation twice a year.

Asbestos inspection

We need to check whether there are any materials containing asbestos in the buildings we manage which were built, or converted, before 2000, to make sure we carry out work safely.

If we do find a material containing asbestos, our consultants will advise whether we need to remove the material, enclose it, or leave it and re-inspect it from time to time.

Materials containing asbestos are usually completely safe if they are sealed (painted over) and not disturbed in any way.  Removing in these circumstances is not recommended.

Our first priority will always be your health and safety.  We will provide you with a copy of the report from the asbestos inspection.

Lifts

If you have a stair lift or through floor lift in your home and the service is not carried out by your local authority, we will arrange for the service and any repairs to be carried out.  We service stair lifts once a year and through floor lifts twice a year.

Water facilities

In some properties, we need to inspect the hot and cold water system installations to make sure that we manage the risk of legionella bacteria presenting a threat.  If you live in a home where this is a potential issue, we will carry out a legionella risk assessment inspection and will take samples of the water every year.  We will inspect the cold water tank and hot water tank every year and clean the water tank if this is necessary.