Being a landlord, there will inevitably be times where something goes wrong – the boiler breaks down, your tenants have lost their keys or there’s a water leak. It’s part and parcel, I’m afraid!
A letting agent will usually manage all these problems for you, which I’m sure is music to your ears; but it’s still worth knowing what’s best to do if your tenant comes to you with a maintenance issue, and what to advise them to do, and also where the lines are drawn – who’s responsible for what? So here’s a handy guide for you and your tenants.
If you suspect a gas leak – switch off gas mains supply, open windows and doors to ventilate the property, call the Gas Emergency Services free on 0800 111 999, but DON’T use a mobile phone to make the call inside your house. Also, don’t use any electrical switches.
If you’ve got a water leak - turn off water mains. Switch off electrics if the water leak is near lights or power outlets. If you own/live in a flat, and the water is coming from upstairs, alert the occupants above immediately and ask them to shut off the source of the leak.
If the electrics have gone - check fuses in the fuse box haven’t blown, the circuit breakers are in the ‘on’ position and that there hasn’t been a power cut in the area. Replace bulbs if they’ve been the cause of the blowout.
The hot water/heating’s not working – If you think the boiler isn’t working properly, first check to see if the pilot light is on and, if you have a combination boiler, check that the pressure is between 1 and 2. You should have access to the instruction manual, which will tell you how to re-light the pilot and re-set the pressure if you’ve identified it’s one or both of the above.
And what is best practice when it comes to dealing with repairs?
- Respond promptly – acknowledge the issue with a prompt reply to the tenant, and ensure that you have all the correct information.
- Contact tradesmen immediately – contact your handyman or tradesperson immediately to organise a time to fix the problem. It’s always useful to have a backup tradesman too, in case your regular tradesman is too busy.
- For non-emergency issues - aim for a 48-hour turn around for non-emergency maintenance issues.
Finally, what are tenants responsible for to help prevent maintenance issues?
- Testing the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector and replacing the batteries
- Bleeding the radiators
- Unblocking plugholes
- Replacing light bulbs
- Changing fuses
- Sweeping chimneys
- Tightening screws
If you would like all of the above to be taken off your hands, then please do give us a call; we’re happy to lighten your load!
