Maintenance Training

Introduction

You have completed the Upgrades and the first residents have been placed. This document covers ongoing maintenance  

Certificates

Ensure you monitor when certificates are due renewal and instruct contractors in plenty of time before they expire. Familiarize yourself with all certificates, inspections, reports and licences you are required to have. All certificates are safety matters, therefore prioritise to ensure we serve our residents the best possible. This is the minimum we should be doing. You can email certificates@greenpastures.co.uk with any queries. Plan for your team to carry out their own regular inspections and record all inspections.

Regular Maintenance

Ensure your residents have a simple way of reporting maintenance. If GP pays for emergency works as per your lease, then this work can be instructed before an order number is given.

Cyclical Maintenance

Plan and budget for cyclical maintenance including, window cleaning, common area cleaning, gardens. Large cyclical maintenance can be over spread across many years including new carpets, decorating, rewire electrics, new kitchen, new bathroom, re roof etc.  

Useful Resources

Familiarise yourself with maintenance section via the Partner Area.
Consider joining a landlord association for regular policy change updates.

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/

Examples of Accidents

Lifeline Harrogate had a fire in one of their bedrooms. One of the residents heard the fire alarm going off. He thought it was an error in the system but then smelt the smoke. The resident then grabbed a fire extinguisher and went upstairs and successfully put the fire out. The damage was not too bad and  could have been a lot worse. The fire was caused by an electric bed-sde lamp. The switch on the lamp was caught between the bed base and the mattress which caused a spark to ignite the mattress. Photos below show the damage and what was left of the bed-side lamp. The fire brigade came out but, as above, the fire was put out by then.  

The Fire Brigade gave us guidance on what to do after the fire.

Lifeline then completed a SAGIC application form under GP’s building insurance policy. There was an excess to pay but after that a payment was made to cover a re-decoration of the whole house, plus loss of rental income for the time it took to get the house back to normal. Thankfully the room next door was unaffected and was empty so the resident moved into there whilst these works were being carried out.

Andrew Iwanushack of Informal Learning in Wakefield had an incident in one of their homes when a  chip pan caught fire. The heat alarm in the kitchen, and smoke alarms, alerted the whole house. All the residents escaped safely and the fire brigade put out the fire. Informal Learning then made an addition to their license agreement in which they stated that chip pans were not allowed in an Informal Learning home.  They have not had any incidences since.

Condensation

Condensation occurs when moist air hits a cold surface. This moist air condenses on cool surfaces such as walls, mirrors, tiles, windows, clothes and fabrics. Look for it in corners, near windows, behind wardrobes, inside cupboards, on the ceiling or places where there is little movement of air. Condensation occurs mainly during winter months. Generally damp caused by condensation leaves no ‘tide mark’ whereas damp caused by defects such as damage to the gutters, roof and walls, leaks etc will leave a ‘tide mark’.

What causes condensation?

• Lack of ventilation and adequate heating
• Bathing without ventilation
• Drying clothes indoors without ventilation
• Cooking without covering pots and pans
• Even people breathing causes condensation especially during sleep
• Condensation usually occurs at night when temperatures drop.

A build up of condensation in your home leads to damp which then turns into mould.

How to stop this from happening

• Dry washing outdoors if possible
• If drying washing indoors put it in the bathroom or a well ventilated room with the door closed and windows left open
• Never dry clothes on any radiators (drying clothes on electric radiators can also be dangerous). Drying clothes on radiators can produce up to nine pints of water!
• Cover pots and pans when cooking
• Don’t leave the kettle boiling
• Keep trickle ventilators open
• Do not seal or block off any air vents in your home
• Ventilate your kitchen and bathroom when in use by opening the windows
• Close kitchen and bathroom doors when in use. This will help prevent moisture reaching other rooms, especially bedrooms which are often colder and more likely to get condensation
• Use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom if you have them
• Wipe excess condensation off windows and surfaces with a towel each morning
• Make sure all furniture including beds, wardrobes etc are at least 12’’ (30 cm) away from walls
• Avoid putting too many things in your cupboards and wardrobes as this stops air circulating - opening drawers, cupboard and wardrobe doors a little will also help air circulate
• Constant low heat in the house will be very beneficial
• Report excess condensation, damp and mould immediately to

Pests & Bugs

If you need to get rid of common pests in your property, like mice and bedbugs, your local council may be able to help you. Find out which pest control services your council provides and get tips on preventing an infestation.

Insects & Pests: When your council can help

Your council is usually only able to help you get rid of certain pests. Every council varies in the pest control service it provides. Typically, councils will help you to get rid of some or all of the following:

• rats
• mice
• wasps
• fleas
• cockroaches
• bedbugs
• carpet beetles
• pigeons
• ants

Councils don’t usually help with the control of other animals, including feral pigeons, deer, foxes, rabbits, squirrels or moles. Get advice about these creatures at the bottom of this page under ‘Advice leaflets on pests’. There’s often a small charge for using your council’s pest control services. Contact your council’s environmental health department for advice and to report pests.

Local councils have a responsibility under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 for the control of rodents their areas. They also have powers to make sure people take all necessary steps to deal with pests in their property.

Mice & Rats

Mice and rats are two of the most common pests in the home.

How to tell if you have them

Mice and rats are normally active at night and you might not see them during the day.

A key sign you have mice is finding partially nibbled food, packaging or other materials and small droppings. You may also find nests, which look like balls of material loosely woven together.

The most common sign of rats is droppings, along with evidence of gnawing, tracks, burrows and nests.

Health & Safety Risks

Mice and rats can carry a wide range of diseases. These can be passed on to humans by contaminating food or surfaces with urine, droppings and hairs. Rats, in particular, can pass on Leptospirosis, a disease that can lead to Weil’s disease and can be fatal to humans.

Rats can also cause structural damage to property. They can gnaw a range of materials, including electric cables and wiring, which could cause fire or electrocution.

There are some easy actions you can take to reduce the likelihood of getting rats or mice  

Reduce the risks

• Mice and rats infestations can be avoided by blocking access to your home:
• Check air bricks are in place and intact (don’t block them)
• Look for access points around gas, electricity and water pipes
• Check that doors fit tightly
• Fit cone guards and balloon guards to drainpipes to stop rats climbing up – these are available from hardware or DIY stores
• Make sure drain covers and grilles are in place and not damaged
• Improved hygiene will discourage mice and rats by restricting their food:
• Store food carefully so mice and rats don’t have access
• Sweep up spills as soon as they happen
• Remove rubbish
• Clean under work units and other areas where food debris builds up
• Keep the garden free of food debris
• Don’t compost meat, fish, bones or bread, as these attract vermin
• Avoid over feeding wild birds or a build-up of food residues   

Controlling Mice & Rats

The first step to controlling mice and rats is to find out where they are living and feeding, and their routes between these areas. Look for:

• Holes and burrows
• Damage and gnawing
• Droppings
• Footprints
• Sightings
• A musky smell

Try blocking any holes you find with newspaper and come back 24 hours later to see which holes have been re-opened. You can then permanently seal all access holes and routes.

If this doesn’t help, you can control most infestations by using traps or poison baiting. For more information on these methods, download an advice leaflet from Natural England.

Fleas:  How To Get Rid Of Them

If you have fleas in your home, try to identify the source of the problem. In many cases this is a family pet. Treatment for pets may take the form of insecticide aerosol sprays, pour-on products or a tablet. For more information about the product, consult your vet or the pest control officer at your local council. Alternatively, the pest control officer from your council can treat your premises using insecticides and products that stop flea development.

Bedbugs

Trying to get rid of bedbugs yourself is unlikely to work. If you find bedbugs in your home, you should immediately contact your local council’s pest control service or a private pest controller.

For information and advice, see the NHS Choices website.