Home Safety
Home Safety
Gas Safety
By law we must visit your home once a year to check that your gas supply and appliances are safe. Carbon Monoxide poisoning due to faulty gas fires, central heating boilers, cookers and other gas appliances can lead to deaths. Gas safety is therefore important and you must provide the necessary access for Tamil Housing’s contractors to carry out checks. If you do not provide the necessary access we will take urgent legal action against you.
Who carries out gas safety checks?
Tamil Housing have appointed K&T Heating to carry out annual gas safety checks. If you have received notification of an Annual Gas Safety check or your check is overdue, you must contact K&T on 02082694542.
If Tamil Housing manages your property for your Landlord (i.e. Clarion Housing, Metropolitan Thames Valley, L&Q Housing Group, etc.) then the Landlord or their appointed Contractor will get in contact with you directly to book an appointment.
What does a gas safety check involve?
The safety check is free and it can take up to an hour. Our appointed contractor will check and service your boiler, gas pipes and flues. The gas connection to your gas cooker will also be checked on the day to ensure that it is safe to use. The average time it will take to carry out a gas safety check to a home is 45 minutes.
What do I need to do to get my annual check done?
Our gas contractor will write or text you well in advance, with a date and time of the visit before the gas safety check due date. If you are not able to keep to that appointment it is important you contact the contractor requesting an alternative date.
If you are unable to provide access, you must get in contact with the gas contractor to rearrange any appointment.
If you fail to provide access as requested by the contractor, Tamil Housing will take legal action to enter to home and do the necessary checks. All costs incurred such as Court or Solicitors fees incurred due to your failure to provide access will be recharged to you. Even if the gas meter in your home has been turned off, we still need to check the supply pipes to make sure there are no gas leaks.
What actions do I need to take after the check?
Unless a specific repair issue or problem is found during the check, there is no action required on your part after the check. After completion, the contractor will give you a gas safety certificate. This is known as a CP12 or LGSR (Landlords Gas Safety Record). It is important that you keep this certificate safe. Tamil Housing will also receive a copy of the certificate from the contractor.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, poisonous gas. It has no smell and you cannot see it, but it can kill without warning.
Tamil Housing has taken steps to install carbon monoxide detectors in homes that we own for your safety. This may not be applicable to homes that we manage on behalf of other Housing Associations. We advise to you take the following simple steps in your home to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poising:
- Always use a Gas Safe Registered contractor to install and service any gas cooker
- Do not block air vents on an appliance, or any grilles, flues or air bricks in the room that houses the boiler
- Never burn charcoal in your home or garage
- Never use an unvented gas appliance in a room with closed doors or windows or in any room where people are sleeping
- Ensure Carbon Monoxide detectors/alarms are not covered by furniture or curtains
If you think there may be a gas leak in your home, turn off your gas supply straight away at the meter and call the national free-phone gas emergency number on: 0800 111 999
If you smell gas:
- Extinguish anything that makes a fire or flame (such as candles or your gas cooker)
- Open all your doors and windows
- Put out cigarettes
- Don’t use matches or naked flames
- Don’t turn any light switches or power switches on or off as they could make a spark
Asbestos
It is illegal to use asbestos in any form of construction now. However, building and homes constructed until the late 90’s may consist of asbestos as it was widely used at the time. It is perfectly safe, if any asbestos is left undisturbed. If you are concerned that you may have asbestos in your home, please contact us for advice. If your home was built before 1999, Tamil Housing may carry out a survey to check whether asbestos is present.
Condensation
Condensation is a common problem in modern homes due to the nature of insulation. Condensation is sometimes confused with damp, which is very rare and usually caused by rain water entering through the roof or walls.
Condensation is the effect of moist air caused by day to day activities, such as running a bath, taking a shower, drying laundry inside and cooking. When the moist air meets a colder surface, such as windows, walls and tiles, it condenses and turns to water. If left untreated this can turn black and form a mould. Always ensure there is good ventilation in your home and take simple steps to control any condensation. Contact us for advice and a free leaflet if you are concerned about condensation.
Insurance
Home Contents Insurance
Is it important each resident have insurance to cover the loss of your personal belongings?
Tamil Housing or the Landlord for your managed property will insure your home against damage for the building. It is the responsibility of each Resident to ensure that you have your own insurance to cover you in case of theft, fire, flood or other damage to your belongings including flooring. For example, if there flooding as a result of a burst pipe, we will only repair any damage to the building. We will not replace or compensate for any damage caused to your personal belongings such as furniture or flooring etc.
Everyone thinks it wont happen to them, until it does. Therefore, we always recommend that you take out adequate home contents insurance for your needs.
See below for the National Housing Federation’s (NHF’s) affiliated Home Insurance provider. We advise you to review, compare and make your own independent arrangements for Home insurance cover from a suitable provider of your choice.
