Property Repairs & Emergencies

Before you contact us about a repair please check the helpful repair tips below as the issue may be something that you can resolve easily yourself.

If you have any reason to believe there are any faults with services/equipment after you have attempted a repair, you should refrain from use and contact Mather Jamie directly.

When you report a repair please let us know:

Your name, address and daytime contact number.
Details of what needs repairing.
When you will be at home for a contractor to attend.

Landlord responsibilities

External - to repair and maintain the structure and outside parts of the property that you live in.
Internal – responsible for water, gas and/or oil pipes, electrical wiring, heating systems, drainage, power and light fittings and any items provided with the property at the start of the tenancy.
Garden – to maintain all fences, walls, gates, outbuildings, sheds, and paved areas originally provided by the landlord.

Tenant responsibilities

To allow our contractors into your home to carry out repairs, safety checks and inspections.
To let us know as soon as you notice a repair is needed and to take action to prevent it getting worse.
To take steps to prevent blockages in wastepipes and drains.
To arrange (at your own expense) damage repairs caused by you, a member of your household, a visitor or pet.
To replace door locks or keys when keys are lost, broken or you get locked out.
To replace broken or cracked glass in windows and doors that has been broken by you during the course of your occupation.
Replacing light bulbs.
Testing and replacing batteries in smoke detectors.
Re-setting trip switches on your electric board.
Getting open fire and wood burner chimneys swept on a yearly basis.
Trying to clear blocked sinks, basins, baths and toilets.
Maintaining gardens and paths.
Keeping outside drains and gulleys clear from leaves and rubbish.
Please keep a detailed record of any issues that lead to damage to the property. An accurate record of any incident, including dates/times and any apparent cause will help us to make any insurance claims (were necessary).

Joint safety responsibilities

Your landlord is responsible for carrying out a gas and oil safety check once a year.
Your landlord is now also responsible for carrying out an electrical safety check of your property every five years.

These checks are for your safety and you are required to allow access for these checks to be carried out.

Helpful tips

The table below defines what is classed as an emergency with some recommendations on what you can do before reporting the issue to us:

Emergency	But remember to...
Leaks which cannot be stopped or will cause further damage if allowed to continue.	• Turn off the water using the stopcock • Place a suitable receptacle under the leak to prevent further damage • Contact the occupants if the leak is coming from a property adjacent or above
Electrical failure	• Check if a fuse has tripped on your main fuse board in the property (If any of the switches are in a different position to the others, switch it to match the others). • Telephone your electricity provider or check online to ascertain is the there is a general power cut in your area.
Blocked toilets & drains	• Use a plunger or drain un-blocker to try and move the blockage. • Lift any manhole covers in your garden / yard (if possible) to check if the blockage is external. • If the blockage is outside the property boundary (i.e. in the main sewer) you should contact the Severn Trent Water Blockage line on 0800 783 4444.
Fire	• Vacate the property to a safe place. • Call the emergency services immediately.
Security (Break-in)	• Contact the emergency services immediately.
Structural collapse / risk of collapse	• Vacate the property to a safe place.
Central heating / hot water system breakdown	• Check if your other gas appliances, like your cooker hob, are working correctly, or whether the switches in your fuse box have tripped. • Check if your boiler’s timer has reset - which means getting it working again could be as simple as re-programming it with your times. Take a look at its instruction manual for a reminder on how to do this • If it’s showing a reading of one bar or less, low pressure could be the reason why your boiler’s not working. Topping up the pressure yourself is usually straightforward - follow the steps in your boiler’s manual. • Having your room thermostat set lower than 21 degrees can stop your heating from coming on, so turn it higher to see If your boiler starts working again. • Finally, try resetting your boiler according to its instructions. If yours was made pre-2004 it’s likely to have a pilot light instead of a reset function, so check that the pilot light is on. • If we have experienced a severe frost check if the external condensate pipe from your boiler has frozen - if it has - soak a cloth in warm water and wrap it around the pipe to defrost it. DO NOT used boiling water as this could crack the pipe.
Gas leak	• Contact the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 • DO open doors and windows to ventilate the property. • DO turn off the gas at the mains tap. This can usually be located near the gas meter and has a handle that can be turned 90 degrees. If the gas leak is in a cellar or basement, do not enter and instead evacuate the building. • DON’T turn any power or light switches on or off. • DON’T light any sort of flame within the property. • DON’T use any appliances that could cause a spark.