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Managing your home

Boys Decorating

Contents:
Home security
Day-to-Day Security
Safety in your home
Household rubbish
TV Aerials and satellite dishes
Energy efficiency
Alterations and improvements
Adaptations for disabled people
Car parking
Keeping a pet

Home security - Home contents insurance
Everyone should be able to enjoy living in their home. Making it safe, secure and comfortable is important and you can help do this.

We insure your home against fire, storm and flood and any damage for which we are responsible, but we cannot insure your belongings.

WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO TAKE OUT YOUR OWN HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE. Your policy should cover you and your belongings in case of theft, fire, or other accidents, and any damage caused by you to other people and their belongings, for example, if your washing machine overflows into another flat.

Royal & Sun Alliance has produced a home contents policy specially designed for the residents of The Guinness Trust Group. Click here to view a leaflet.

For further details of this or any other schemes that may be available please speak to your Housing Officer.

Day-to-Day Security
For your day-to-day security we suggest that you:-

  • always ask for proof of identify if someone calls at your house. If you are still not completely sure, tell them to wait outside, close the door and contact their company, your Housing Officer or Sheltered Scheme Manager for confirmation.
  • always lock your windows and doors when you go out.
  • do not leave keys under door mats or notes on your door telling people you are out.
  • if you go away for a few days do not forget to cancel your milk and newspapers.
  • never allow someone into the building as you are entering or leaving if you have a door entry system unless you know them.
  • if you have a Sheltered Scheme Manager let them know if you are going away even if it's for only one night.


Safety in your home
Gas Inspections
We are required by law to carry out a safety check of our gas appliances at least once a year. We will also check gas pipework inside your home, and your own gas appliances, for example cookers. If any of the appliances are found to be faulty they may be disconnected.

You should make sure that you do not block up air bricks, vents or flues which provide air to gas appliances as this could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Fire Safety Precautions
Smoke detectors are very good for warning you about fire. In our newer properties we have put in smoke detectors connected to the mains electricity. Over the coming years we hope to put them into our older homes as well. In the meantime since they are cheap, easy to fit and sold in most DIY shops, we would encourage you to install one or more yourself.

To reduce the risk of fire:-

  • never keep petrol or paraffin in your home.
  • do not use paraffin or bottled gas heaters.
  • never leave chip pans unattended on the stove - never pour water on to a burning chip pan - smother flames with a damp cloth, fire blanket or a lid.
  • put out cigarettes and matches and take care with ashtrays.
  • make sure children cannot reach matches.
  • put a fireguard around fires.
  • don't hang clothes around fires, cookers or storage heaters.
  • make sure you know how to get out in a hurry. If you find a fire, GET OUT OF THE BUILDING and DIAL 999. Don't try to fight it yourself.

Never use the lift in the event of a fire. Always use the stairs.
Frozen or Burst Pipes
Frozen pipes can cause a lot of damage if they burst.
To avoid the problem it helps if :-

  • pipes which could freeze are insulated.
  • you know where the stop cock is.
  • you keep your home warm.
  • you keep the heating on low when you are away from home in the winter.

If your pipes freeze:-

  • turn off the stopcock and the heating system
  • thaw out the pipes gently using a hair-dryer or cloth soaked in hot water. Don't use a naked flame.
  • check for leaks as the pipes thaw.

If your pipes burst:-

  • turn off your heating system and immersion heater.
  • turn off the stopcock and turn on all the taps to drain down the water quickly.
  • call us.


Household rubbish
A dustbin is usually provided for ordinary household rubbish when you move in. Some flats have a rubbish chute instead. Please wrap all your rubbish carefully or use bin bags tied at the top to stop animals from rifling through your dustbin and the chutes from getting blocked or smelly.

If a dustbin is not provided you will need to get one yourself, although some Councils will provide one, so check with them first.

Other rubbish and bulky items
Arrangements for getting rid of this kind of rubbish vary. On some of our estates we provide a skip for garden rubbish from the communal gardens. Ask your Housing Officer if you can also use it for your rubbish. However in most places you will have to take "DIY" or garden rubbish to the Council tip yourself. Bonfires are discouraged!

The local Council will often take away old furniture or other large items but you may have to pay for this service.

Whatever the local arrangement, please use it. Rubbish left in your garden or outside your home very quickly makes the estate unsightly, unhealthy or even dangerous.


TV Aerials and satellite dishes
Wherever possible you should use an indoor aerial or one inside the loft or roof space. If you really need an outside aerial talk to your Housing Officer about how and where it could be fixed. Most blocks of flats will have a communal one fitted.

You must not put up your own satellite dish without permission. If you want to have cable TV installed and this will involve running cables across our land you will also need permission.

Get set for digital
You may have heard, through the press or on TV, that analogue TV will stop being transmitted in this country within the next few years. The Guinness Partnership have produced 2 leaflets to answer some common questions and answers about switching to digital;
Get set for digital - communal aerials
Get set for digital - individual areials

Energy efficiency
Everyone wants to heat their homes effectively and save money on their heating bills. The followings tips may help you to do this:-

  • you can reduce your annual heating bill by 8% by turning the thermostat setting down 1°C.
  • the ideal temperature setting for water in your hot water tank is 60°C.
  • the ideal room temperature is between 18°C. and 21°'C.
  • turning up the thermostat won't heat the room up faster.
  • where you can, set radiators in different rooms at different levels, e.g. living rooms warmer than bedrooms.
  • use 'off peak' electricity as much as you can, especially for hot water.
  • low energy light bulbs cost more to buy but last longer and are cheaper to run.

Alterations and improvements
You may make alterations to your home provided you get our written permission before you start. You may also need to get Building Regulation Approval or Planning Consent. Before we give our consent the Surveyor may need to discuss your proposals with you. We won't refuse permission without good reason .

Alterations/improvements include :-

  • changing kitchen units or bathroom fittings, installing showers.
  • moving radiators or installing your own central heating system.
  • knocking down walls to change rooms.
  • changing your front door.
  • putting up a garden shed or fence.

Alterations without permission could count as damage and you may be charged for the cost of putting the property back to its original condition. Whatever work you plan to do to your home, it is best to ask first.

We can't accept responsibility for maintaining your improvements. For some improvements agreed after April 1995 you may qualify for compensation when you leave.

Adaptations for disabled people
If you feel that some adaptations would make living in your home easier you should speak to your doctor who can refer you to the Council's Occupational Therapist. They will visit you to discuss what they might be able to do. This could range from a simple grab rail to get in and out of the bath, to an electric stair lift for getting up and down stairs, or a ramp to make it easier to get up the steps to your front door.

You should contact your Housing Officer to talk about the proposals. It may be that you have to have the work done and pay for it yourself with a grant from the Council. Although our permission would be necessary we would be unlikely to refuse and would also help you with any paperwork, such as getting planning consent from the Council, if you wanted us to.

Sometimes we may be able to do the work and meet the costs involved. We would work with you and the Occupational Therapist to organise it.


Car parking
The demand for garages varies across the country. Your Housing Officer will be able to tell you what the arrangements are for your estate and if there are any garages for rent.

In London there are very few parking spaces on our estates. Priority is given to residents who are registered disabled. Otherwise the next available space is offered to the person who has been on the list longest. There is a weekly charge for these spaces.

Outside London there should be enough parking spaces for both residents and visitors. Generally, there are no reserved spaces nor is there a charge for parking.

You can park your car in your garden if there is a proper car parking space or you have got permission to have the pavement altered to make a cross-over. Except for small vans of less than 3.5 tons gross weight, you must have our written permission before parking anything other than a private car anywhere on the estate.

We will ask the local Council to tow away abandoned or derelict cars. We will charge the owner the cost of doing so. Communal car parking spaces are only for car parking - they are not a place for doing car repairs.


Keeping a pet
You should obtain permission from the Trust before you acquire a pet, although permission will not be unreasonably refused, you must not keep any animal that is unsuitable to your home or garden. As a responsible pet owner you must ensure that your pet does not annoy or frighten people.

Is a neighbour's pet causing you problems? Find out what the Trust can do - link to the anti-social behaviour statement of policy.

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