Internal decoration
It is your responsibility to decorate the inside of your home. We will decorate the outside and shared parts. If you are under severe hardship financially then please get in touch with us as we have a small budget each year which can be spent on things such as decoration.
Gardening
If you have exclusive use of a garden, you are responsible for looking after it. We will maintain common garden areas but tenants who enjoy gardening and would like to help are always welcome. If you want to do this, please contact the Estates team or your RSC
Condensation/Mould
Dampness is often caused by condensation and can lead to black mould. This happens when moist air reaches a cold surface and forms droplets of water. Condensation can be caused by water vapour and steam from cooking, hot baths or from drying clothes. To reduce the amount of condensation in the air, try to:
- Avoid drying clothes indoors and vent any tumble dryer outside
- Have enough ventilation when cooking, keeping lids on saucepans
- Close kitchen and bathroom doors when these rooms are being used and ventilate
- Keep a constant background heat in your home during the winter months; this may be cheaper than trying to heat the home from cold in the evening
Never use paraffin or liquid gas fires – apart from the fire risk, they also give off a lot of water vapour.
If your issues persist or if you believe water entering your home is the cause, please contact us immediately and we will organise an assessment by a surveyor within 5 working days and complete any works required.
Other kinds of damp
- Penetrating damp – Penetrating damp can be caused by leaks from roofs, windows or plumbing. This dries once the leak is fixed and rarely leaves black mould. Please report urgently to IDS if found within your property. We will inspect within 5 working days.
- Rising damp – Rising damp is extremely rare and is caused by water soaking up a wall. It doesn’t rise by no more than 1m and almost never causes black mould. Please report urgently to IDS if you suspect you have this in your home and we will inspect within 5 working days.
Frost protection
Serious damage can be done to pipes, cisterns, sinks and basins by water expanding when it freezes in cold weather. The result will only be seen when the water thaws again and flooding happens. At the start of a cold spell, take these precautions:
- Keep your home warm
- Know where to find the main stop valve and how to turn it off.
Emergencies
If you suffer a burst pipe, turn off the stop valve and open the taps to reduce the amount of water in the system. If the water has flooded through a light fitting, do not turn the light on until it has been checked. You should be aware of where the main fuses and water stopcocks are located in your flat before there is an emergency.
