Maintenance Issues

Maintenance Issues During Office Hours:

If you have a maintenance issue, please call our office on 01923 731313 or email maintenance@harrycharles.co.uk and we will resolve in a reasonable time frame depending on the severity of the problem.

Please be as descriptive as possible and always provide a photo of the problem where you can.

If you have an emergency when our office is closed, please take the following steps.

Out of Hours Emergency Issues:

An emergency is something that could not have been foreseen and which could cause serious damage to your property.  Ensure that it is a true emergency and that the issue cannot be resolved during our opening hours.

In the event of a serious problem regarding your property and when our offices are closed, please note the emergency contact details below. The emergency numbers are for tenants renting a managed property through us and we are your main point of contact.

In the event the problem is not deemed an emergency or where the fault is as a result of damage or something that is not the responsibility of your landlord, you will be liable for the call out costs. Please note that these numbers are only to be used if you have a serious emergency that cannot wait until our offices reopen.

If you are not renting a managed property and usually contact your landlord in the event of an emergency, please contact your landlord directly.

What to do before calling our contractors:

As a tenant, you have a duty to minimise expense to your landlord. Before calling an emergency contractor, please follow the below guidelines or check any manuals or policy details you have been supplied with. 

What to do in an emergency: 

Please use our guide below: 

 

  • Fire Emergency:

If there is a fire at the property under no circumstance, should you try to put it out yourself.

You must immediately evacuate the property and then contact the emergency services to report the fire. After that you must contact us by telephone.

Emergency number is 999 

  • Electrics:

If you have a loss of power, please first check the fuse box to ensure that the switches have not simply tripped. Check with your neighbours to see if they are affected. If you have an electricity power cut or local cable emergency, you will need to contact your local electricity supplier or call UK Power Networks on – 0800 31 63 105 to get an update on the situation.

  • Gas:

If you have a gas leak or you can smell gas you should immediately evacuate the property and then contact National Grid Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

We then ask that you report this issue by email or by telephone to the Harry Charles team.

  • Gas Boiler/heating issues:

If your boiler is not working, please follow the check list below:

  • Check your room thermostat is on (at least 21 degrees)
  • If radiators have individual thermostatic valves, are they on?
  • Is there a fault/code showing on your boiler?
  • Obtain the boiler make and model (check on the gas certificate)
  • Check pressure gauge (on the front of the boiler) is above bar 1, if it is below, it means there could be a leak as the boiler needs topping up
  • If you have a pre-payment meter check for credit
  • If weather is particularly cold (below freezing) the condense pipe on the outside maybe frozen, please call for advice
  • If radiators are warm at the bottom but cold at the top this means they may need bleeding
  • If radiators are warm at the top but cold at the bottom this could mean they have debris in the system requiring a power flush

Once you have exhausted the list, either call British Gas on 0333 202 9798 if you are aware your landlord has British Gas Cover, or call our Emergency Plumber (number below) if it is out of office hours and a real emergency.

  • Water Leaks:

Please be familiar with the location of your stop cock.

If a leak is coming from your property causing ongoing damage to your property or the property below, then please turn off the water supply and call us immediately. Switch off electrics if the water leak is near lights or power outlets.

If water is coming from an upstairs property, alert the occupants above immediately and ask them to shut off the source of the leak. If they are not in, leave them a note to contact you. If your building has a management company, their details should be in communal areas, please inform them as well.

  • No water to your property:

If you find you do not have any water, please check with your neighbours to see if they are affected as well.

Please contact your water supplier, Affinity Water, to make them aware on 0345 357 2402.

  • Broken windows or doors following a break-in:

You MUST report any break-ins or attempted break-ins to the police in the first instance and obtain a crime reference number. Please be sure to make them aware of any damage so that they can have this noted on their records.

We will arrange for a contractor to initially attend to temporarily board up the window / door and make the property safe. They would then re-attend during working hours to replace any glass to the window/door as deemed necessary.

  •   Key or lock issues:

If you have broken the key in the lock, or lost your key, please call our locksmith Darren Roche on 07976 374154 to help you resolve the issue and settle the bill directly.

Require an Emergency Contractor:

If you have a REAL emergency at your property whilst our office is closed, then please call our ‘Out of Hours’ Emergency contractors on the numbers below.  Then email maintenance@harrycharles.co.uk to make use aware of the issue.

  • Plumber for major leaks and blocked drains – Simply Drains – 07714 855 001
  • Plumber - Russell Masters - 07860 267786
  • Electrician – Watford Electrical – 07973 215215
  • Locksmith – Ross Baker – 07850102028 or Darren Roche - 07976 374154

 

PLEASE NOTE - If your call is not deemed to be an emergency, you will be charged £50+VAT for the call.  

 

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IF A CONTRACTOR IS CALLED OUT AS AN EMERGENCY WHEN A REPAIR IS NOT JUSTIFIED, YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR ALL COSTS.

If our emergency contractors are unavailable, you may have to instruct a contractor yourself. In addition to providing us with the invoice or receipt, we will also need a contractor’s report confirming that it was an emergency issue. We will then put in a request to your landlord to reimburse you for the cost of the call out.

Please note that if you do NOT provide us with a receipt or an invoice, and a contractor’s report, for the call out or emergency repairs, then we are unable to reimburse you for the cost.