Living Together A tenants guide to living in a Lime Property
Hello.
May I take this opportunity to thank you for choosing a Lime Property and welcome you to the family. Here at Lime we like to think of all our landlords and tenants as one big family, all sharing a common goal and that is your happiness in your new home. Lets face it, if you are happy there your landlord will be receiving rent so will also be happy! You should now have settled in and any teething problems would have been dealt with by our MOVE IN Specialist, they will have guided you through the initial moving in and the first few weeks of your tenancy. By now I hope you are enjoying your new home. Whilst we would like to live in an ideal world we do accept things go wrong, this is the reason for this handy guide. From the point at which you settle in a property, most communications between you and Lime will be through your property manager or accounts team and these are often about things that have gone wrong. Â Principally these relate to repairs and unpaid rent. In relation to repairs, please understand (or care) that the property manager is an agent and cannot instruct certain works without authority. Â Some tenants are often under the misapprehension that all issues in a property are the responsibility of the landlord. Property management is a relationship that must be conducted on give and take basis by both parties. Our experienced team know and respect this and will do everything within their power to ensure a swift resolution to any issues that may arise. Finally, I must stress that as an agency we pride ourselves in our high percentage of tenancies that have the full deposit returned. This deposit is not ours, its yours and we just hold it in a government approved scheme until you depart. We want you to get it back IN FULL at the end of the tenancy as any disputes cost us time and energy and none of us want that! If you follow our handy guide we will be able to avoid any tenancy deposit issues when you move out. Once again, thank you for choosing a Lime Property, I sincerely hope you enjoy your time with us.
P Green
Paul Green MNAEA
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What you can find here: Help us to help you. What do do when it goes wrong. • Leaking or burst pipes • Electrical and Gas Safety Basic Maintenance. • Condensation • Preventing Blockages • Overflows • Pests • Gardens and Outdoor space • Replacing Light Bulbs Emergency action. Accounts Your deposit
Live. Life. Love. Lime Something's leaking……..
NEVER PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER and always use common sense.
Be Prepared. When you move in make sure you familiarise yourself with the location for the main stop cock for the water supply You never know when you may need them in a hurry. Leaking or Burst Pipe: • Place a suitable container under the leak and try to protect flooring and carpets by putting down towels. • Turn off the mains water supply and contact our property management team. • Open taps to drain down any excess water in the system • Can you isolate the individual appliance?
Contacts:
Maintenance Issues: 01482 216060 (Option 3) elaine@lime-property.co.uk 01482 900901 (out of hours)
Live. Life. Love. Lime Its gone dark……..
NEVER PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER and always use common sense.
Be Prepared. When you move in make sure you familiarise yourself with the location for the main stop cock for the Gas and the mains distribution board for the electricity. You never know when you may need them in a hurry. If you need to turn off the electricity use the main switch (if there is water ingress onto electrical appliances.:
Checking your fuse box if something has gone off: Depending on the age of your property you may have a fuse box or a consumer unit. Both are very similar with modern properties having the consumer unit with ‘trip switches’ • Check the box to see if any fuses have blown or switches are down • Never overload sockets • NEVER remove any covers.
Main Switch
Live. Life. Love. Lime Prevention is better than cure……..
As a tenant you have a responsibility to take care of the property you live in, some basic principles can be followed to assist you in maintaining your home.
Condensation. Condensation can build up for a number of reasons such as drying clothes in an unventilated room, taking hot baths/showers or even cooking/boiling water. Warm air holds more moisture than cold air, so when warm air cools it releases this moisture. This often happens when it contacts cool surfaces such as windows, wall tiles, mirrors or walls. If condensation cannot dry out it will cause mold on walls, in cupboards and an windowsills. Mildew can also form on clothes and upholstery Help yourself: • Produce less moisture by drying clothes in a well ventilated room, cover pans when boiling water . • If you have an extractor fans ensure it is working, if you don’t then try to leave a window open when having hot baths/showers. •
Wipe down any damp surfaces to avoid a build up of moisture
Live. Life. Love. Lime Prevention is better than cure‌‌..
As a tenant you have a responsibility to take care of the property you live in, some basic principles can be followed to assist you in maintaining your home.
Blockages. Most blockages are caused by a build up of foreign objects such as food, grease or even hair. Whist you should make every effort to reduce the risk by not putting anything of this kind down the drains we appreciate sometimes its unavoidable. Drain cleaner is an effective way of preventing blockages and is available in all leading supermarkets. You may also consider installing drain traps to prevent the blockages. Remember that you do have to help yourself so any issues caused by your misuse in this way could result in a costly repair if we have to get a blockage fixed. Overflows Sometimes your toilet may develop a fault with the ball float and constantly run water. This is to prevent the cistern overflowing but can also be a good sign that something is wrong. Not to mention the extra water bills! If you think there is an issue with your cistern please let us know to prevent further damage and costs.
Live. Life. Love. Lime Prevention is better than cure……..
As a tenant you have a responsibility to take care of the property you live in, some basic principles can be followed to assist you in maintaining your home.
Pest Control. Whilst you live in the property it is your responsibility to carry out or monitor pest control. Traps and baits are readily available from leading supermarkets or DIY stores. Should you wish for a professional to attend we can provide the details for you. Obviously if the problem requires the property to be modified in any way (such as blocking up holes) you need to let us know so we can advise your landlord. Mice Mice are the most common form of pest that you may find in your home and it can be very difficult to exclude them from your property, particularly terraced houses or converted apartments as there are so many small points of entry. Remember a mouse can get through tiny holes! To lessen the risk of having mice in your property you should: • Ensure all food is stored in sealed containers and put away in cupboards/shelves • Waste is kept in closed bins and removed regularly. • Try to clear crumbs effectively.
Live. Life. Love. Lime Prevention is better than cure……..
As a tenant you have a responsibility to take care of the property you live in, some basic principles can be followed to assist you in maintaining your home.
If you live in a block of apartments the communal areas and any gardens will be maintained for you
Gardens. The terms of your tenancy suggest that the garden should be left in the same condition as when you moved in. Because all gardens are different we have to use a common sense approach to this subject. The inventory and condition report will provide us with photographs of any gardens and outbuildings and their condition at move in. Generally we would ask that the garden is maintained regularly with any grass and hedges cut and not allowed to get overgrown.
Garden Tips • Cut Grass regularly in summer months when grass is growing quickly. It is much easier than leaving it and tackling very long grass • Clear leaves away in autumn – especially near drains and gutters. •
If you aren't confident with gardening or garden maintenance please let us know and we can get someone to help you. Its far better to keep on top of it rather than tackle a jungle.
Live. Life. Love. Lime Prevention is better than cure……..
As a tenant you have a responsibility to take care of the property you live in, some basic principles can be followed to assist you in maintaining your home.
Light Bulbs. It is your responsibility to change your light bulbs when they blow. This is normally a very straightforward task and you should always replace like for like. Always turn off the light before changing bulbs. If you need assistance please let us know. Halogen and Specialist Bulbs. One of the most common types of halogen lights found in many modern spotlights is the GU10 it also causes the most problems when changing. To change a GU10 bulb: • Turn off the lights. • Give old bulb time to cool if hot • Place fingers firmly around the bulb (you may want to wear a glove) and twist in an anti clockwise direction through about 90 degrees. • To replace with a new bulb. Line up the pins in the socket • Twist in a clockwise direction until locked in. • Switch on light to test.
Live. Life. Love. Lime Out of hours……..
Even if our hardworking team are at home resting we still need to ensure you have the information you may need in the event of an emergency.
Contractors charge much more for emergency call outs than they do for normal office hours calls.
What is an emergency? An emergency is something that could not have been foreseen, and which could cause serious damage to the property. If a contractor is called out as an emergency when an emergency repair is not justified then you are liable to be charged for the added costs concerned. Emergency contractors will attend to make the situation safe and will return during normal working hours to put right any issues.
Emergencies can include:. • Severe Leaks • Loss of Electrical power or light • Blockage of THE ONLY toilet – Please see notes on what causes blockages. • Loss of heating or hot water where there is no other means of heating available. – A heating engineer will attend if you are elderly or have young children, otherwise he will attend the next day. • Broken windows or doors following break in. A crime number must also be obtained for these call outs.
Contacts:
Maintenance Issues: 01482 216060 (Option 3) elaine@lime-property.co.uk 01482 900901 (out of hours)
Live. Life. Love. Lime Emergency Procedures……
Your safety as one of tenants is very important to us. Please use this as a guide of what to do in the event of an emergency.
FIRE • In case of fire dial 999 • Get everyone out and do not go back in • Close all doors and windows • Warn any neighbors if they may be in danger • Set off any communal fire alarms in blocks of flats Smell of GAS • Open doors and windows to get rid of smell • Check gas appliances to see if the gas is on and not lit. DO NOT TRY TO LIGHT IT. • Do not turn on or off any switches • Do not use door bell • NEVER SMOKE • If the leak cannot be stopped by turning off an appliance or you are uncertain try to turn off the gas at the meter. • Call national grid on 0800111999 Loss of Electricity • If street or neighbors also affected then call your supplier • Check the fuse box for any tripped switches • Call us and we will send an electrician. Water Leak • Turn off the water at mains (as shown earlier) • If water has gone near electrics then turn off also • Call us and we will send a plumber.
Live. Life. Love. Lime The Rent……
One of your most important contributions to the tenancy. If you pay, we are all happy. If you don’t we have to take steps to ensure you do. Communication is the key if you are struggling.
Regular Bank Transfer It is our intention that you will pay your rent by standing order into our bank on a monthly basis. We have a team of friendly individuals who will check this rent has arrived into safely and account for it accordingly. Communication Remember our team are there to do a job, they fully understand that sometimes banks aren't the easiest to communicate with and will work with you to set things up. Remember they have dealt with many tenants in many different situations so be honest with them and they will be honest with you. After all, they have probably heard many excuses for late or non payment before but they are tasked with collecting the rent and that is what they will endeavor to do. Fees As with most financial transactions, failure to deliver usually comes with added costs. Our team will do everything they can to communicate with you and ensure smooth rental payments. If they cant get hold of you they may have to write to you in the event of rent arrears. Please note each letter will carry a cost to you so to avoid these charges always keep in contact with the accounts team when managing arrears.
Live. Life. Love. Lime Your Deposit‌‌..
As we explained in the introduction, the deposit is yours and we want you to get it back. Follow these simple hints and tips and we can end the tenancy as easily as it started!
The Inventory. The inventory is a list of what items come as part of the rental agreement. You should check through this carefully, making sure that everything listed is there. If not, either replace it or notify us as you may be charged for items missing. Redirect your post. Make sure everybody has your new address and telephone numbers so they can contact you.# To save time register with www.iammoving.com This is a site that contains a large database of utilities suppliers, banks, store cards etc. who can notify them of your change of address free of charge. For a small fee you can also arrange for your post to be redirected and can download an application form from the Royal Mail website, www.postoffice.co.uk Clean The Property. Cookers need to be cleaned together with microwaves, extractors, fridges and all other appliances. Freezers need to be defrosted and kitchen cupboards and drawers thoroughly cleaned and cleared. There are plenty of good household cleaners available to make cleaning less of a chore. We can always send ours to help. Remember, washing the windows and scrubbing the floors are great ways to raise your heart rate and tone your muscles!
Live. Life. Love. Lime Your Deposit‌‌..
As we explained in the introduction, the deposit is yours and we want you to get it back. Follow these simple hints and tips and we can end the tenancy as easily as it started!
Rubbish. Please remove all your rubbish from the property.# Any waste that needs to be removed will be charged to your deposit. Meter readings. Make sure you tell the electricity, gas and telephone company at least 48 hrs before you leave so they can send you a final bill. Please do not disconnect without first getting permission from us as you may get charged for the re-connection. Minor repairs. Replace cracked window panes and ensure all light bulbs are working. If you would like any help with maintenance or cleaning please contact us for a list of recommended contractors. Gardens. Please make sure that you leave the garden tidy, with lawns mowed and weeds removed from borders. Bag and dispose of any garden waste at your local household waste site. Keys, Keys, Keys. Finally please return your keys and fobs/passes on your last day as per the documents on move in. Rent is to be charged until the keys have been returned.
The Pod St Andrews Quay Hull HU3 4SA
01482 216060 www.lime-property.co.uk