Home Safety

Damp and mould can make people unwell. It can affect breathing and allergies. It can also damage your home. Please tell us if you see damp, mould, water marks, leaks, a musty smell or peeling wallpaper in your home.

You do not need to know what caused the problem before you tell us. We will listen to you and look at what needs to happen next.

Please tell us straight away if damp or mould gets worse, comes back after being cleaned, or affects your health.

Awaab’s Law is a rule for social landlords. It says landlords must act quickly when tenants report serious damp, mould or emergency safety problems.

The law started with damp, mould and emergency repairs. More housing safety problems will be added to the law in future.

If you tell us about damp, mould or an urgent safety problem, we will look at it and tell you what will happen next.

If there is a serious risk to your health or safety, we will take action as quickly as possible.

Asbestos is a material that was used in some older buildings. It is usually safe if it is not damaged or disturbed. It can be harmful if it is broken, drilled, sanded or removed in the wrong way.

We keep information about asbestos in our homes where we know about it.

We arrange asbestos checks when they are needed. A trained person will check materials before repair or building work starts.

Please do not touch, drill, sand or remove anything you think may contain asbestos. Tell us if you are worried, or if something looks damaged.

Building safety means making sure your home and building are safe to live in.

We check buildings to help find and fix risks.

This can include checking shared areas, doors, alarms, lighting, repairs and anything that could be unsafe.

Please tell us if you see something broken, damaged, blocked or unsafe in your building.

You can also tell us if you feel worried about safety in your home or shared areas.

Fire safety helps keep people safe if there is a fire. Fires can spread quickly. Checking alarms and keeping escape routes clear helps people get out safely.

We carry out fire safety checks in your homes and communal areas.

These checks may include fire doors, alarms, emergency lighting and escape routes.

Please keep shared hallways, stairs and exits clear. Do not block fire doors or prop them open.

Tell us straight away if you see a damaged fire door, broken alarm, blocked escape route or anything that worries you about fire safety.

Electrical safety is important because faulty plugs, wires or appliances can cause shocks or fires. Please do not overload sockets. Tell us if something electrical looks unsafe.

We arrange electrical safety checks in our homes. These checks are carried out by a qualified person.

The check is sometimes called an EICR. This means Electrical Installation Condition Report.

Please tell us if sockets, switches, lights, plugs or wires look unsafe.

Some electrical items may also need PAT testing. PAT means Portable Appliance Testing.

A portable appliance is something electrical that can be moved, like a kettle, microwave, lamp, vacuum cleaner, fridge, freezer or washing machine.

PAT testing helps check that these items are safe to use.

Please tell us if an electrical item looks damaged, smells of burning, makes a strange noise, or gets too hot.

Gas and heating safety is important because faulty appliances or leaks can cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.

We arrange gas safety checks every year where they are needed. These checks make sure gas boilers, fires and pipework are working safely.

Please let the gas engineer into your home for the safety check. Tell us straight away if you smell gas, feel unwell, or if your heating or hot water is not working safely.

We visit our homes to check the building is safe and well looked after.

During a management visit, we may check shared areas, fire doors, alarms, water safety, repairs and other safety risks.

We may also check white goods provided by Fairoak, such as a fridge, freezer or washing machine.

We also check if tenants are keeping to their tenancy agreement.

This means checking things like looking after the home, reporting repairs and keeping shared areas safe and clear.

You can tell us about anything you are worried about during a visit or contact us at any time.