Maintenance & emergency out of hours information

If you need to contact Bailey & Co. regarding a maintenance issue, please see below advisory notes in line with your Tenancy Agreement.

It is expected that you will treat the Property in a Tenant like manner and will be responsible for certain aspects of basic maintenance to the Property yourself. For example, you are expected to replace any light bulbs/fuses/batteries, clean washing machine or cooker hood filters etc. Appliance manuals can often be found in the Property or can be sourced online and offer trouble-shooting tips for most small faults. Should a contractor be instructed to attend your Property to undertake a repair for which he deems you to be liable (i.e. heating system not working due to expired batteries in the remote thermostat), you will be liable for the cost of their invoice. As such, we would kindly ask that you bear this in mind prior to logging any repair issues.

In the case of an emergency situation when our office is closed, please note clause 2.8 of your Tenancy Agreement which states. “To pay for entire invoices and costs of any contractors that the Tenant arranges without having previously obtained the Landlord’s written authority”. As such, we would advise that you only call out a contractor in the case of a genuine emergency, such as an issue which, if left unresolved, would cause damage to the Property, a neighbouring Property, or to life.

GAS:
If you smell gas, call the National Grid immediately on 0800 111 999.
Open your windows and doors to let fresh air in, ensure all gas appliances are turned off and, if possible, turn the gas off at the mains. If you discover that there is no gas supply to the Property, please ensure that if you have a pre-payment meter, there is credit on this.

ELECTRICITY:
If there is no electricity to the Property, please ensure that, if you have a pre-payment meter, there is credit on this. Check with neighbours/your utility provider to see if there has been a power cut in the area. If the electrics are tripping off, please check the fuse board and fuses within appliances and replace as necessary, as this is a Tenants responsibility.

BURST PIPES/LEAKS:
Turn off the water supply via the stop tap and try and contain the water. If the water is near any electrics, switch this supply off at the mains. If you are in a flat and there is water coming into your Property, please bring this to the attention of the occupant of the Property above yours/the Management Company of the development as soon as possible.

WATER:
If you experience a loss of water, please contact Northumbrian Water to check if they are doing any works in the area.

LACK OF HEATING/HOT WATER:
Electrical Boiler; any fault should be visible and, in many cases, you should refer to the manual (which can be sourced online if not at the Property) and you should be able to rectify the problem yourself. With regards to hot water, you should be able to run the system off the boost button in the short term.

Gas Boiler; in the first instance, please check if the pilot light needs to be re-set and/or re-pressure the appliance as this is a Tenants responsibility. If an error message appears, please refer to the manual (which can be sourced online if not at the Property). If the problem relates to heating, check any timers are working, that any thermostats have working batteries, bleed any radiators etc., as this is a Tenants responsibility.

LOST/DAMAGED KEYS:
As per clause 2.38 of the Tenancy Agreement, a lost key is the responsibility of a Tenant to replace; “Where the keys are lost or stolen or mislaid the Tenant shall pay in full any costs incurred.”
During office hours, we may be able to release a management set of keys to you, which we would require you to cut and return, the cost being borne by yourself. If there is a fault with the lock outside of office hours, please contact a locksmith for an emergency repair. You will need to pay them direct so please ensure they provide a receipt and full breakdown of the issue, how it arose and subsequent works. If you do have the locks changed, you will need to ensure there is a key that can be handed in to this office to be held as a management key.

The following contractors have made themselves available for out of hours works. However, if they do not deem your issue to be an emergency, they may not call out to the Property. They may also require payment to be made at the time of the visit so please ensure you have the ability/capacity to do this before calling them.

  • Gas/ Boiler related issues and burst pipes – CBFM Heating: 0191 491 0111. Please note that an out of hours call out charge may apply. 120 +VAT per hour (plus any additional parts required as necessary)
  • Leaks or emergency plumbing issues – North East Plumbing Repairs: Dan Martin 07564 786571. Call out rate – £75.00 for first hour, then £45.00 per hour thereafter (any additional parts requited charged on top of this if applicable)
  • Locksmith services; Paddy Weeks (General Handyman) 07540 355393. Please note that there is a call out charge of £70 +VAT for the first hour, then £25+VAT per hour thereafter. Plus any additional parts will be charged on top of this. They are available 5.30-9pm Monday to Friday and 8am-9pm Saturday and Sunday.
  • Electrical issues; DL Electrics, Stephen Little 07970 971714/ 01661 822950. Please note that there is a call out charge of £65 +VAT for the first hour, then £55+VAT per hour thereafter. If possible, the contractor may be able to remedy the issue with you over the phone; if this is the case, the cost may be less than this but all costs will be at the discretion of the contractor.
  • All other property and building maintenance – Lift Worx UK Ltd, Steve Kirby 07923 218898. Please note that an out of hours call out charge may apply.

The aforementioned are not affiliated in any way to Bailey & Co and should they not be available when you contact them, we would advise you to contact another local tradesman.

If you do engage a contractor in works, please advise this office on the next available working day. Based on the nature of the repair/contractor feedback, we will discuss with your Landlord the option of reimbursing you the cost of any invoice but no guarantee is given that any monies will be returned to you.