As Mariah Carey’s five-octave singing makes its annual presence, we’re not just reminded to go home for festive celebrations. Here at Braemore Property Management we want to make sure everyone in our rental properties stays warm and safe every day, especially during the festive holidays.
With the start of the holiday period just weeks away, it is time to prepare our homes for the winter break.
With boilers and heating issues being the most commonly reported maintenance problem in rental properties at this time of year we want to make sure that you don’t get caught out. We check boilers annually, but this doesn’t mean that between inspections, faults won’t appear which could cause a bigger issue further down the line.
If a fault is caught early, it is usually easier and quicker to resolve. More importantly, you will avoid unnecessary outages over the holidays when the weather is severe, and engineers are scarce.
If your property suffers any damage at any time, please make sure you report the issue via our online portal as soon as possible.
You can report issues 24 hours a day by going through our website here:
Alternatively, you can call the property maintenance team on 0131 624 6666
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Saturday 21st December |
Closed |
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Monday 23rd December |
8am – 6pm |
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Tuesday 24th December |
8am – 1pm |
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Wednesday 25th December |
Closed |
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Thursday 26th December |
Closed |
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Friday 27th December |
10am – 2pm |
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Saturday 28th December |
Closed |
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Monday 30th December |
8am – 6pm |
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Tuesday 31st December |
8am – 1pm |
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Wednesday 1st January |
Closed |
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Thursday 2nd January |
Closed |
Based on our experience, there are fewer contractors working over the holidays and they are especially scarce on core days such as December 24 and 25 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). We will resolve your issues as quickly as we can. However, due to the reduced availability of contractors, urgent issues, such as broken boilers and radiators, will be prioritised. All other repairs, if left unresolved, will be dealt with as quickly as possible.
What defines an Emergency?
An emergency is a situation which is deemed to be dangerous, life-threatening or could result in personal injury, public liability claim and property deterioration.
We can only cover the cost of contractors attending properties out of office hours if the issue is an emergency. We expect our tenants to use common sense when deciding whether an issue in an emergency or not. If a contractor is called out to a property out with office hours for an issue which is not an emergency, you may be held liable for any costs incurred.
Below are some helpful tips to consider before calling our emergency numbers.
Gas
If you smell gas or you suspect a gas appliance is leaking fumes, call the Gas Emergency Services immediately on 0800 111 999 (24 hours). Open all windows and doors and vacate the property if necessary. Do not turn on an electrical appliances or switches or light any naked flames.
Electrical Fault
First, check that no fuses have blown, circuit breakers are in the ‘ON’ position and check that your trip switch has not tripped. If it has, switch of all appliances before resetting. Next, check that the area has not been affected by a general power cut. Check with your neighbours to see if they are experiencing similar power outages. If your neighbours are also experiences power outages, call your local Electricity Network Operator’s 24 Hour Emergency Helpline. Scottish Power Energy Networks – 0800 092 9290 (landline) or 0330 1010 222 (mobile). If the fault is isolated to your property and you have gone through all the steps, call our emergency number.
Heating & Hot Water
Whilst it is an inconvenience to be without hot water and heating, it is only deemed and emergency in extremely cold weather conditions or if there are young children, elderly or vulnerable people in the property. If you are having issues with your gas boiler, first check to see if the pilot light is on and, if you have a combination-boiler, check that the pressure is set between 1 and 2. The instruction manual will tell you how to re-light the pilot light and re-set the pressure. The internet has a wide range of manuals available if you can’t find yours in your property, just search for the boiler make and model.
Water Ingress and Leaks
As soon as you notice a leak, put a bucket or suitably sized container underneath the leak to catch as much as possible, remember to empty it regularly. You can then contact us during office hours and we will send a contractor to attend. If the leak is more substantial, such as a burst pipe or severe water ingress, locate the stop cock and turn off the water. Mop up all surface water as quickly as possible to prevent damage. Call the emergency number and we will arrange for a plumber to attend as soon as possible. If water the source of the water is from a property above you, let the neighbours upstairs know immediately and request that they turn off the source of the leak. If they are not in, leave them a note with your contact details and call your local Environmental Health Department (0131 529 3030 / 0131 200 2000) and ask for the water ingress team.
If we haven’t listed your specific emergency here, please use common sense before calling our emergency number. We are unable to respond to maintenance issues out of hours unless they are deemed an emergency.
We hope to help you through all of your winter maintenance issues as best we can so that you can get back to enjoying the festive period in a warm and cosy flat.
