UTILITY BILLS
It is now time to set up your utilities.
If you have already signed up with UniHomes, they’ll be in touch with you shortly about setting up your utility bill payments. Please look out for emails from them.
If you haven’t already sorted your utility providers, PJ Properties recommend UniHomes to provide utilities to your property. We would suggest that you set this up as soon as possible to ensure your utilities are in place for when you move in. Please email hello@unihomes.co.ukand let them know that you’d like to sign up.
If you have decided to use separate utility providers, please contact them ASAP. Do not leave this until your tenancy start date.If you aren’t sure of suppliers, you can call the following numbers and they’ll tell you who is currently supplying your new address:
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Yorkshire Water: 0845 124 2424
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Northern Power Grid (Electricity): 0800 0113332 (alternatively, you can visit www.northernpowergrid.com and scroll down to the ‘Who is my energy supplier?’ section)
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Gas Supplier - ofgem.gov.uk or 08706081524
It is vital that you take meter readings (gas and electricity) as close as possible to the start date of your tenancy and provide the readings to your utility suppliers. PJ Properties do not take meter readings for you.
For tenants moving into a property with the utilities supplied by Unihomes but no longer wish to use them, Unihomes will move the energy supply to a new standard residential supplier and a letter will be delivered to the house in the name of ‘new occupier’. The tenants can either call the supplier at this point or move to someone new.
Insurance
Please remember to consider taking out contents insurance for your belongings. We would recommend using Endsleigh Insurance as they are recommended by the NUS.
IMPORTANT POINTS
Remember that you have signed a joint tenancy agreement. This means that you are all jointly liable for each other. It is therefore in your best interests to ensure that each tenant respects the property otherwise you will all be liable for any damages incurred.
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Do not fix any locks or bolts to your door under any circumstances as per tenancy agreement.
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Keep the use of blue/white tak to a minimum. You will be charged for redecoration costs.
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Do not hammer tacks or nails into walls or put any shelves up.
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Please refrain from ironing your clothes on your bedroom carpet.
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Do not leave hot hair straighteners on your carpet.
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Any burns on your carpet will result in you being charged for a replacement carpet.
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Do not smoke or use candles in the property.
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Please ensure that you keep changing the hoover bag.
REPAIRS
All fridge/freezer, washer/dryer and electric oven repairs are made by our local contractor, D.A.R.T. You can contact them directly on 0114 2661699.
If your boiler breaks down, inform us immediately and we will send an engineer round ASAP.
If you’d like to report a non-urgent or minor repair, please visit our website repairs page and submit a repair form or email info@pjproperties.co.uk. For repairs of a more serious nature (leaks, plumbing problems, electrical problems), please phone our office.
For extreme emergencies outside of office hours, e.g. a burst pipe, please call the office and listen for the out of hour’s emergency number on our answerphone (this is strictly emergency only).
We only use tried and trusted local contractors and we have a full-time handyman to ensure we get to you as quickly as possible.
CONDENSATION
It is essential to have a balance of heating and ventilation to combat the effects of condensation. Without a balance of heating and ventilation, mould may form in the corners of rooms and on walls without airflow i.e. behind wardrobes etc. Refraining from drying wet clothes in bedrooms can help the situation. If mould occurs, simply wipe it off, using a mould/mildew spray, and increase the heating and ventilation. Moving furniture away from affected areas (e.g. cold outside walls) will help air flow and to combat mould, as will leaving the bedroom door open whilst you’re out. Under no circumstances place the bed against an outside wall. It is essential to open the bathroom window regularly after showering and bathing.
WHEELIE BINS
Place your bin on the pavement the evening before it is due to be collected and put it back as soon as possible after it has been emptied. Bins left out on the pavement are a constant source of annoyance to local residents and are a health and safety hazard. Any rubbish not placed inside the bin will not be collected, and the bin will also not be collected if it’s so full that the bin won’t close. If you are unsure of when your bin is collected, please visit the following website https://www.gov.uk/rubbish-collection-day.
SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS AND FIRE INSTRUCTIONS
The detectors in your property are checked on an annual basis. If you discover a malfunctioning detector (normally indicated by a beeping sound), then please contact our office immediately.
IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE:
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Leave the room where the fire is and close the door.
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Alert any other people in the property.
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Leave the property by either the back door, the side door, or the front door (i.e. your nearest, safest exit). Do not stop to collect valuables.
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Call the fire and rescue service from a place of safety.
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Dial 999, ask for fire and give the operator the address and postcode.
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Wait outside, away from the building, and meet the fire service.
NB. Tenants must keep hallways and stairs clear from any obstructions (i.e. boxes, bin bags, rubbish etc.)