Tenants Manual Contents WELCOME - MEET THE TEAM 1 Bicycle storage 15 Parcel handling 15 USEFUL CONTACTS 2 Laundry and dry cleaning 15 Out of hours emergencies 2 Refuse and recycling 16 Household waste recycing centres 16 Local Authority 2 Bin collection days 17 Hospital 2 Parking and storage space 17 Local police station 2 Key holding 17 Utility suppliers 2 Cleaning services 17 TV licensing 2 Community events 18 UK power networks 2 National Grid 2 EMERGENCY/SAFETY INFORMATION 19 APARTMENT REPAIRS 3 Fire safety 19 Communal fire safety 19 Water 3 Smoke and heat detectors 20 Electrical distribution 3 Door entry system 20 Heating and hot water 4 Visitors 20 Radiator thermostats 4 Occupants 20 How to report repairs 5 Lifts 21 Out of hours emergencies 5 Buildings insurance 21 PROPERTY MAINTENANCE 7 Construction works on site 21 Floors 7 Accidents 21 High gloss kitchen doors 7 White goods 21 Baths/basins/showers 7 TENANCY PROCEDURES 22 Balconies 7 Tenants Portal 22 Windows 8 Renewing your tenancy 22 Condensation and mould prevention 8 Rent reviews 22 Movement and shrinkage 9 Ending your tenancy 22 Energy efficiency 9 Viewings 23 LOCAL TRANSPORT INFORMATION 10 Check out procedure 23 Trains/tubes/buses 10 Paying rent 23 Cycling 10 Problems paying rent 24 Car club 10 Changing tenants 24 Taxi services 10 Joint and several liability 24 LOCAL INFORMATION 11 Inspections 25 Security deposit 25 Restaurants 11 Contents insurance 25 Pubs and bars 11 Anti-social behaviour 26 Coffee shops 11 Medical 11 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON UTILITY BILLS 27 Banks 12 HOW TO FIND-A-FLATMATE 28 Parks and play areas 12 Other services (library, Post Office etc) 12 HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT 29 Places of worship 12 Rent 29 Entertainment (cinemas, theatres etc) 13 Cleaning 29 Supermarkets/convenience stores 13 Inventory 29 Gyms and leisure centres 13 Utilities 29 TENANTS SERVICES/FACILITIES 15 Forwarding address 29 Wifi - Broadband 15 COMPLIMENTS/COMPLAINTS 30 Post 15 Welcome to be:here We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to be:here East India. We are excited that you have selected a be:here property and we look forward to a long lasting relationship. This manual should act as a useful guide for living in a be:here managed property. You will find important information regarding the building, the local area, contact details for our staff and other useful information that you may require during your tenancy. This is only provided as a guide, your legal rights and responsibilities are set out in your tenancy agreement. Clear communication is the key to a successful landlord/tenant relationship, please feel free to contact us at any time to discuss Welcome pack any questions or problems you might have regarding your property, this manual or the development. We welcome feedback from our tenants. Your feedback provides us with an opportunity to understand what you like or dislike about our service and improve our services where appropriate. Meet the team A member of the team is available from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 8am-11.30am on weekends and bank holidays. T: 020 8709 5130 E: [email protected] landlord / on-site help & guidance Mark Wornell TBC Property Manager Assistant Property Manager < Back to Contents 1 Useful contacts Out of hours emergencies T: 0800 035 1991 Local Authority London Borough of Tower Hamlets T: 020 7364 5020 Town Hall www.towerhamlets.gov.uk 5 Clove Crescent London E14 2BG Hospital Newham University Hospital T: 020 8476 4000 Glen Road Plaistow London E13 8SL Local police station Limehouse Police Station Opening Hours: 27 West India Dock Road Monday 12noon-8pm, E14 8EZ Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 8pm Tube: Canary Wharf (Jubilee) Main phone number: DLR: Westferry 101 or 0300 123 1212 Rail: Limehouse Station Non-emergency: 101 or textphone 18001 101 Emergency: always dial 999 or textphone 18000 Utility suppliers Your utility providers are: Please remember it is Electricity: Ecotricity your responsibility to set Water: Thames Water up your utility accounts Council Tax: London Borough for all services available. of Tower Hamlets TV licensing If you have a television then you need to make sure you have a license for it. If you had a license at your old property, you can transfer it to your new one by providing TV Licensing with your TV License number and your new address. UK power networks If you experience a loss of power, you T: 0800 316 3105 should initially contact UK Power Networks to find out if it is an area-wide issue. National Grid If you smell gas or suspect a carbon T: 0800 111 999 monoxide leak, please contact www.nationalgrid.com National Grid. Freeview TV box and telephone line < Back to Contents 2 Apartment repairs Water Each apartment is provided with its own water meter, this will be located in a communal meter cupboard on the same floor as the apartment. The meter is fitted with an automatic meter reading (AMR) device which allows the water company to read the meter remotely. Each apartment is provided with two stopcocks one is located with the utility cupboard within easy reach to allow the water to the apartment to be turned off by the occupier in an emergency. In addition there is a further stop valve outside the apartment above the ceiling, which allows the building management to shut the water off to the apartment if they are carrying out works to an area of the building. Electrical distribution Electricity is potentially very dangerous. DO NOT rely on the local light switch or pull cord switch for isolation. ALWAYS SWITCH OFF the appropriate circuit breaker before changing any lamps or doing any electrical work You must not attempt any work to the consumer unit. This would first require the disconnection of power by your electricity supplier. Breaking of the seals within the meter cupboard could render you liable to a fine imposed by the electricity company and possibly lead to the disconnection of your supply. The consumer unit is located in the Utility Cupboard. Before changing any electrical items i.e. bulbs, fuses plugs please ensure the electricity is disconnected by the main switch which is coloured RED. This is the main distribution unit for all the electrical circuits in the property and operation of this switch will turn off the complete electrical services to your home. Do I need to insure the property? < Back to Contents 3 Apartment repairs cont. Heating and hot water All hot water for both space heating and hot water taps is produced by a community heating plant and fed to a heat interface unit (HIU) in your apartment. This replaces the more traditional boiler and provides your energy in a more energy efficient way. The reason for this heating system being installed is to meet the government requirements to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This has been achieved by installing large energy efficient gas fire boilers to provide the heating to all the homes on the development. The HIU is located inside your apartment’s utility cupboard and includes a central heating pump and heating and hot water control valves. A heat exchanger within the HIU transfers the heat generated by the community plant to the liquid in your home’s heating system and to the water that comes out of your hot water taps. We maintain the gas boilers. The heat you use will be recorded by a meter, which is installed within the heat interface unit. This heat meter is read directly by means of a wireless transmitter and you will be invoiced quarterly in arrears for your energy usage. You will, of course, have no bills for gas or any out-going responsibility for your own boiler. A room thermostat is located in the hallway; you can adjust the thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature. Ensure that the thermostat has a free flow of air surrounding it. The thermostat must not be covered and you shouldn’t put any heat sources, such as a lamp, near the unit. This could cause the thermostat to incorrectly detect the room temperature and switch off heating prematurely, Radiator thermostats Heating within your apartment is provided by radiators, which have been pre-balanced in accordance with your central heating system design. Each radiator is fitted with two valves, one lock shield that has been pre-set by the installer, and one wheel head or thermostatic valve that allows the radiator to be switched on or off. Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) contain a wax capsule which expands when heated and stops the flow of water to the radiator. As the wax cools, it contracts and lets the water from the boiler flow into the radiator. It is a good idea to start off by turning the thermostat to a middle setting (say 3 or 111). Then turn it up or down one notch until you find the right setting for your comfort. < Back to Contents 4 Apartment repairs cont. How to report repairs As your landlord, we will keep the main structure and the outside of your home in good repair so that it is safe and protected from wind, rain and so on. We will also carry out essential repairs that might affect the health and security of you and your family. These relate mainly to heating breakdown, faulty electrical equipment, blocked main drains, burst pipes and doors that cannot be shut or locked. Under the terms of the tenancy agreement, we will also carry out repairs to the main fittings that we have provided in your home and we will also maintain shared areas such as stairways, hallways, lifts etc.