Emergency Repairs(please note these numbers are for Belvoir Stirling only)
Belvoir Stirling is not open 24 hours a day 7 days a week so it is important that as tenants you act responsibly to avoid any issues that may be avoidable through due care and attention.
Please ensure that emergencies only are reported out of hours to mobile 07846247227. An emergency is any situation that could cause danger to yourself or others. Advice on how to deal with common issues that can occur out of hours is listed below.
Leaks and Water Ingress
If there is a leak coming into your property from above you must make the occupier of the property above aware immediately so they can arrange for a plumber to resolve the problem or switch off their water. Let us know of any damage to your property and please use a bucket to collect any water and minimise damage. If possible make a small hole in the ceiling where the water is settling to let it run through. The best thing is to let the water run because letting it build up above the ceiling will add weight which will eventually cause the ceiling to fall down. The council environmental health team can help if the occupier above is not contactable.
If you are made aware of a leak from your property let us know as soon as possible and switch off the mains water until a plumber can attend. This will ensure damage is limited and that the leak is stopped until a plumber can attend. The location of the stopcock is normally on your inventory (common places are in the hall, cupboard or by the kitchen sink.) Tenement flats may have a stop tap outside the flat front door.
Gas Leak
If you smell gas or suspect a CO (carbon monoxide) leak you must call the national supply service on 0800 111 999, they will attend immediately and investigate the problem. Please ensure you contact us as soon as possible if a fault is detected and follow their instructions.
Electrical Supply
If you lose power to the whole of your property please check in the first instance that the problem is not a supply issue. You should see whether your neighbours have the same problem and notify Scottish Power if there is a supply issue on 0845 2727 999.
If the problem is with your property only – check the fuse box in the first instance a fault or faulty appliance may have caused the circuit to trip. Put any switches to the on position that have moved to off and see if the power returns. If the trip switches return to the off position turn off every switch, light and socket in the property. Put the trip switches back to the on position. If you now start turning your lights and appliances back on one at a time the trip switch will trip when you plug in or switch on the appliance which is causing the fault. Do not use the faulty appliance. If the item belongs to the landlord inform us as that it needs replaced or repaired. If it is a light bulb that needs replaced this should be carried out by the tenants.
Roof Leaks
Please notify us as soon as possible of a roof leak, and collect water in a bucket to limit any damage. Contractors cannot access the roof while it is raining so they will need to wait until the rain stops to attend and action any repairs. Roof leaks cannot be looked at out of hours, when it`s dark or in bad weather. The priority is to collect the water to minimize damage.
Broken Windows
If a window is broken or badly damaged, a glazier will not be able to repair this out of hours. The normal course of action is for this to be boarded up or temporarily covered with wood/card/etc. Please call an emergency glazier if this is required and let us know the next working day so a full repair can be organised. You should obtain a crime reference number from the police if relevant and keep any invoices.
Frozen Pipes
Pipes which come into your property from the outside of the building can freeze during the winter, this can also happen internally if your property gets very cold. Please ensure the heating is left on a low regular setting if you are not at your property over the winter to avoid pipes freezing. Please see our winter preparation page for more information.
If a leak from your property is detected, switch off the water supply at the stop cock to prevent any further damage.
Heating
If your heating stops working altogether, first check the pressure, there is a dial on the front of your boiler to show this. Your boiler needs the pressure topped up from time to time and it should be around 1.5. There are instructions online (and videos on YouTube) for every make of boiler if you have not done this before. Please do not over pressurize the boiler because this can burst the expansion vessel.
If your radiators are heating only partially and feel cold in areas they may be holding pockets of air and can be ‘bled’ to resolve the problem. This just involves letting a little air out using a radiator key. (These can be purchased at DIY shops or call us and we will send you one for free.) Turn your boiler off, turn the key in the radiator and allow the air out before closing and resetting the boiler. You may need to top up the pressure to let more water into the system again. Only carry this out when the radiators are cold.
It always worth resetting (or switching your boiler off and on again) if there is a problem. We do not consider loss of heating to be an emergency in itself. If you contact a plumber out of hours due to boiler breakdown you will be liable for any out of hours charges that apply.
Smoke Alarms
If a smoke alarm is beeping intermittently then you need to change the battery, mains wired alarms also have batteries. You may need a flat screwdriver to open the casing, if there are not instructions on the unit, you can find the manufacturer’s guide online.
Lost Keys
If our office is closed, we cannot provide spare keys out of hours. Spare keys can be collected during working hours. If you lock yourself out please contact a locksmith to let you back in, if the locks require changing you will be responsible for the cost of this and for providing two copies of any new keys.
If you are unable to contact and need to make alternative arrangements for an emergency repair, please hold onto any receipts or invoices and contact us the next working day.
