Information for residents

Maintaining your home together

Keeping your home safe and upholding our rental standards is a shared responsibility.

Please review our frequently asked questions below to make sure you are aware of your responsibilities. It could save you avoidable maintenance charges at a later date.

For more details and guidance, always refer back to your Habodel Welcome Pack and Resident Guides.

If you do have a home maintenance issue, contact our maintenance team

Please email maintenance@habodel.co.uk including property address and accompanying photos

Your home

Access the latest Habodel home guides here.

We have put together a variety of practical guides to help you settle in and then keep your home well maintained all year round. They are full of useful hints and tips that can make all the difference to effective home maintenance.

Hover over the covers for a description and to download your guides.

Take a look at our FAQs

What are Habodel’s maintenance responsibilities?
  • Structurally integrity – ensure the foundation, roof, walls, and windows are sound and free from significant defects
  • That your home meets our Decent Home Standard
  • Repairing/replacing of roofs and fascia’s
  • Repairing/replacing of windows and external doors
  • Repairing/replacing of drainpipes and gutters
  • Annual checking of gutters
  • Ensure plumbing systems are functional addressing leaks beyond external walls, blocked external drainage, and water pressure issues
  • Maintain the central heating system, including fires, boilers, radiators, storage heaters and immersion heaters
  • Maintaining electrical systems, including wiring, circuit breakers, light fittings, light switches, and sockets
  • Repairing/replacing boundary fences and gates
  • Repairing/replacing of cracked flag stones
  • Supply smoke alarms
  • Supply carbon monoxide alarms (if gas supply is present)
  • Repairing of any leaks within your home and making good any décor caused by leaks
  • Completing required compliance certificates such as CP12s and EICRs
  • Proofing works for pests
  • Maintenance, repair or replacement of any integrated consumer/white goods on the premises

If you’re in one of our block of flats, we also:

  • Fire Safety, including testing and servicing of communal fire alarms and emergency lighting.
  • Maintaining common areas, such as hallways, lobbies, stairwells, and lifts

Important Information regarding maintenance/compliance visits

  • Any missed appointments with contractors will be charged for
  • When the contractor attends, you may also be charged if the issue(s) are deemed as the tenant’s responsibility or the tenant’s misuse
What are residents’ maintenance responsibilities?
  • Bleeding radiators
  • Repressurising boilers (where able)
  • Replacing tripped switches, fuses, and light bulbs
  • Clearing waste pipe blockages and unclogging drains within your home’s boundary
  • Repairing minor cracks and holes in walls and ceiling
  • Any television aerials and your own reception equipment
  • All internal decoration should be kept in the same colour style as the day you moved in. No decorating without our permission. For permission, email maintenance@habodel.co.uk
  • General garden maintenance if you have an allocated garden. Maintaining outbuildings e.g. sheds and greenhouses.
  • Keeping your home clean and in good order inc. routine cleaning of floors, appliances, and fixtures
  • Ventilating your home to prevent condensation and mould, no drying clothes on radiators and ensuring you’re using extractor fans
  • Heating your home to prevent condensation and mould
  • Cleaning and mould caused by condensation and redecoration of affected areas if required
  • Repair any damage caused by you, your family or visitors
  • Replacing broken or cracked glass caused by you, your family or visitors
  • Arranging for locks to be changed due to lost or damaged keys
  • Getting rid of unwanted pests, live rodents, and wasps
  • Testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly, changing batteries annually
  • Replacement of broken toilet seats
  • Ensure windows are cleaned on a regular basis inc. glass and frames
  • If permission is granted to have a pet in your home, repair any damage caused by the pet
  • To ensure all rubbish is disposed of correctly using the correct bins or local recycling centres
  • To clean and disinfect all showerheads in the premises every 6 months
  • Changing batteries in thermostats
  • Maintenance, repair or replacement of any freestanding consumer/white goods on the premises

Important Information regarding maintenance/compliance visits

  • Any missed appointments with contractors will be charged for
  • When the contractor attends, you may also be charged if the issue(s) are deemed as the tenant’s responsibility or the tenant’s misuse
What is an emergency?

Emergency faults are those that could cause an immediate danger to your safety, security or health:

  • Gas leak (in this event, Transco will reach your home within 1 hour and any repairs will be followed-up within 4 hours)
  • Complete loss of power to your home
  • Heating system breakdown over the week-end
  • Fire
  • Structural Collapse
  • Security break-ins – at the entrance to or exit from your home
  • Loss of water supply
  • Burst pipes and/or flooding
What to do in an emergency?

If you have a genuine emergency with your property at night or over the weekend, please call 01302 499 202.

Public emergency services are needed for emergencies such as fires, gas leaks, or power cuts.

Please use a common-sense approach and refer to the following page for further information.

If you have a break-in, report it to the police immediately, get a crime number, and we will secure the outside of your home. If the break-in is shown to be your fault, where keys have been left visible, or you’ve not locked up correctly, you may be charged to secure your home and repair any damage caused by the break-in.

So there are no doubts, emergencies or urgent repairs are defined as:

  • Leaks
  • Leaks that can’t be stopped or will cause further damage if allowed to continue

For complete loss of water to your home, call your local water company or visit their website

  1. Turn off the water using the stopcock
  2. Place a suitable container under the leak to stop any further damage
  3. Contact your neighbours to see if the leak is coming from next door or above
  4. Call and record the outcome of the contact with any neighbouring property

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER TO YOUR HOME

Check your payments are up to date and your meter is topped up before calling the National Grid FREE on 105

HEATING SYSTEM BREAKDOWNS at the beginning of a weekend or holiday period where there is a risk of the system freezing: Call 01302 499 202

FIRE

Contact the emergency services immediately on 999, then call 01302 499 202 and follow the fire evacuation plan for your property.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A GAS LEAK OR CAN SMELL GAS

Leave the house and phone the National Gas Emergencies number immediately on 0800 111 999 then call 01302 499 202.

STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE OR RISK OF COLLAPSE

Vacate the property, then call 01302 499 202

SECURITY BREAK-INS TO THE ENTRANCE OR EXIT OF YOUR HOME

Contact the emergency services immediately on 999, then call 01302 499 202. Please make sure you note the crime reference number.

Additional support

To renew your contract or, if you want to stay with us but you are looking to change area, downsize or upsize, please contact our team.

Email customerservices@habodel.co.uk or call 01302 244 441

For problems with your rent, such as arrears or concerns about making future payments, please get in touch. We will always aim to work with you to find a solution.

Email rental@habodel.co.uk or call 01302 499 203

Raise a concern

Resolving resident satisfaction issues is our chance to put things right and improve our service for all. Click here to raise an issue.

Email customerservices@habodel.co.uk or call 01302 244 441

See how our residents rate their Habodel experience.
  • In my time here I have had the pleasure of speaking to Andrea at Habodel who is lovely, upbeat and always willing to help. I had a problem shortly after moving in the property which was solved on the day, which was incredible!

    - Jessica

  • Having rented from traditional landlords for the past 10 years it has motivated me to write a review based on the excellent experience I’ve had renting from Habodel over the past 2 years!

    - Justin

  • All the staff we’ve dealt with at Habodel have been absolutely lovely. From viewing the house and receiving the key with Nick, to Shannan and Andrea who have been so helpful and quick to respond whenever we need anything.

    - Sheila

  • Overall, I am really satisfied. I think we can all agree moving is very stressful, but Habodel made it simple! Shannan was the lady who supported me from start to finish, she was extremely helpful and friendly, responding to my queries straight away! The referencing was easy and straight forward and the referencing team were again friendly and quick, their responses were within 30 minutes. I am very grateful and excited to move into my new home.

    - Alaina

  • I've been renting with Habodel for 18 months, a wonderful house in a great area and all renovated fresh for when we moved in. Habodel has been very helpful with any issues/repairs that we have needed. Very responsive landlords. Would recommend.

    - Benedict

  • Renting with Habodel has been an amazing experience start to finish. The apartment for the first 12 months of my tenancy has a stunning sea view. It was newly refurbished to a high standard and the staff are very friendly and helpful. I would recommend Habodel and hope to remain with them for a very long period. The rental price is very fair, and the referencing process was very quick and straight forward.

    - Juliet

  • Habodel has an amazing team. Customer service at its best.

    - Boa-Amponsem