Maintenance, Rent, Shared Ownership and Service Changes
Please note that when our offices are closed (Mon-Fri 5pm-9am and public holidays), we provide an EMERGENCY repairs service only on 0800 046 9985. This means over the festive period (from 12.30pm on 24th December until 9am on 4th January) we will only respond to emergencies that include incidences of fire, flood, water ingress or emergency repairs to heating and hot water systems.
Utilities firms should be contacted when mains supplies of electricity, gas or water are affected.
Coronavirus Update
Following Government guideliness, it's 'business as usual' for our repairs and maintenance services. However, for any changes due to Covid-19, please check our website and read our Coronavius FAQs.
REPAIR LINES:
If you would like to report a repair during office hours (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm), please call the number below:
0800 121 4422
If you would like to report an EMERGENCY repair outside of office hours, please call the number below:
0800 046 9985
RESIDENT PORTAL:
It is quick and easy to sign up. You just need a few details to hand. You can register using the following link and it will ease pressure on essential services during this time:
REGISTER HERE
As winter approaches, we can all take precautions to ensure that we keep our properties as winter-proofed and safe as we can.
Frozen pipes can cause problems in the winter so make sure you cut off any exterior water pipes by switching off the valves, emptying them of water beforehand. It is also a good idea to wrap any water pipes that run along exterior walls with heating tape in order to prevent them from freezing. As an additional tip, if you are leaving your home for an extended period during the winter months, set your heating to come on for a short time every day. This will help to ensure that the pipes are kept warm and no water is left to sit and freeze.
Condensation - Reduce the risk of condensation over the winter period by:
Smoke Alarms - Make checking your smoke alarm part of your regular household routine, especially at Christmas with festive lights:
We recognise that some residents may have experienced a below-par grounds maintenance service in the past.
In response to this, we put in place a robust grounds maintenance review and we are pleased to announce that the procurement of new contractors providing gardening and landscaping to sites across English Rural's stock concluded in July 2020.
The successful contractors are Just Ask and Countrywide. Both contractors, having now settled through the initial mobilisation and summer growing period, are providing good feedback on standards and requirements for the future.
A proactive and planned approach has been taken to make improvements over several visits and, if necessary, into the slower winter growing period.
A testimonial from a satisfied English Rural resident:
"When Tim arrived from Just Ask, I walked him around and we chatted about the areas involved. He’s a lovely guy - very willing to get things up to a good level here and he’s definitely not the sort who needs stuff spelling out to him. He was very aware of what needed doing and he was confident Just Ask would get it done. He’s currently doing a great job of edging and tidying all the communal areas and cleaning up after himself. He says he’s then going to cut all the grass - fantastic! Sam is now aware of this particular patch and assured me it will indeed be cut in future. I’m confident, after speaking with Tim, that we will now start to make good progress."
GAS SAFETY CHECKS
We have a legal obligation to carry out annual gas and electrical safety checks in your home.
If you have been contacted to make an appointment for one of these checks and have not replied because you are worried about coronavirus please do respond. These checks are vital for everyone’s safety. Our contractors follow strict Covid-secure guidance and it is very important that being concerned by one possible danger does not increase another.
Last year, following four years of 1% rent reductions, the Government confirmed rents would return to an annual review in line with CPI.
You will receive details of your new rent in February 2021, which will include your new rent along with information on any changes to your service charge.
Most rents are expected to increase by the September 2020 CPI of 0.5% plus 1% ie 1.5% in total.
Shared owners will also be notified of amendments to monthly charges in February 2021, with any rent payable being reviewed in line with provisions in your lease. Any changes to service charges and building insurance contributions will also be included within this review.
In these uncertain times, we are aware that some residents are reviewing their finances, looking to make savings and change suppliers for the best deal. This also applies to mortgages.
If you are looking to re-mortgage, please remember you must get permission from English Rural before accepting a new mortgage against the share value of your property. It is important that you make any lender aware that it is a leasehold property and is a restricted 80% staircasing lease with local connection criteria attached. This is to ensure that the property remains affordable for local people in perpetuity. Your lender will need to know that the lease contains a mortgagee protection clause to safeguard your lender’s interest.
We will be happy to provide details of mortgage providers who lend on this model of restricted staircasing lease and information needed to be included in a mortgage offer.
To stay within the terms of your lease, please remember - written approval of mortgages must be obtained from English Rural before proceeding; this can be done by calling us on 0207 820 7930 or emailing info@englishrural.org.uk
Please note that any other borrowing secured against your property is not permitted under the terms of your lease.
