Out of Hours Emergency Procedure

For Tenants

If you are experiencing a problem outside of our normal office hours, please read this guide carefully before requesting emergency assistance.

Calling out contractors outside normal working hours is significantly more expensive than during normal business hours and should only be done in the event of a genuine emergency.

If a contractor is called unnecessarily, or the issue is found to have resulted from tenant misuse, neglect, or damage, the tenant may be responsible for the contractor’s costs.

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Emergency Contact Numbers

Property Emergency Line

📞 07584 504681

Gas Emergency Service (24 Hours)

📞 0800 111 999

 

Electricity Network Emergencies / Power Cuts (24 Hours)

📞 105 or your local electricity network operator

Emergency Services

📞 999

What Is Considered a Genuine Emergency?

  • There is an immediate risk to life or personal safety.
  • Significant damage is actively occurring to the property.
  • The security or structural integrity of the property has been compromised.
  • The issue cannot reasonably wait until the next working day.

Gas Leaks or Suspected Carbon Monoxide

  • Smell of gas.
  • Suspected gas leak.
  • Carbon monoxide alarm activation.
  • Suspected carbon monoxide exposure.

Major Water Leaks or Flooding

  • Burst pipes causing uncontrolled water escape.
  • Severe leaks causing damage to ceilings, walls, floors, or electrical systems.
  • Significant flooding due to weather events.
  • Water ingress requiring pumping out or immediate intervention.

Fire or Fire Damage

  • Damage resulting from fire.
  • Emergency repairs following attendance by the Fire Service.
  • Making the property safe after a fire.

Structural Damage

  • Storm damage affecting the safety of the building.
  • Roof sections becoming detached.
  • Falling roof tiles.
  • Broken windows creating a safety risk.
  • Any damage that leaves the property insecure or structurally unstable.

Security Emergencies

  • Property left unsecured following burglary, vandalism, accident, or storm damage.

Serious Electrical Hazards

  • Burning smells from electrical installations.
  • Sparking electrical equipment.
  • Electrical faults presenting a fire risk.
  • Exposed live wiring.

Sewage Emergencies

  • Sewage backing up into the property.
  • Overflowing drains causing internal contamination.

Issues That Are Usually NOT Emergencies

  • Loss of hot water.
  • Boiler breakdown.
  • Loss of heating (unless vulnerable occupants are affected or there is a risk to health during severe weather conditions).
  • Minor plumbing leaks that can be safely contained.
  • Dripping taps.
  • Appliance breakdowns.
  • Localised electrical faults where power remains available elsewhere in the property.
  • Minor roofing defects not causing active water ingress.
  • General maintenance issues.
  •  

Each situation will be assessed individually.

For example:

  • Complete loss of power to the entire property may require urgent attention depending on the circumstances.
  • Loss of heating during severe weather may become an emergency where vulnerable occupants are involved.
  • A blocked toilet may be considered an emergency if it is the only toilet in the property or sewage is overflowing internally.

Before Calling The Emergency Line

Please ask yourself the following questions:

  • If yes:

    • Contact the Emergency Services on 999 immediately.

If yes:

  • Take steps to make the situation safe.
  • Contact our Emergency Line.

If yes:

  • Make the situation safe.
  • Report the issue when our office reopens.

What to do when an emergency occurs

If a leak occurs:

Small or Contained Leak

  • Place a bucket or container under the leak.
  • Protect belongings from damage.
  • Report the matter during office hours.

Significant Leak

If safe to do so:

    • Turn off the water supply using the stop tap.
    • Move belongings away from affected areas.
    • Turn off electricity if water is near electrical installations.
    • Contact the Emergency Line if major damage is occurring.

If power has tripped:

  1. Switch off appliances that were recently connected.
  2. Attempt to reset the tripped breaker or RCD once.
  3. If the system trips again, leave the affected circuit switched off.
  4. Do not repeatedly reset the system.
  5. Report the fault to us.

If there are:

  • Burning smells
  • Sparks
  • Smoke
  • Signs of overheating

Contact our Emergency Line immediately.

If you smell gas, suspect a gas leak, or believe carbon monoxide may be present:

Call the Gas Emergency Service Immediately

📞 0800 111 999

Then:

  1. Open doors and windows.
  2. Do not operate electrical switches.
  3. Extinguish all naked flames.
  4. Do not smoke.
  5. Leave the property if necessary.
  6. If anyone experiences headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, or other symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, seek medical attention immediately.

Responsibility to Minimise Damage

Tenants are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent damage from becoming worse.

Examples include:

  • Turning off water supplies where possible.
  • Taking sensible measures to contain leaks.
  • Protecting personal belongings.
  • Ventilating the property following a leak.
  • Following safety instructions from utility providers and emergency services.

Please remain calm and consider what action would be reasonable if you owned the property yourself.

Appointment of Contractors

Tenants should not normally instruct contractors directly without prior authorisation.

The only exception is where:

  • Immediate action is required to prevent injury, or
  • Immediate action is required to prevent substantial damage to the property, and
  • Contact with the managing agent is not possible.

Where a tenant instructs a contractor without authorisation, reimbursement of costs cannot be guaranteed.

Vulnerable Occupants

We recognise that some situations may affect vulnerable occupants more severely.

This may include:

  • Elderly residents.
  • Young children.
  • Pregnant occupants.
  • Disabled occupants.
  • Residents with medical conditions requiring heating or electricity.

Please make this known when reporting an emergency so that the appropriate response can be considered.

Response Times

Emergency reports will be prioritised according to severity.
Please note:

  • Reporting an issue does not guarantee immediate contractor attendance.
  • Response times will depend on the urgency of the situation, contractor availability, weather conditions, and public holidays.

Charges for Unnecessary Call-Outs

Tenants may be charged for out-of-hours contractor attendance where:

  • The issue is not deemed an emergency.
  • The attendance results from tenant misuse, damage, or negligence.
  • The contractor finds no fault.
  • The tenant requests attendance unnecessarily.

Tenant Find and Rent Collection Properties

If your landlord has instructed us on a Tenant Find Only or Rent Collection Only basis, maintenance and repairs remain the responsibility of your landlord.

Please contact your landlord directly to arrange repairs and maintenance.

Reporting Non-Emergency Repairs

Once the situation is safe and under control, please contact us as soon as possible during office hours.

📞 0151 724 6699

You may also leave a message and a member of our team will respond when the office reopens.

Remember: Emergencies are situations involving immediate danger, significant property damage, or serious security concerns. Most maintenance issues can safely wait until normal office hours and reporting them appropriately helps keep emergency resources available for those who genuinely need them.