Toggle menu

Notice

The parent portal is currently unavailable. We are working with our service provider to resolve the issue.

Housing Newsletter - December 2022

Better Homes

Protect your property from mould and condensation

Damp and condensation in a property can lead to mould forming on surfaces and damaging walls, ceilings and furniture. The most common cause of damp is from condensation forming due to a lack of ventilation but it can also be caused by water getting into the property. A regular look at your roof can check for any visible damage like missing tiles and if your guttering is blocked or overflowing, the Responsive Repairs team can arrange for it to be cleared before any problems escalate.

To help beat condensation, make sure that any extractor fans are switched on and trickle vents on windows are always open. Extractor fans are very energy efficient, costing less than £2 a year to run and are designed to be left running nonstop to ventilate the space. Your window trickle vents allow warm, moist air to leave the property and be replaced with cool, dry air. Keep them open and make sure to clean them regularly.

As soon as mould or damp appears at your property, you should contact Wiltshire Council Housing Repairs. Wiltshire Council Housing has advice on preventing and treating mould and damp in the property available on our website Council tenants - Maintenance and repairs.

When you find mould or damp in your property, or if your extractor fans and window vents are not working or broken, log a repair on the iHousing Portal https://ihousing.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (opens new window) or contact the Responsive Repairs team by phone on 0300 456 0117 - option 2. A repairs' officer will make an appointment to attend and investigate the source of the problem and arrange for an appropriate solution.

Keep communal doors closed for your safety and security

We have had a number of incidents where communal doors in our blocks of flats are being wedged open.

This puts a great deal of strain on the door hinges and mechanisms and will cause long term damage to the door, the magnetic locks and the control mechanisms. While open, the doors are also more prone to damage by the rain and bad weather.

These doors are part of your building's safety. In the event of a fire, wedging them open could help a fire to spread to other parts of the property, increasing the risk to yourself and your neighbours. This also puts your block at greater risk of a security breach as anyone will be able to access the stairwells, hallways and other areas inside.

Please remember that no communal doors should ever be wedged open or have the automatic closers or locks disabled. Damage done could also result in a recharge to residents involved for the cost of the repairs.

If you have any questions or if someone at your block is regularly leaving the doors wedged open, please do not hesitate to contact your Neighbourhood Officer via the iHousing Portal, by email to HSGMail@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) or by phone on 0300 456 0117 - option 4.

Share this page

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by email