Question 1

Am I allowed pets in my home?

Anton Vtiurin · Accepted Answer

You need to ask permission to keep a pet.

Such permission will not be unreasonably given, but we will take into account the type of pet and where you live.

To request permission to keep a pet please complete a Pet Permission Form or request one from your Neighbourhood Manager.

If permission is granted:
You should only keep animals that are suitable as domestic pets and must look after pets properly. We can revoke permission if you do not look after your pet/s properly and if they are causing a nuisance to neighbours.

Pet(s) we consider reasonable are:

Domestic cats and dogs.
Small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs.
Small caged animals such as budgies and canaries.
Fish (not including large aquariums).
Non-poisonous insects and spiders (if appropriately tanked).
Non-poisonous snakes and reptiles under two feet in length when fully grown (if appropriately tanked).

Permission will always be granted for assistance dogs, such as guide dogs or hearing dogs.

The number of pets residents can keep in their properties will depend on several factors.

When you send us a Pet Permission Form we will aim to get back to you within 10 working days.

GCH customers in Engalnd who own an XL Bully dog need to hold a Certificate of Exemption to legally keep the dog and must provide GCH with a copy of this.

Keeping an XL Bully dog
You can only keep your XL Bully dog if you hold a certificate of exemption. If you want to keep your XL Bully dog after the ban, you must hold a Certificate of Exemption. To get a Certificate of Exemption you must:

Get third party public liability insurance cover for your dog.

Neuter your dog permanently if it is not already neutered. Read Neutering an XL Bully for when you must have your dog neutered. A vet must confirm if your dog is already neutered.

Pay the fee for each dog you want to keep. The fee is not refundable.

Apply for a Certificate of Exemption to keep an XL Bully dog.

You will find more details about how to apply for this certificate on the government website here. It is a criminal offence and breach of your tenancy agreement if you do not hold a Certification of Exemption.

From 31 December 2023 in England it is also against the law to:
·        sell an XL Bully dog.
·        abandon an XL Bully dog or let it stray.
·        give away an XL Bully dog.
·        breed from an XL Bully dog.
·        have an XL Bully in public without a lead and muzzle.

Question 2

What are the response times for repairs?

Anton Vtiurin · Accepted Answer

We have four types of repairs: Emergency, Urgent, Routine and Major Works.

Emergency

Your emergency will be attended within 24 hours.

We will prioritise calls based on the nature of the emergency and the vulnerability of the customers living in the household.

Example: an emergency is any defect that puts the health, safety or security of customers or anyone else at immediate risk. Emergencies also include defects that can affect the structure of the building.

Urgent

Urgent repairs will be completed within 5 working days.

Example: urgent repairs are problems that won’t put customers at risk or damage the property, for example a slow-running blocked sink. We will always do our best to see to your repair sooner rather than later.

Routine and non-emergency repairs

Non-emergency or routine repairs are normally completed within 28 working days.

We'll always do our best to see to your repair sooner rather than later. There may be times, such as periods of high demand or severe weather, when it isn’t possible to complete repairs within these timescales.

If a repair is:

causing damage to your home
getting worse over time
creating discomfort for you or anyone you live with

please contact us so we can reassess the priority of the work.

We also understand that some customers may have health conditions, disabilities, or other vulnerabilities that make certain repairs feel more urgent. If this applies to you please let us know. We're here to support you and will take your personal circumstances into account when prioritising your repair.

Example: repairing or replacing a broken kitchen drawer would usually be carried out under the ‘routine’ category.

Major Works

Major works will be completed within 56 working days.

Example: for works that will take longer than two working days, we need more time to get all the labour, equipment and materials together.

We will give you a job number, appointment details, and the name of who will attend to carry out the repair, for example PropertyCare or an external contractor.

We will keep customers updated on the progress of their repairs including any changes to an agreed appointment.

Customers are offered an appointment “slot”. These are defined as:

- Morning 8am – 12 noon

- Afternoon 12 noon – 5pm

- Avoid school-run 10am – 2pm

We will aim to complete a first time fix wherever possible.

Inspections: If we need to inspect before repair work can be completed, then we will make an appointment with you when you report the repair to us.

Report a repair

Question 3

What fire detection methods are there in my home?

Anton Vtiurin · Accepted Answer

Smoke and heat alarms

Fire detection is the best way to protect yourself from fire. Smoke and heat alarms give you an early warning of a fire in your home.

We provide smoke detectors in all our homes. Your home should have a smoke alarm fitted on every floor and where a room is used for living puposes ie Lounge as well as a heat alarm in the kitchen (heat alarms operate at higher temperatures to allow for cooking heat). If you have not got these fire detection precautions in place, notify us straight away.

We are converting all of our customer’s smoke and heat alarms from being powered by batteries to hard wired alarms which are powered by your mains electricity. They have a battery as a backup in case your power fails.

Do:

Dust your smoke/heat alarm regularly
Check your smoke/heat alarm monthly to make sure it is working by pressing the test button
Replace the battery if the alarm bleeps for any reason other than smoke or fire in your home
Contact us if you have any problems with your smoke alarm

Do not:

Remove a working battery from your smoke/heat alarm
Paint over or remove the smoke alarm

If you decide to put up extra smoke alarms:

Do:

Check with us first to ensure your ceiling does not contain asbestos
Position them on the ceiling in the middle of the room

Do not:

Put smoke alarms in or near kitchens or bathrooms because everyday steam and smoke can set them off by accident. Your Scheme Officer will also test the fire alarm systems in your scheme’s communal areas weekly

If you live in one of our sheltered or semi-sheltered homes there is an annual programme of testing the smoke detector in your property. If a battery needs replacing GCH will be responsible for arranging this.

Your smoke detector connects to the monitoring centre. Please answer their call if they contact you, to confirm what has happened. If there is no answer this will be treated as an emergency and the Fire Service will be called.

Fire safety checks in Sheltered Housing:

Emergency lighting – monthly
Fire Equipment e.g. extinguishers, blankets and fire hoses – annually
Risk assessments – every 12 - 18 months
Fire Alarm/Panel – 6-monthly
Fire Door Inspection - quarterly (every 3 months)
All schemes also have a fire alarm test to a different call point within the building every week

Fire safety checks in General blocks:

Emergency lighting – monthly
Fire Equipment e.g. extinguishers, blankets and fire hoses – annually
Risk Assessments – 3 yearly however annually where the risk of a fire is higher
Fire Alarm/Panel – 6-monthly
Call Point Checks – Weekly
Fire Door Inspection - quarterly (every 3 months)

We will take any action needed to ensure these systems are working properly and that the fire detection method complies with the latest standards.

What should I do if there is a fire in my home?

How do I prevent fire in my home?

How do I reduce fire risk in a block?

Question 4

What should I recycle?

Anton Vtiurin · Accepted Answer

The Council encourages residents to reduce, reuse and recycle as much household rubbish as possible.

Recycling rubbish conserves resources, saves energy and helps protect the environment by reducing the amount of rubbish in landfill sites.

The Council provides waste, recycling and food waste bins and decides on the number and size of bins provided. You may need to pay for extra or replacement bins.

If you live in a block of flats, you can recycle your rubbish using the Council provided communal facilities. If you misuse the recycling bins and put the wrong things in them, they become contaminated. This could lead to an increase in your service charge.

For more information, contact the Council’s Recycling Team on 01452 396396 or email enviro@gloucester.gov.uk

Question 5

Do I need a TV licence?

Anton Vtiurin · Accepted Answer

Yes, you will need to buy your own TV licence unless are aged over 75.

Customers over the age of 75 qualify for a free TV licence, if you live in an Independent Living Scheme please contact your Independent Living Officer for information.

Existing Sheltered Housing customers who are on the Concessionary TV Licence will be invoiced £7.50 by GCH each year.

Question 6

How should I check electrical safety?

Anton Vtiurin · Accepted Answer

Electrical Safety in your home is important to us. We want you to be safe and secure in your home.

You can help to keep your family safe by knowing what to check for on electrical items in your home. If something isn’t quite right or you are unsure, remember to contact us and we will be able to advise if repairs are needed.

Simple safety checks

Familiarise yourself with where the fuse board is and the main switch installed on the board, this ensures you know where it is and how to turn it off if there is an emergency.
If you have an RCD trip switch in your home, make sure you know how to reset it. We advise that you should test this every 6 months by pressing the button labelled T or Test, the device should switch off the supply and should then be switched on to restore the supply. If the device does not switch off the supply when the button is pressed, please call the GCH repairs team All instructions for the above can be found on the cover of the fuse board.
In the event of loss of power check appliances before you use them again if it has caused the trip switch to cut out. The appliance causing the problem is generally the last one you turned on. If in doubt, turn on the appliances you have been using one by one until you find out which one has caused the switch to trip.
If your electricity fails and you have a token meter – always check you have a supply of tokens in the meter.

Plugs and sockets

Look out for:

Hot plugs or sockets, scorch marks, fuses that often blow, or flickering lights. These are all signs of loose wiring or other electrical problems.
Badly-wired plugs – any coloured wires sticking out could come loose and debris could also get into the plug, they could also cause an electric shock.
Overloaded sockets – plugging too many electrical appliances into one socket can lead to overheating and a fire.
Damaged accessories - If you have a damaged socket, switch or light fittings then call the repairs team, don’t wait for a 5-year inspection as an accident could happen during that period that could have been avoided.

Cables and leads

Check for these problems:

Fraying and damage – make sure the outer covering of all power leads is in good condition and replace if necessary.
Bad positioning – make sure leads cannot be tripped over and that they are not near water, cookers or other sources of heat.
Do not run leads under rugs or carpets – they may wear out without anyone noticing.

Appliances

General rules:

Do not get them wet. For example, do not put a vase of flowers on top of the TV in case you knock it over.
Do not leave them on at night – unless they are designed to be left on, like freezers.
Do not put anything in the microwave that is made of metal, or has a metallic finish or parts.

Servicing

Arrange a yearly service by a qualified appliance service engineer, for appliances that run at high speeds and contain motors, like washing machines.

Plugs, sockets and cables

To use plugs, sockets and cables safely, always:

Change a plug correctly and make sure you cannot see any coloured wires between the plug and the power lead.
Make sure the wires are held firmly in place inside the plug.
Use sockets safely – it is better to use an extension lead than a single multi-plug adaptor.
Only use 1 adaptor per socket – do not plug 1 adaptor into another and try to keep to 1 plug per socket.
Only use CE-accredited phone chargers – always try and use the original charger as imitation chargers without the CE accreditations is a fire risk.

If you are fitting or changing a fuse, make sure you use the right fuse for the appliance. Check the manual or look for a sticker on the appliance to find out its wattage and then use the correct fuse for appliances:

Fuses

Up to 700 watts, use a 3 amp fuse.
Between 700 and 1,000 watts, use a 5 amp fuse.
For more than 1,000 watts, use a 13 amp fuse.
Extension leads and adaptors have a limit on how many amps they can take, so be careful not to overload them, to reduce the risk of a fire.

For more information, please contact us or visit the Electrical Safety Council’s website at electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk

Installing Electrical Additions and Alterations

No electrical work can be carried out on a GCH property until it has been approved by us. If you plan to carry out any electrical installation works, such as installing new sockets, switches and wiring to outbuildings, this must be approved by us first as these works must be carried out and certified by an approved electrical contractor. Failure to do so will result in the removal of the alterations which will be charged back to you. Find more information here about the building regulations and Document P.

Any light fittings or fixtures must be installed by a competent electrician.

Please contact us if you need any information about electrical upgrades in your home, we want you to live happily but more importantly safely.

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Am I allowed pets in my home?

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What should I recycle?

Do I need a TV licence?

How should I check electrical safety?

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