Repairs and maintenance FAQs
Explore our range of frequently asked questions about repairs.
General repairs FAQs
Yes, but it depends on what you are repairing. Check our responsibility for repairs guide to find out what you can fix, and if you’re planning significant repairs or works, make sure you get our permission first. If we’re responsible for a repair, it’s best to request a repair so we can fix it.
If you lose or break your key or key fob, please contact us.
If the key fob you’ve lost is for the communal door of your building, we may have to issue new key fobs to all the other residents. This can be a lengthy process and you may need to pay for this.
To request a repair on behalf of a family member or neighbour who is a Clarion resident, please phone our customer services team on 0300 500 8000.
During electrical testing checks, we test your electrical fixtures and wiring. This is to ensure they are safe and working properly. As your landlord, we have a duty to carry out these safety checks. Any problems left unchecked could cause electric shocks, power outages or fires. Electrical testing is usually carried out when you move in, then every 5 years after that.
Fire risk assessment FAQs
How regularly an FRA is done depends on the type of building and the level of risk associated with it .
An FRA is done at least once a year for supported housing; sheltered housing; converted street properties; and blocks of six storeys and higher. All other buildings get an FRA at least every three years. We also complete a new FRA whenever major work is done on a building.
For new buildings, we do internal safety checks before people move in. The first FRA takes place after residents have moved in. This allows the fire risk assessor to take into account how the building is being used and lived in.
A fire risk assessment (FRA) is done on any building where we manage the internal shared communal areas.
Two external firms carry out the assessments. From this, our internal team will review their findings and action anything that is needed. This work will be monitored until it’s completed.
Yes – unless the fire brigade, fire risk assessor or our fire safety team tell you otherwise.
All urgent actions are completed as soon as possible. Other actions are completed based on priorities. Sometimes, these may be combined with other work taking place in a building to minimise disruption.
If you think actions haven’t been completed, please phone our customer services team on 0300 500 8000 or by contacting our fire inspection team online.
Fire equipment may include emergency lighting, automatic opening vents and fire alarms. We check all equipment regularly to make sure it’s working.
- Emergency lighting – every three months.
- Fire alarms – every three months.
- Automatic opening vents – every six months.
- Fire-fighting equipment – every year.
Fire safety FAQs
Here’s how often we check the fire equipment to make sure it’s working:
- Emergency lighting – every three months.
- Fire alarms – every three months.
- Automatic opening vents – every six months.
- Firefighting equipment – every year.
Residential tower blocks with one main staircase and no fire escape are designed in this way. This is so if a fire breaks out in a flat, it will be contained by fire doors and not spread. It also protects the communal staircase from fire, leaving it as a safe escape route.
The Fire Brigade and other authorities recommend that fire alarms should not be fitted in the communal areas of blocks. Instead, there is a ‘stay put policy’. This is where it is safer for you to stay in your own flat.
It also means it may be confusing, and even dangerous, for residents to hear a communal alarm when they have been advised to stay in their flat in the event of a fire.
The Fire Brigade advise that it is not practical to have fire drills in residential blocks. Instead, you should make sure you’re up to date on fire safety advice and that you and your family know what to do in the event of a fire. This includes practising your evacuation plan.
You’re not allowed to set off fireworks or light bonfires in the communal areas of any Clarion property.
Firework safety
If you plan to set off fireworks on your own property, only use fireworks bought from reputable suppliers that display a CE mark and the safety code BS 7114. Keep fireworks in a closed box, well away from open flames or cigarettes. Never keep them in your pocket.
When you light your fireworks point them away from people and follow the instructions on the packaging. Light them at arm’s length using a taper, then stand well back. If you’ve lit a firework, it could still explode, even if it looks like it hasn’t gone off, so keep away from it.
Wear gloves when using sparklers and keep a bucket of water nearby to dispose of used sparklers. Only light one sparkler at a time. Never give a sparkler to a child under five.
Bonfire safety
If you plan to have a bonfire on your own property, position it well away from buildings, sheds, fences, trees, or any telephone wiring or cables.
Never use paraffin or petrol to start a fire – this is very dangerous.
Only burn dry materials on a bonfire. Things that are wet, like damp wood or grass, can cause excessive smoke. Don’t burn aerosols, tyres, canisters, or anything containing foam or paint on a bonfire – these give off toxic fumes and can explode.
Make sure you keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case the bonfire gets out of control. Wet the embers afterwards to stop the fire from starting up again.
Keep children and pets away from fires.
Fire strategies such as ‘Simultaneous Evacuation’ and ‘Stay Put’ are introduced on a building during construction, by qualified fire engineers. If certain work needs to be done, like an upgrade or improvement, these strategies can be changed to something temporary. If a change is to happen, all residents would be contacted in advance and new signage would be put up. The Fire Authority would also informed and building documents updated.
How do I know what my fire strategy is?
All buildings must display a Fire Action Notice (FAN). These are located by all final exits and will tell occupants and visitors what to do in the event of a fire.
Why is Stay Put considered safe?
1) The vast majority (93%) of Purpose-Built Blocks of Flats have the ‘Stay Put’ policy in place because of their design and fire protection measures. Flats are compartmented, which means they are isolated or self-contained. The only gap is the way in through your front entrance fire door so once closed, the door seals the compartment. Outer walls and windows do not need to be fire rated as they are facing the open air.
Communal walkways are the protected route out of a building and are known as the ‘means of escape’. These areas must always be kept clear and clean to safely exit and provide access for emergency services, if needed.
2) If the building has ‘Stay Put’ (safe) policy, then residents should remain in their flats for their own safety. If there is a fire in a resident’s flat, they will be asked to leave by the fire service. Leaving unnecessarily could be fatal and result in breathing in poisonous gases (such as hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide). This is another reason why detection devices, like smoke alarms, are not installed in the communal walkways to prevent leaving unnecessarily.
My flat is in a converted street property. Why is my strategy different?
Converted Street Properties (CSP) carry a ‘Simultaneous Evacuation’ strategy. If the flats have been occupied before the landlord took ownership, we cannot confirm if the flats had been properly fire-compartmented by the original builder. This means you should leave when your alarm system is activated.
All doors that lead onto the communal area are Fire Doors. However, there are some exceptions where they are not required.
Flat entrance doors and communal corridor doors must be fire-rated and have self-closing devices fitted. It is illegal to wedge or tamper with any Fire Door.
Planned improvement FAQ's
Some works are essential for your safety, so you’re required to allow our contractors to carry out this work. Exceptions will be made only in the most mitigating circumstances.
However, you may choose to refuse other types of improvement work like a replacement kitchen or bathroom. If you decide not to allow us to do this work, we’ll ask you to confirm this on a refusal of works form.
Please note that if you change your mind at a later date and decide you do want the work done, it may not be possible for us to schedule it into the same year’s programme.
No, not necessarily. As works vary from property to property according to age and condition, you may not be offered the same work as a neighbour.
If something in your home needs fixing, please request a repair.
Yes, you’ll be given a choice of design and colours for some elements such as kitchens, bathrooms, doors and sometimes communal or external areas. Your resident liaison officer will let you know what you’re able to choose.
We can certainly look into using your materials, such as tiles or taps, but the decision will ultimately be up to our surveyor and contractor.
Be sure to talk to them about this before any work starts, and remember you’ll be responsible for their maintenance afterwards.
A stock condition survey or property assessment is when a surveyor checks the condition of your home. It usually takes 10-15 minutes and we try to carry them out around a year ahead of any planned work in the area.
The surveyor collects information and identifies what work may need doing in the future. However, if any work is needed they won’t be able to tell you there and then.
If we ask you for access to do a survey it’s important you let us in. If we can’t get access, we may not be able to schedule improvements to your home.