Happy Holiday Festivities from all of the Pickard Team to all our tenants.

If you are leaving your home for Christmas to spend it elsewhere, before you dash off, follow this Festive holiday advice to ensure your home is safe and sound.

Heating

If you are planning on leaving the property empty for a while whilst you visit family or friends, it is advised to leave your heating set to your usual settings or on low and constant. This is to protect your property from the elements and minimize potential faults such as mould, damp, and freezing pipes.

If you are unsure how to set your heating, please email us to request a copy of the thermostat manual. For our student tenants, your thermostat guide should be on your tenant app.

Keys, Locks & Alarms

Before you leave the property, complete a walkthrough to check that all windows and doors are secured.

Make sure you have your keys to hand when you leave, you don’t want to be first back to the house with no way to get in!

Our Out-of-hours team will be working as normal if you do find yourself self-locked out. Please note that lock-out callouts will be chargeable at the normal rate and do expect longer wait times. 

We suggest that the last person to leave the house puts the burglar alarm on, you will have received the alarm code prior to the commencement of your tenancy. If you are one of our student tenants, you will have recently been sent the code as a reminder.

Security

In addition to making sure all doors and windows are locked, and the burglar alarm is set, we suggest purchasing a socket timer. This can time on and off a lamp, radio, or tv to give the illusion that the house is occupied.

Drains and Water

Make sure all taps and showers are switched off completely. If you notice any small drips or leakages, please report these as normal. Please clear all external and internal drains of any debris or refuse.

Reporting Maintenance 

Please report all maintenance as normal, through the maintenance portal linked on our website. All requests will be dealt with by our team upon our return to work. Please see the bottom of this page for our response timescales.

Most emergencies can be dealt with through our out-of-hours call handlers. However, if you suspect a gas leak or smell gas, please call the National Gas Emergency Line on 0800 111 999.

Bins and Refuse

Ensure that all internal bins have been emptied into the refuse wheelie bins. Don’t forget to throw out anything that won’t make it until your return.

This is a perfect time to carry out a winter clean of the house, it’s always nice to come home to a clean house when you’ve been away.

Dates for refuse collection over the Christmas period can change from your normal collection day. We suggest checking your local Council website for any amendments. Relevant links can be found below.

Leeds City Council

Calderdale Council

If you have placed your bin out for collection, don’t forget to bring it back in before going away.

Priority One – Emergency Repairs

Any repairs required in order to avoid danger to health, the risk to the safety of residents, or serious damage to buildings or residents’ belongings. Within 24 hours of the defect being reported. Please also report these by calling our office on 0113 2746642.

Priority Two – Urgent Repairs

Repairs or defects which materially affect the comfort or convenience of the residents. Within 5 working days of the report of the defect.

Priority Three – Non-urgent, day-to-day repairs

Reactive repairs not falling within the above categories. Within 28 days of the report of the defect.

You can report maintenance here too.

Our office will be closed from Thursday 22nd December and reopens on Tuesday 3rd January 2023!

Opening Times

Our office will be closed from Thursday 22nd December and reopens on Tuesday 3rd January.