If left blocked, damage to the property could be caused. In most tenancy agreements it’s the tenant’s responsibility to keep gullies, gutters, downpipes, drains, vents, and soakaways free from blockages, check your tenancy agreement to know your role.

Before you go on any trips, follow the manufacturer instructions to set the heating thermostat to suit the predicted weather conditions. 

You should also do this during cold periods.

By taking this action, you’ll help prevent pipes from freezing and/or cracking.

The condensate pipe leads wastewater away from the boiler and down a drain. Most are fitted internally but, in some cases, they must be fitted outside, which opens the risk of the pipe freezing in cold weather. If this happens, the boiler will lockout to stop wastewater from building up and flooding and your boiler will display an error code.

To unfreeze the pipe: find the blocked part of the pipe, most blockages happen if there’s bend or dip in the pipe. Once you've located the blockage, hold a hot water bottle, microwaveable heating pack or warm cloth around the frozen part of the pipe. Pour warm water over the frozen part using a watering can – don't use boiling/ hot water as it could cause the plastic pipe to melt. Watch out for any water on the floor as it can quickly freeze.

After unfreezing the pipe, you might need to reset the boiler to get it going again. Some boilers will do this automatically so it's best to look in your boiler's manual for next steps.

(if your radiator feels partly cold and partly hot)

Regularly freeing blocked air from radiators (bleeding) stops air locks from building up and helps water to circulate freely. This means your radiator can provide consistent heat. The manufacturer’s instructions will tell you if your heating system can be bled. You must lay an old towel or a dish under the radiator to catch any leaking dirty water and hold a cloth over the bleed screw to stop any water spitting out on you, the furniture and or flooring/carpets before you start. 

Condensation is created by a build-up of moisture in the air. Cooking, boiling water, taking showers or baths and drying clothes indoors increase the risk. When condensation can’t dry out it can cause mildew. 

You can reduce the chance of condensation by:

• Covering steaming pans and opening the window/turning on the extractor fan
• Dry clothes outside or in a well-ventilated room
• Let steam (which would create moisture) out of the room by opening windows and using extractor fans
• Making sure all air bricks and vents are clear from obstruction
• Leaving gaps between furniture and walls
• Keeping your home warm with at least a low basic heat.

If you see any moisture, particularly noticeable on windows, you should wipe it down immediately, to stop it from settling and leading to mould growth. Follow the above steps to reduce the moisture in the air. If any mould has formed clean it off with an appropriate product for the relevant surface.

If your home has an electric immersion heater and a connected cold-water tank with the tank located above a bedroom watch out for signs of overheating.

If any of the following happens you should immediately turn off your immersion heater and contact your property manager, if we manage the property, or your landlord if they do, to seek advice and next steps:

• If the hot water tap runs much hotter than normal suddenly
• If you hear a very loud noise or ‘bubbling' sounds coming from the hot water cylinder
• If the cold-water taps run with hot water
• If you spot steam or new moisture in the roof space.

Keep on top of any seasonally relevant jobs before the weather gets any colder and they feel more of a chore. 

One of the jobs you may be responsible for is clearing fallen leaves. When leaves lay on the ground too long, they cause a slip hazard.

If not regularly swept, they cause damage, and your landlord may claim against your tenancy deposit at the end of the tenancy.

If something isn’t working or is broken or showing a new crack, you should let us know if we’re managing, or your landlord if they are, as soon as it’s discovered so action can be discussed.

Make a diary note to check your alarms regularly, at least monthly. 

If you find any alarm is not working, and it’s battery operated, you should first replace the batteries. Always have a spare pack ready for when needed. 

If this doesn’t fix the problem you must tell us immediately if we manage, or your landlord if they manage, so the issue can be resolved.

It is heading towards heating engineers’ busy period. You should act now to test that the heating works in every room you need it to, to reduce the risk of you waiting for an engineer appointment. 

If your thermostat is battery operated check the batteries are working and replace if they aren’t.

If there is an issue, tell us if we manage your property, or your landlord if they do.

The last thing you want in the depths of winter is no fuel; regularly keep an eye on your oil or LPG levels. 

You should book your fuel deliveries in good time avoid having to wait.

Chimneys should be swept as often as needed even if the fire isn’t regularly used. 

Usually, it must be done before use, at the start of the winter season. Check your tenancy agreement to see whether it is your landlord’s, or your, responsibility to have it swept.

If you are not doing this job yourself, it is best to get your appointment booked early as sweeps get very busy.

If you have a leak, you will need to turn your water off quickly to reduce damage, so make sure you know where your stopcock is. These are often located under the kitchen sink.

You should know where the following things are in case of any power cuts: candles & matches, torches & spare batteries, blankets, logs for the fire, bottled water. This will help you to keep your family safe and as warm as possible. 

During any power cut don’t open your fridge and freezer to help them stay as cold as possible for as long as possible. 

Turn off switches to reduce the risk of a power surge damaging electrical goods when the power comes back on. 

If you live in a block of flats or apartments, make sure you read the fire evacuation policy, so you know what to do. It is the responsibility of the person managing the block to display the instructions in a prominent place. If you can’t locate the instructions, or are not clear after reading them, please contact us if we are managing or your landlord if they manage. 

Bedbugs are small insects that can live on furniture or bedding. Their bites can be itchy but do not usually cause other health problems. Bedbugs can hide in many places, including on bed frames, mattresses, clothing, furniture, behind pictures and under loose wallpaper. Signs of bedbugs include bites – often on skin exposed while sleeping, like the face, neck, and arms / spots of blood on your bedding / small brown spots on bedding or furniture. The NHS has published a list of do’s and don’ts if you think you may have bedbugs in your home.

If there is a property alarm and you won’t be able to get home quickly, please share your alarm code in case access is needed in an emergency. Let us know the code if we manage your property or your landlord know if they do.

If your trip will be over 21 days (if you have a non-Savills tenancy agreement this timescale may be shorter) you must tell us if we manage your property or your landlord if they do so they can check the property’s insurance conditions and make sure they are not affected.

Check your sheds, garages, and outbuildings – this is a great time to have an end of season sort out as well as take the opportunity to give any portable electrical appliances the once over. You should be looking to check there is no damage to the wiring and all appears to be in good working order. If any of these items look as though they need attention, please contact us if we are managing the property, or your landlord directly if they are.

You should regularly keep an eye on the health of trees and large shrubs to reduce the risk of them causing damage. 

Particularly after high winds you should check for structural damage, missing tiles, damaged or poor pointing and cracked brickwork or render and report any damage to us if we’re managing your property or direct to your landlord if they are. 

Make sure everything that might be a fire risk is stored safely and this includes wood, coal, and gas bottles.

If there is a balcony or roof terrace at the property be aware of the conditions of your tenancy agreement. Most tenancy agreements and head leases (with which you must comply) will prohibit the use of barbecues and or fire pits.

Never wedge/prop open a fire door, you must keep fire doors closed to prevent the spread of any fire and smoke.

Make sure communal hallways are kept clear so there are no obstructions to access in the event of an emergency. 

If you need the emergency services, you should call 999 immediately.

1. Don’t use electric switches or naked flames
2. Leave the property
3. Free call (UK numbers) the National Grid – gas emergency hotline on 0800 111 999 and follow their instructions

If a pipeline has been struck, even if there is no gas leak you must report the event to the National Grid gas emergency hotline on 0800 111 999.

If this is isolated to one room, first check the fuse board, if it has tripped you might just need to replace a blown light bulb and reset the fuse board. 

If there is no electricity in any of the property and the fuse board is fine however your neighbour’s electricity is working, you should contact your electricity supplier.

For an electricity emergency – free call (UK numbers) the National Grid Electric Emergency Hotline on 0800 40 40 90 and follow their instructions.

Check your supplier’s website for information and next steps and follow their instructions. Establish if it’s a problem in the whole area or just your house by contacting local neighbours.