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Advice to Tenants on what to do regarding Housing Maintenance in cold weather
The repair and maintenance of Council owned dwellings is one of the few elements of the public housing service for which responsibility is shared between the Local Authority and the Tenant.
South Dublin County Councils Housing Maintenance Department have two depots in the County. Housing Maintenance administration for both depots is located in County Hall, Tallaght. If you have a problem in your house which requires maintenance attention, call 01 4149000.
There are currently approximately 9000 rented dwellings within the councils housing stock, maintained through a combination of direct labour and contract work.
It is the tenants responsibility to maintain the property in good condition, click to view the full list of tenant/council responsibilities.
Condensation
Condensation is probably the main cause of dampness and mould growth in dwellings. As a result of continuing condensation, walls, ceilings and sometimes floors become damp, discoloured and unpleasant due to mould growing on their surfaces. The following gives you some tips on how to prevent/cure this problem:-
1. Dry clothes externally when possible
2. If using a clothes dryer, provide venting to the outside.
3. Reduce cooking steam as far as possible, e.g. keep lids on saucepans, do not leave kettles etc. boiling for long periods.
4.Prevent very moist air spreading to other rooms from the kitchen or bathroom or from where clothes are dried.
5. If you have an extract fan in your kitchen, use it when cooking, washing clothes and particularly if the windows mist up.
6. If no extract fan open windows and keep doors between kitchen and rest of house closed as much as possible.
7. After taking a bath or shower keep bathroom window open and bathroom door shut until bathroom dries off.
8. Do not use unventilated cupboards for drying clothes.
9. If you do dry clothes in the bathroom or kitchen, run the extract fan if you have one.
10. Do not leave the door open or the moist air will spread to other parts of the house.
11. Provide some ventilation to all rooms so that moist air can escape.
12. Provide some level of heating.
Mould Growth
If black spots appear on the walls or other room surfaces, this is the start of mould growth. The mould growth spots should be washed off and the affected area sterilized. A suitable sterilizer can be made by mixing 1 part bleach with 4 parts of water. Make sure that you then tackle the cause of the condensation as recommended above.
NB Remember mould spores travel so do not delay - deal with it immediately.
Maintenance requests are categorised as follows
CATEGORY TIMESCALE EXAMPLE
Emergency (timescale 1 to 5 working days)
Sewerage problems, no electricity, severe flooding, burst pipes etc.
Urgent (timescale within 10 working days)
Heating problems, Immersion, leaks etc.
Routine (timescale 12 weeks plus)
Repairs to windows/doors, internal plastering after leaks, replacing toilet cistern etc.
Cyclical (timescale 1 – 7 years)
Leaking gutters, replacement of hall door etc.
Points to remember
- HOUSE INSURANCE.
The Council will insure the building, as tenant you are advised to insure the CONTENTS of your house.
- ALTERATIONS BY TENANTS.
Written approval must be sought before any alterations are made to the Council owned dwelling.
Contact details
For further information please contact 01-4149000 or email cccounter@sdublincoco.ie.
Fax 01-4149107
