Health and safety in the home

As your landlord we are responsible for carrying out regular fire safety checks in the communal areas of buildings. We will remove any items that are left in communal areas as they block exit routes in the event of an emergency evacuation. But keep the smoke alarm video and wording above it.

You should familiarise yourself with the exit routes for your property, and whether the policy is to 'Stay Put' or 'Evacuate'.

If you live in a house, you should evacuate immediately.

If you live in a block, we advise you follow Stay Put Guidelines unless you are directly affected by heat, smoke or flames. The London Fire Brigade may deem it necessary to evacuate the block and will notify you if Stay Put guidance changes. If you or a member of your household would be unable to evacuate without help, you must contact your Housing Officer and notify them. 

Fire doors

Fire doors are specifically made to reduce the spread of fire and toxic smoke within a building. They are just one of the ways we prevent the spread of fire in blocks of flats and maisonettes.

A ‘fire door’ is made up of the door, its frame and all the fittings like locks, handles, closers and hinges. All of these things are designed to resist the fire for at least 30 minutes.Fire doors are important to protect residents from the spread of fire and smoke. Fire doors are fitted in strategic points throughout your building and to flat entrances, to ensure that residents have the best level of protection in the event of a fire.

If the door has been damaged or altered in any way, it may not be able to stop fire and smoke from spreading and could put lives at risks.

If you have any concerns about fire safety in your home or block or want to report damage to your fire door, you can contact us:

Call: 020 8937 2400 or email: housingmanagment@brent.gov.uk

Top tips:

• Never prop a fire door open
• Never tamper with fire the door closer
• Never alter fire doors e.g. changing handles or adding a letter box

This will compromise the fire resistance of the fire door and could lead to fire spreading.

Signage

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 made it a legal requirement from 23 January 2023 for all high-rise residential buildings in England to install wayfinding signage in their buildings. This includes clear markings identifying floor and individual flat numbers.

Fire Safety Information – vulnerable households

Our blocks operate a Stay Put policy which is based on guidance from the London Fire Brigade. This is because your home includes fire safety features that trap the fire and stop spread.

If in the unlikely event a fire did break out in your home, or you became affected by heat, smoke or flame then you should leave your home immediately, close your door to prevent spread and call 999. Remember closing your door is important. Every front door in a high rise block is a fire door and will withstand fires for a minimum of 30 minutes giving the fire brigade time to respond.

Each high-rise block also has a fire safety box installed; this box includes information for firefighters to use in the event of a fire. As a precaution, we include a list of any homes where there is someone who could not evacuate the building without assistance. Our housing officers are currently contacting you to update this list.

Contact us to update your details

• Email: housingmanagement@brent.gov.uk and title your email ‘Fire safety information’
• Call: 020 8937 1234 to speak to the duty housing officer.

Your safety is a priority for Brent Housing Management and it is our obligation to ensure all gas appliances in your home, are safety maintained and inspected. 

You must give us access to your home to carry out an annual gas safety check.

If you do not allow us into your home, we will take court action to gain access to protect your safety.

For gas safety advice, visit the GCS website or the Gas Safe Register website. Alternatively, you can call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.

Loss of water

If there is a complete loss of water to your home or your block, then you should report this to 020 8937 2400 and we will be able to respond to this at any time. Where required, our contact centre can request that bottled water be provided to households that need to it whilst the loss of water is being investigated and resolved.

If your water supply has been turned off, please ensure your taps are off too as this could result in flooding when the water supply is restored.

Leaks or burst pipes

To report a leak or burst pipe in your home, you must call 020 8937 2400 immediately and take steps to prevent damage caused by water.

If you find that a pipe has burst, you should turn off the water at the main stopcock and turn off any gate valves from the water tank. You then need to run all your taps to drain water from the system.

You should turn off any water heaters. If electrical items or wiring are getting wet, do not touch them. You should turn off the electricity at the mains.

If water is leaking and making the ceiling bulge, place a bucket under the bulge and using something like a screwdriver, pierce a hole to let the water through.

Access to your home

We will always try to contact you if a leak has been reported in your home by a neighbour. If in the event we cannot get in contact with you and the leak is causing damage, we may be required to force entry into your home. If this occurs, your housing officer will liaise with you if this situation occurs.

Flooding inside your home or block

If you effected by flooding or have an emergency issue in your home you must call us urgently, our contractors will be able to respond to you 24/7 in the event of a flood. To report flooding inside you home call 020 8937 2400.

If there is a leak or flooding outside of your block, call your water or utilities supplier to report this:

• Thames Water: Tel: 0800 714614
• Affinity Water: Tel: 0845 7823333
• Water UK

Damage or loss of belongings

If you have insurance in place, you should contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to report any damage. Before throwing anything away, speak to your insurance company, and make sure you take photographs of any damage in line with your insurance company’s policies. We highly recommend that all residents have contents insurance to provide cover for their personal belongings.

Water hygiene

The water supplied to the taps within your property is consistently tested for quality, taste and presence of bacteria by the local water authority and is generally considered to be one of the best in the world. 3 As with all things natural, bacteria good and bad will always be present and although the water in your property is treated, this will not guarantee that everything will be eradicated. Due to the complex nature of water and the pipe work it is delivered through, there is always a risk of bacteria being present that has not been eliminated by normal disinfection processes carried out by the water company. To ensure no bacterial growth is occurring within our communal water services, Brent Council carries out a constant programme of monitoring and assessment throughout our housing stock as required by Health and Safety legislation.

Checks we carry out are:

1. Water Hygiene Risk Assessments - these are reviewed on a two-year rolling basis to look out for any changes

2. temperature checks

3. water sampling

4. correct plumbing operations

5. infestation or contamination of water

If good standards of hygiene are not maintained, in severe cases, it is known to be a contributory factor in people contracting Legionnaires Disease.

If you have been away from your home for several days, then you should run your taps to clear the water system and wait until the water it’s the correct temperature. You should also flush your toilet to assist with this.

Don’t have an online account?

Creating an account is easy and only takes a couple of minutes. All you need to get started is an email address, to use as a login. We will then send you details on how to activate your account. Register to My Account

You will need to activate your tenant services account the first time you log in.

Emergency repairs

In the event of a leak or flooding that you believe is a danger to someone’s health or safety, you can call us to request an emergency repair on the following number

• Monday to Fridays, 8am to 5pm: 020 8937 2400
• weekends and out of hours: 020 8937 1234 

Further information

• Read our Water Safety Guide

Asbestos is not a danger to your health if it is in good condition and is left undisturbed.

If it is damaged or its condition deteriorates, then you and others may be at risk. Worn or damaged asbestos materials may release fibres into the air, which could cause lung damage if you breathe them in.

To identify whether a building has asbestos, we are required by law to survey communal areas within a block. We do not survey individual homes unless we’re carrying out works in that property as a repair or to re-let an empty property.

We maintain a register of where we have identified asbestos previously and either removed it or know that asbestos is present.

Our dedicated contractors are certified to remove and dispose of asbestos when it is identified safely and in accordance with Health and Safety requirements. During this process they take the necessary precautions to keep people safe from the asbestos that is being removed.

We ensure relevant officers receive asbestos awareness training appropriate to their job and contractors are trained to stop work immediately if they discover material which they think might contain asbestos to prevent it from being disturbed.

Where we’re doing major work which involves asbestos, we will give you detailed information on how it will be removed and what precautions will be taken to prevent the release of any asbestos fibres.

You must not carry out any alterations, improvements, or additions to the property without first obtaining our written approval. (This is a condition of your tenancy agreement.)If you want to carry out any home improvements, you must contact your Housing Officer and request permission. You must get permission before you start. We will not permit you to carry out any work on asbestos-containing materials because this could put people’s health at risk.

If asbestos may be present then proper controls are needed to reduce exposure to you, your family and the person carrying out the work (if not yourself).

If you are concerned about asbestos or want to ask permission to carry out home improvements email: housingmanagement@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 2400

In Brent Housing Management we take our role as a landlord seriously, this means maintaining high standards for in our tenants homes. Damp and Mould can have serious impacts of the health and wellbeing of tenants and their household members. This policy sets out how we will work with tenants to prevent damp and mould and act on any reports of tenants being affected in their homes. Our aim is to ensure every tenant feels confident in how they can take steps to prevent damp and mould and they have trust in us as a landlord to resolve damp and mould issues as a priority.

Causes of damp and mould

There are three different types of damp:

Rising damp
This happens when water transfers from the ground into the building. It is most often seen in older homes that may not have received the required damp proofing when built. Signs include staining on walls, blistering or peeling paint and damage to skirting boards.

Penetrating damp
Occurs when water leaks into the building through a wall, roof or ceiling as a result of an external leak or interior plumbing issues. Signs include damp patches on walls and ceilings, wet or crumbling plaster and large bubbles appearing under plaster that can lead to holes if left untreated.

Condensation damp
Occurs when the air outside is cooler than the air inside, causing water droplets to form which, if nowhere to escape, will cling to household cold surfaces i.e. windows, walls and ceilings. This if left can lead to damp and the growth of mould. The more moisture a room holds, the more likely condensation damp is to occur, which is why you often find it in a bathroom or kitchen.

Council tenant responsibilities

As a tenant it is important that you do your best to avoid damp and mould forming in your home. You should:

• Keep your home well ventilated - make use of extractor fans, window trickle vents and open windows when cooking or bathing, if possible.
• Look out for signs of damp and take action to clean mould away as soon as you see it.
• Report any evidence of damp and mould in the home to Brent Housing Management, as soon as possible.
• Allow us access to the property for inspections and any remedial works that might be required.

How to report damp and mould

If you are a council tenant and have issues with damp and mould in your home, you can report it to us via My Account.

Don’t have an online account?

Creating an account is easy and only takes a couple of minutes. All you need to get started is an email address, to use as a login. We will then send you details on how to activate your account.

Register to My Account

You will need to activate your tenant services account the first time you log in.

Alternatively, you can email: dampandmould@brent.gov.uk  or call: 020 8937 2400. Please provide as much detail as possible, including any photographs of affected areas, if you have them.

How we identify damp and mould

Our staff are well trained in their ability to identify damp and mould, as well as understanding the contributing factors within a home. This allows us to address any issues as early as possible.

Housing officers visit each property at least once every four years as part of a programme of tenancy audits. During their visit, the dedicated patch housing officer will carry out a full inspection of the property and discuss with the tenant any concerns regarding damp and mould. If a concern is identified, the housing officer will make a referral to the Property Services team and a qualified surveyor will be asked to inspect the property.

In the meantime, your housing officers may leave supporting information on what you can do to resolve the issue, specifically if you have just a small amount of damp, mould or condensation.

Our responsibilities

As a landlord it is our responsibility to keep the homes we manage safe and well maintained. We adhere to Housing Ombudsman advice, tackling damp and mould at the earliest opportunity and proactively. When we identify or receive a report of damp and mould, we will have a qualified surveyor attend the property to carry out a thorough inspection.

We recruit qualified surveyors and prioritise their ongoing professional development to ensure knowledge and skills are kept up to date and reflective of best practice.

If the home is confirmed to be affected by damp and mould following an inspection, we will then:

• Upgrade any existing extractor fans to humidity-controlled extractor fans
• Carry out a three-stage mould treatment in the property
• Follow up with full redecoration of any affected rooms.

These works will take place whilst tenants remain in their home. There may be occasions where tenants are offered a temporary decant e.g. due to vulnerability, this would need to be agreed by the Brent Housing Management Panel.

In homes where there are repeated or serious cases of damp, mould or condensation and extensive structural works are required, tenants will be considered for either a temporary or permenant decant depending on the length of time works are likely to take. This in line with the Housing Allocations Scheme.

The dedicated patch housing officer will support any household who is decanted due to damp, mould or condensation.

Support available

If you need help with heating and bills, there is support and advice available, or you can visit one of our Brent Hubs for free, friendly help, advice and support.

The Building safety Act (2022) introduced new requirements for building owners to show they can identify and manage safety risks in ‘high risk buildings’.

A high risk building is defined as one that is 18m or more in height OR seven storeys or more and contains at least two flats. Brent Housing Management are responsible for 42 blocks that fall into the category of ‘high risk building’ and have been registered with the Building Safety Regulator.

Under the Building Safety Act (2022) there are a range of new responsibilities for landlords, including:

• Implementing a Resident Engagement Strategy for each block registered as a high-risk building.
• Establish and operate a system for the investigation of complaints received from tenants, leaseholders and household members on building safety.
• Registering and certification of each block including producing a single safety case report for ever higher risk building which combines all safety information specific to that block and plans to mitigate risks.
• Ensuring information is displayed in all higher risk buildings including compliance notices and details of named officers responsible for management safety for that building and their contact details. 

Brent Housing Management keeps buildings safe in many different ways. This can include asking you to keep communal landings clear to making repairs and putting in place fire safety measures, such as fire doors. We also carry out regular inspections.

If you need to report a repair or issue with your block, call: 020 8937 1234 or log the repair through My Account.

If you want to request building safety information for your block, email: bhmbuildingsafety@brent.gov.uk or call: 020 8937 1234 and ask for a call back from an officer.

Purpose

The purpose of this working strategy is to outline the working strategy and Brent Housing Management for Building Safety Engagement, specifically the requirements outlined by The Building safety Act (2022)

This strategy should be read alongside the wider Tenant and Leaseholder Engagement Strategy. It sets out the Council’s commitment to developing a relationship based on mutual respect and provides a range of opportunities for tenants and leaseholders to have choice, influence decision-making and share their experiences to inform positive change.

Context

The Building Safety Act (2022) introduced new requirements for building owners to demonstrate their ability to identify and manage safety risks in ‘high risk buildings’. High risk buildings are defined as buildings 18m or more in height OR seven storeys or more and contain at least two flats.

The Act specifically requires landlords to establish an engagement strategy for higher risk buildings outlining how BHM will communicate and share information with tenants, leaseholders and their household members and also identify their needs regarding building safety.

This strategy has been developed by the Council in consultation with residents who live in higher risk buildings. It will support other related policies and procedures introduced in response to the Building Safety Act (2022) requirements.

Brent Housing Management is responsible for the management of 42 higher risk buildings. 

As required by the Building Safety Act, this strategy details:

• what information will be provided to residents
• what decisions they will be consulted on
• how residents' views will be taken into account; and
• how the appropriateness of consultation undertaken will be measured.

This applies to all tenants, leaseholders and household members living in higher risk buildings that are aged 16+.

Accountable Person and Principle Accountable Person

The Building Safety Act (2022) introduces a new role for landlords who manage higher risk buildings, these are the Principal Accountable Person and Accountable Person. These roles are responsible for a range of new responsibilities, those relevant to this working strategy are:

• Implementing a Resident Engagement Strategy for each block registered as a higher risk buildings.
• Establish and operate a system for the investigation of complaints received from tenants, leaseholders and household members on building safety.
• Registering and certification of each block including producing a single safety case report for ever higher risk building which combines all safety information specific to that block and plans to mitigate risks.
• Ensuring information is displayed in all higher risk buildings including compliance notices and details of named officers responsible for management safety for that building and their contact details.

The Principal Accountable Person for the Building Safety Act (2022) is ‘Brent Council’. There are several roles and officers within the Housing Service that will ensure the Building Safety Act (2022) requirements are fulfilled, this includes:

• Senior Managers
• Compliance Officers
• Engagement Officers
• Housing Officers

To ensure a single point of access for residents, a dedicated mailbox has been set up for any resident wishing to raise a concern about building safety. This is bhmbuildingsafety@brent.gov.uk

Understanding who lives in higher risk buildings

To successfully fulfil the requirements of the Building Safety Act (2022), landlords must ensure they understand who is living in their higher risk blocks and tailor assistance and information to meet any specific needs. This is particularly important for tenants, leaseholders and household members who are vulnerable or disabled.

The Council’s Housing Management Service already carries out proactive checks on households living in higher risk blocks. The purpose of these checks it to ensure the details of individuals who would need assistance to evacuate should evacuation be required are available in fire information boxes. This means the London Fire Brigade can prioritise which addresses to attend and provide the evacuation assistance required.

The Council is committed to updating personal information for everyone living in a higher risk building on an annual basis. The dedicated patch housing officers will be responsible for writing to everyone living in a higher risk building to confirm who is living in each home, the details of each individual and specifically any vulnerability or disability Brent Housing Management should be aware of. This information will be stored on the case management system used by Brent Housing Service. As mentioned, if a member of the household could not evacuate the building in the event of a fire without assistance, then this information will be stored in the fire information box within the building.

The patch housing officer will monitor the responses received from each household living in a higher risk block and if a response is not received, they will carry out telephone calls and or a home visit to gather and update this information.

Providing information to those living in high-risk buildings

The Council is committed to providing information to those living in high-risk buildings across a range of platforms and ensuring it is accessible to all. The channels we are committed to using are:

• Personalised letter to each household living in a high-risk block and leaseholders who are landlords.
• Posters and information displayed on a notice board in every block.
• Information on the Council’s website.

We are also committed to hosting an ‘annual building safety meeting’ for residents in each block. This meeting will be an opportunity to share information on safety checks that have been carried out, findings from inspections and action taken and any upcoming repairs or refurbishment where consultation will be held. This meeting will also be an opportunity to discuss the contents of the Building Safety Case report.

Decisions we will consult on

The Council will consult on the following:

• Any major works planned for the communal areas both interior and exterior including materials being used, specification of works and the impact on building safety.
• The outcome of any Fire Risk Assessment or building safety inspections / surveys being carried out on the block including the timescales assigned to address actions found. 
• Any policies that impact building safety.
• The bespoke engagement plan that will be prepared for each block.

Monitoring this strategy

This strategy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Principal Responsible Person supported and Director for Housing and in consultation with tenants, leaseholders and household members living in a higher risk building.