Outside, the stair, and the private rooms

These pictures show the sort of place we manage for residents. Nothing here is offered for sale or to let.

White house with black timber framing, red roof tiles, shrubs, and a green lawn — White walls, black timber, red roof tiles, and a lawn up to the house.

Outside

The face of the building

We look at the roof, the timber, the windows, and whether rain is getting in at a joint. A tidy lawn does not hide a failed gutter. If the render or the tiles are tired, that goes on the list.

The stair

What we check on the way up

The handrail, the tread, and the light on each landing. A loose rail or a lamp that has failed is a building matter. A mat outside one door is the household’s. Residents should not have to guess who to tell when the stair is dark.

A beige sofa, a wooden coffee table on a pale rug, and a view through to a kitchen — A beige sofa, a wooden coffee table, and a view through to the kitchen.

A home

Furniture stays with the household

Paint inside a private room, a sofa, and a kitchen that belongs to one home are not on our list. We go in only when a shared problem shows up there, such as water from above, and we leave the room as we found it.

A white bathroom with a pedestal sink, a toilet, a bath, and a round mirror — A white tiled bathroom, a pedestal sink, and a bath with a towel on the rim.

A pipe

When a bathroom is involved

A private basin and a private bath stay with the household. If the fault is a shared stack or a leak into the ceiling below, we arrange that repair and say which part of the bill it sits on.

A note

What we write down

We keep a short record of what was reported, who attended, and what was paid from the shared money. Ask for the page that covers your building. Write with the address.