Fire safety
The Council is undertaking a significant programme of fire door installations to blocks of flats where there is a closed balcony/corridor.
Fire doors are designed to contain a fire to a single compartment of a building, therefore reducing the risk to those in other flats and communal areas.
New or replacement flat entrance doors within a block of flats will meet current standards for fire resisting doors. Similarly any letter boxes should be of a protected type, e.g. lined with intumescent material to seal the opening when exposed to fire.
Under the terms of your lease, the Council as your landlord, retains ownership of the external structure of the flat. We are required to maintain the building and entitled to carry out necessary works to keep the fabric in good order. In signing the lease, you agreed to this requirement.
Smoke alarms
Smoke alarms detect smoke at the earliest stages of a fire, giving you vital extra time to escape. Making sure you have a working smoke alarm fitted is an important precaution to protecting you from a fire.
Smoke alarms are cheap, easy to fit, and sold in most DIY shops. They should be fitted on every level of your home and the batteries tested once a week. You should never remove the batteries. Do not fit them in kitchens or bathrooms where smoke and steam could accidentally set them off.
Gas servicing
We recommend that all gas appliances are serviced on an annual basis to make sure they are safe and in full working order.