Home safety information for tenants

Find advice on asbestos, tips on how to reduce dampness in your home and other handy help here.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material and is most likely to be found in homes built between the 1950s and the early 1980s. Asbestos has been banned since 1999 because it can pose a danger to health. Properties built after the year 2000 should not contain asbestos products anywhere in the building.

Asbestos fibres may be found in:

• Floor tiles (vinyl or thermoplastic tiles)
• Wall and ceiling boards
• Artex (textured) ceiling finishes
• Sprayed coatings to steelwork
• Lagging around pipework and hot water cylinders
• Water tanks, lining boards
• Inside electrical distribution boards and fuses
• Bath panels

The presence of Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) in your home does not necessarily pose a risk. If the ACM is sealed and is in good condition, then it will not be a problem unless the sealant is damaged. Asbestos becomes dangerous when fibres are released into the air.

In order to ensure your safety when carrying out any DIY, please follow the guidelines below:

• DO NOT drill a hole through any asbestos boards
• DO NOT cut or break off any parts of asbestos products
• DO NOT rub down asbestos panels or Artex with sandpaper
• DO NOT use wallpaper scrapers on asbestos products
• DO NOT remove asbestos panels to gain access to services
• DO NOT cut any asbestos products with asbestos products with a hammer.

If you are unsure if a product contains asbestos DO NOT carry out any works until you have contacted us for further advice.

East Dunbartonshire Council work closely with Asbestos Survey specialists and removal contractors to identify and manage the risk of ACMs.

This is to ensure that all known asbestos containing materials are either removed, or effectively managed, to reduce the risk to its lowest practical level. Council specialist contractors carry out a refurbishment survey when a property becomes void and conducts management surveys or bulk sampling on our housing stock. An Asbestos Register recording all the results or major upgrade work is regularly checked by our staff and contractors.

If no information is held, an appropriate asbestos survey will be carried out before any work is allowed to proceed. If a positive sample is generated and works is required to an area, then the safe removal of the asbestos will be carried out by trained, licensed personnel.

If you think your home may contain asbestos, contact us immediately and we will carry out an appropriate asbestos survey. If asbestos containing materials are found, they may be removed; however, this can be a disruptive process. If materials are found to be in good condition and do not pose an immediate danger, we would recommend that they are managed rather than removed.

For further advice on asbestos please contact us on 0300 123 4510.

Alternatively, information regarding asbestos can be found on the Health & Safety Executive website.

Millions of homes throughout the UK are affected by condensation dampness. This problem can lead to a mould growth or staining which can damage wallpaper, wall surfaces, window frames, furniture and even clothing.

Air contains a certain amount of moisture or water vapour which cannot be seen. The higher the temperature of the air, the more moisture it can hold. Condensation normally occurs when air comes into contact with a surface which is colder. This, for example, is the reason a bathroom mirror or window will steam up when you run a bath or have a shower.

Condensation also happens on the cool parts of walls, particularly on outside walls. It can often appear as a dark patch in corners near the skirting and on the ceiling.

Condensation can happen in any room of a home, but the following areas are particularly prone to it:

• Cold surfaces, such as mirrors or windows
• Kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and hallways
• Areas of the home with poor ventilation
• Walls of unheated rooms
• Old corners of rooms
• Behind wardrobes, cupboards, beds or other furniture, especially if they are against an outside wall.

You have the ability to reduce or solve condensation dampness by following these three easy steps.

Step 1: Reduce the amount of moisture you create. Many everyday activities produce moisture which cannot be avoided. However, some simple changes in how you do these will help reduce the risk of condensation in your home:

• Keep lids on pots and pans and close the kitchen door when cooking
• Where possible put your washing outdoors to dry
• Keep a window open if drying clothes indoors and avoid drying clothes over warm radiators
• When using a tumble dryer make sure the hose is put out the window or door
• Keeping the bathroom door closed when running a bath, bathing or taking a shower
• Avoid overfilling cupboards and wardrobes

Step 2: Increase ventilation to remove the moisture.

This can be achieved by:

• Opening a window
• Ensuring an extractor fan in the kitchen or bathroom is used when washing or cooking
• Allowing space for air to circulate in and around furniture and beds by keeping them away from walls
• Opening doors to ventilate wardrobes and cupboards
• Avoiding the use of flueless gas or paraffin heaters as they produce a lot of moisture
• Ensuring air vents are kept clear and not covered
• Ensuring all rooms in your home are adequately heated and ventilated
• Where double glazing is fitted, ensure trickle vents on windows remain open at all times.

Step 3: Heating your home

Condensation is most likely to be a problem in homes which are under heated. Keep your home warm by:

• Ensuring large pieces of furniture are not placed in front of a radiator as this prevents the heat from circulating.
• Keeping curtains above radiators, this will allow the heat to circulate.
• Using thick curtains stop heat escaping by closing them at dusk.
• Keeping heating on throughout the day in cold weather.
• Keeping curtains open on sunny days to help warm rooms.
• Keeping doors open in rooms that get lots of sunlight; this will allow the warm air to circulate throughout the house.

To assist tenants in keeping their homes warm and damp free and as part of our Capital Works Programme, East Dunbartonshire Council is in the process of finalising programmes to:

• Replace all central heating systems with high efficiency ‘A’rated boilers
• Replace all windows with double glazed units
• Fit extractor fans when new kitchens are being installed in tenants’ homes.

Works is also ongoing in order to improve the fabric of buildings and prevent moisture penetration and retain heat through ongoing programmes to:

• Replace failing roofs across whole-council owned and mixed tenure flatted blocks
• Install external wall insulation and MR render treatments

The management of condensation issues is also important, and the Housing Service has a strategy now to:

• Use the services of specialist contractors to diagnose and treat condensation issues
• Communicate with tenants the importance of using homes appropriately in relation to the drying of clothes and use of ventilation.

As well as this, we also carry out annual Gas Safety checks in our tenants’ homes which ensures the heating system is working safely and efficiently.

By providing these measures tenants’ homes should benefit from:

• Having a warmer surface temperature of walls, ceilings and windows
• Reduced heating costs, thus allowing homes to be heated to a higher standard more affordable

If you would like any additional information or practical advice on reducing condensation dampness within your home please contact our Repairs Service on 0800 052 5574.

Legionella Pneumophilia is a bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. This is an uncommon disease similar to pneumonia.

Legionella bacteria can live in both hot and cold water systems. Bacteria can be released into the air in an aerosol form such as from the fine spray from running taps or showers.

A number of homes are served by cold water storage tanks. There are some additional ways that you can help to minimise the risk of Legionella bacteria developing in your domestic water supply.

Useful tips:

• Prevent the build-up of stagnant water by running all infrequently used outlets such as showers, hot and cold taps, outside taps and second toilets at least once a week. Run water very slowly for one minute and then on full power for five minutes to ensure any stagnant water lying in the pipework is cleared.
• If a shower has not been used for a week or more, immerse the head of the shower in a basin or bath of water and turn on the shower, letting the water run for two-three minutes.. An alternative to this method where possible, would be to take the showerhead off before flushing the outlet as normal and then cleaning the shower head.
• If your hot water is supplied by a hot water cylinder, ensure the stored temperature of this is set to at least 60ºC. This helps to kill any bacterial infection.
• If you use any garden hoses in the summer, please ensure that you run the outside tap with the hose connected and the spray head removed for at least five minutes before using to ensure any stagnant water lying in the pipework is cleared.
• Where possible, shower heads and attaching hoses should be dismantled, descaled and disinfected on a quarterly basis or more regularly if required, using a standard disinfectant cleaning product.

Legionnaires’ disease is extremely rare and the risk of infection is small. This risk can be further reduced, however, if the steps outlined above are followed.

If you have any questions regarding Legionnaires or require any advice on preventative measures, please contact us on 0300 123 4510.

Need to get in contact with your housing officer? Want to report an emergency repair? Looking for the latest advice on bogus callers or scams? You can find a host of useful contact details and information on the Useful Contact Information for Tenants page.