Dear Tenants,

As we once again see the Covid situation evolve rapidly, our team are working from home.  Staff can be reached on mobile numbers provided HERE or re-directed through our main office by calling 01463 233 549. 

Energy bills
​With rising energy costs a hot topic in the news just now, we would like to highlight the following support to our tenants:

Citizens Advice Service - support available to help pay your bills


Energy Advice Scotland - information regarding the recent energy company changes


Home Energy Scotland - practical advice on energy efficiency

Repairs & Maintenance

While current guidance allows us to continue instructing and arranging repairs & maintenance, we are seeing contractors affected by heavy workloads, staff shortages and delays in parts and materials across all trades throughout the Highlands.  Please continue to report repairs to us in the normal way (detailed below) however be aware that it may take us longer to get someone to you, particularly in the case of non-urgent repairs.  We continue to take advice from Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) who keep us updated in all changes with regards to housing management.  You can find out more at www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/

If a contractor is due to attend your property, we would recommend adopting the following health and safety measures:
  • Let us and/or the contractor know if anyone in your household is shielding, isolating or showing any Covid symptoms. 
  • If you are able to, take a lateral flow test in the morning when the contractors are due. If anyone does test positive, please inform ourselves and/or the contractors immediately. 
  • Clear the area and ventilate the area to be worked in as well as the route between the main access and work area as far as possible.
  • Clean surfaces (door handles, surfaces in work areas, etc) prior to contractors attending and after they have left.
  • When the contractor is in attendance, all members of the household should stay in another room to allow the work to be carried out in isolation.  Where this is not possible, all persons should wear a face covering and adhere to hygiene and social distancing guidance. 
  • Keep numbers to a minimum - ie: avoid inviting others into the property while the contractors are in attendance
  • If you are worried about infection or you would like additional measures put in place, please let us know.
Reporting a repair: You may have contacted one of our Housing Management Team helen.mackie@chtrust.co.uk or melanie.dalton@chtrust.co.uk before and you can continue to do so, as well as to tenants@chtrust.co.uk  NB: we have recently noticed that our e-mails are often delivered to the recipient’s junk folder.  We would ask all tenants to check their junk mail and, if there is an e-mail from a chtrust address, make it a trusted source so that you do not miss any information.

Alternatively, you can report a repair by completing THIS FORM.

Out of Hours: For evenings, weekends and other periods when our office is shut and you experience an emergency repair, we use Hanover Commercial.  Hanover have a list of all our tenanted properties and a list of approved contractors and will try to contact someone local to your area to attend.  They will not instruct anyone to attend if the repair is not deemed an emergency and can wait until the office re-opens or if there is an alternative.  The following will be considered:
  • Serious risk to health and safety
  • Risk to serious structural damage to the property
  • Heating isn’t working where there is no alternative (eg: stove, portable heaters)
  • Blocked toilet, where the property only has one toilet
 
We would also permit you calling out a local tradesman and advising us that you have done this once the office re-opens.  Again, this should only be done if an emergency situation arises.
HOUSE MOVES
Again, no restrictions have been imposed by the Scottish Government concerning moving in or out of your home but we ask that you apply the following health and safety measures whilst moving from the property:
  • Please minimise the number of trips to and from the property, as practically possible.
  • Please minimise the number of people going to and entering the property – and this should be restricted to members of your own family/household.
  • Adopt social isolating guidelines with regard to other people ie: neighbours etc.  Ensuring a minimum of 2 meters distance from anyone who is not a member of your household
  • Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer each time you enter each property, and continue to keep hands clean and do not touch your face when going in and out of the properties.
  • Please ensure that anyone within your household who has symptoms or is shielding from the virus does not move house.
ARREARS
Although changes have been made in the way people have been asked to work (ie: work from home if you can), no sectors have yet been asked to close.  However, given the time of year and changes to social plans, we understand that some tenants may find themselves affected financially.  If you feel you may have trouble paying your rent in the new year, it’s important that you let us know as soon as possible and also find out what help you may be entitled to.  In the first instance, we would advise you to visit https://www/gov/scot/universal-credit or https://www.highland.gov.uk/directory_record/20776/universal_credit
You can also get free advice from the following agencies:
Thank you for your patience and co-operation in this uncertain time for us all.  If you have any queries at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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