Our service to the tenant: Whether considering renting a property through us or if you are an existing tenant we are committed to offering and maintaining high standards of customer service to our valued tenants. We have put this page together to inform our tenants as a quick guide.

• Maintenance
• Utility companies
• Who supplies my gas or electric?
• Mail
• White goods
• Rent payments
• Deposits and End of Tenancy
• Insurance

Maintenance

Agency Closed - No hot water and heating or serious water leak please telephone Chris Redgate on 07970 813145

During office hours all urgent maintenance should be reported to our office on 01323 731700.

We would strongly advise that non-urgent maintenance requests are put in writing. You can send these to us or email us at maintenance@equityresidential.co.uk

For a list of our contractors please click here

Utility companies

Contact telephone numbers for utility services:

• British Gas: 0845 6091122
• EDF: (electricity) 0800 056888
• South East Water: 0845 3010845
• Southern Water (sewerage) 0845 2720845
• Eastbourne Council: 01323 410000
• Wealden Council: 01323 443322

As a Tenant you are responsible for the utility bills. A problem that new tenants often have is finding out who supplies their gas and electric. We would advise that you telephone the local supplier as listed above.

Propertys with pre-paid meters for gas and electric are supplied to you with some credit on. Exact amounts will be detailed on your Schedule Of Conditions. Please ensure that they are in credit when you hand them back and with the keys and cards in the meter.

Who supplies my gas or electric?

If after you have been at the property for a couple of weeks you still haven’t received anything in the post you should try and find out who your supplier is by other means.

The 'M Number Enquiry Line' (formerly Transco) provides gas consumers with a dedicated telephone number to establish who is the current registered gas supplier at their premises. The M Number Enquiry Line number is 0870 608 1524 

You can find out who your electricity supplier is by contacting your local electricity distribution company . You should ask for their Meter Point Administration Service (MPAS). If you are not sure who the company is contact energywatch

Mail

All mail received addressed to your property that is not intended for you or your household should be
‘returned to sender’ and not handed to us, your agent, for forwarding.

If you receive any mail addressed for your landlord, please notify our Eastbourne office.

White Goods

The upkeep of white goods such as washing machines and fridges are the responsibility of the Tenant if your property was rented unfurnished or has otherwise been agreed with your landlord. If however, such white goods have come to the end of their natural life please inform us immediately. With the permission of the landlord they will be removed for you.

Rent payments

Rental payments should be made by standing order, cheque form or you can pay using a debit card.  Payments by cheque should be received by Equity Residential four full working days prior to the rent due date. Tenants paying rent directly into our account should contact the office to confirm credit, as payments of rent in this way may be overlooked.
If there is a change in your circumstances and you are going to claim Housing Benefit, please inform us immediately.

Deposits and End of Tenancy

Your deposit is protected by The Dispute Service within 14 days of you moving in. At the end of your tenancy we will return your deposit within 14 days of receiving the keys back. Your Tenancy is not legally surrendered until we receive all the keys back. A charge of £50.00 for replacing locks and keys will be deducted from your deposit if keys are not returned. You may also be charged rent for each day the keys are witheld as you will not have legally surrendered your Tenancy. More information regarding your deposit can be found in your Tenancy Agreement.

On surrender of your Tenancy the property should be returned in the same condition as detailed on your Schedule Of Condition ( fair wear and tear excepted ). The most common deductions made from deposits are cleaning costs so please ensure you clean the property thoroughly before you hand it back.

Insurance

Equity Residential works in partnership with Endsleigh to offer all of our tenants low cost specialist contents cover. As your Letting Agent we would like to stress the importance of taking out contents insurance when moving into a rented accommodation as it offers valuable protection for your contents and your deposit. It is an inexpensive way to cover yourself against many potential perils such as:

• Theft
• Fire
• Water Damage
• Legal Liability to the Public and your Landlord and protecting your deposit

You can have a policy for just yourself or everyone in the property. You can even cover yourself against accidental damage or loss of items which you take out of the house!

For an online quote please Click here or call Endsleigh 0800 783 2526 … and remember to tell them who your letting agent is!