What Happens if You Don’t Make Access Available?

The gas safety test is a legal obligation, but more importantly it is for your safety, particularly as the smoke detectors in your home are tested at the same time.

So, if we can not get access we will have no option than to pursue a course of action designed to ensure we obtain access.  The access process that we follow is explained below.

• Approximately 2 weeks prior to the due date for the gas safety check, Sadeh Lok’s contractor will write to you direct giving a date and morning (AM) or afternoon (PM) slot for when they intend to visit your home
• If the time is inconvenient to you, let our Customer Service Team know on 01484 435715 choose option 1 and they will rearrange the appointment for a date which is more convenient to you.
• You can also contact the contractor directly to arrange an alternative appointment as well as letting our Customer Services team know. Contact Aqua Interiors on 01484 866866
• If access to your home was difficult in the previous year, you will also get a letter from Sadeh Lok reminding you of the importance of the gas safety check – this is known as our Early Access letter
• This letter acknowledges that there were access difficulties last year and offers an early opportunity for the resident to contact Sadeh Lok so that any specific circumstances that might make access difficult for you can be discussed and resolved to everyone’s mutual satisfaction
• On the appointment date, our contractor will call and if they do not get access they will leave a card requesting that you contact them directly to arrange another appointment
• If the contractor fails to get access on the second attempt, they will notify Sadeh Lok and our formal no access process will commence
• Initially we will try making contact with you by phone/e-mail - if there is no response, we issue a letter to you confirming that you are now in our no access system and alerting you to the possibility of legal action – at this point we will also raise a charge against you for £15 to cover part of the administration costs in chasing you for access
• If you do not respond to this letter, we will instruct our solicitors to commence proceedings to force access – a letter will be issued to you by our solicitor confirming they have been instructed to commence action against you – at this point a further £25 will be charged against you to cover part of the administration costs in chasing you for access
• If you have still not contacted us and allowed access, Court papers will be issued for either an Injunction For Access or Notice of Intention of Seeking Possession depending on your circumstances – a letter will be issued confirming this and an invoice will be raised against you for a sum that could be as much as £200

Clearly, it is everyone’s interest to avoid any problems over access.  Sadeh Lok for its part will always try and make arrangements that reflect any specific circumstances that might present difficulties to a resident in making access available – so if you find yourself in this situation give Sadeh Lok’s Customer Service Team a call on 01484 435715 choose option 1.

Sadeh Lok Housing is a member of the Kirklees Carbon Monoxide Awareness Campaign group, who, in association with the Dominic Rodgers Trust and COCAA to raise awareness on the silent killer – follow this link to find out more

http://www.becarbonmonoxideaware.com/cocaa_members.html#slide3