Welcome to your new home! We hope you’re looking forward to settling in and enjoying your lovely new place.
This Guide contains important information about living your new home. Please read this along with your Tenancy Agreement so that you understand your responsibilities for your home.
We’re proud to build high-quality, modern and sustainable homes which people can enjoy living in. While your new place has been built to a high environmental standard this Guide also gives you some tips about how you can help reduce your impact on the environment too.
If English is not your first language, or you need this handbook in an alternative format, please call 01865 249811.
We’re starting with the important, but unusual stuff, because if you’re unlucky enough to find yourself with an emergency, you’ll need this information quickly and easily.
An emergency repair is needed when there is:
Make sure you know where the shut-off valves and switches are located in and around your home (see your “New Home” section).
You may be charged for call-outs which are not emergencies or are problems caused by neglect or damage.
If you smell gas:
DO NOT switch any lights or equipment on
DO turn off the gas supply at the meter
DO open the windows and doors
DO telephone the National Grid Gas Emergency number to report a leak 0800 111 999
If your electricity fails:
Call British Gas on 02380 227975
Burst water main:
Call Thames Water on 0845 920 0888
All other defects should be reported to Oxford City Council.
Telephone (Freephone number): 01865 249811
Email: Await contact info from OCHL
Head office
St Aldate’s Chambers
109 -113 St Aldate’s
Oxford
OX1 1DS
In 2016, Oxford City Council established OX Place as its own housing company to create high-quality, genuinely affordable homes in the City.
At OX Place, we’re responsible for building the homes local people need. Our profits are invested back into the city, to provide essential services for local people, and into building more homes for people who need them.
We have built your new home to a high standard and paid lots of attention to detail, but inevitably things can slip through the net.
OX Place are responsible for rectifying defects that occur in your home during the first 12 months after completion. Non-urgent defects are usually sorted out at your 12-month defect inspection, but you can always call us to discuss anything you are unsure about before then.
If you experience any problems, please report them to us directly. Our Customer Service team will assess the defect and let you know if it should be reported the developer straight away or whether it can be dealt with during your 12-month inspection. We’re here to reassure you about any issues you may have.
At the end of the 12-month defects period we will arrange to inspect your home. We will note down any defects will be noted and will make an appointment with you so they can be fixed.
If you have any queries or problems, please contact us by calling 01865 249811.
Before you ring to report a defect, please check through this manual so that you can be specific about the problem. We will arrange access at a time convenient to you (Monday-Friday between 9am and 4pm).
Here’s how defects are officially categorised (we work to a national framework which sets this out).
A Emergency – requires fixing within 24 hours
These are to make your home safe if there is a real risk of injury or major damage to your home or your home is not secure. They can include:
B Urgent – requires fixing within 3 days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) or quicker if there are exceptional circumstances such as someone’s medical condition.
These are generally small repairs to your home to prevent major inconvenience to you, prevent immediate damage to your home, or prevent a health or security problem. They can include:
C Routine – requires fixing within 28 days or put into a programme of work.
These are all other repairs that don’t fall into the other categories. This is used for non-urgent repairs that do not cause immediate inconvenience or danger. They can include:
If we make an appointment to come and assess a problem with your home it’s important you are there. We do reserve the right to charge for missed appointments or where the defect is clearly caused by vandalism or misuse, and we won’t fix any defects caused this way.
Some small cracks may appear in your walls as the plaster dries out, this is perfectly normal and is not a defect. You can easily fill them with some decorating filler and paint over it.
Around 12 months after the building has been completed, we will arrange to inspect your home to identify any defects that may need attention.
It’s our responsibility to fix any defects free of charge within the first 12 months of you owning your home, so we need to make the visit so we can make a record of what, if anything, needs doing.
We’ll really appreciate your help in giving us access to your home, at a time we arrange with you, so that we can make the assessment. After this visit, the first year defect guarantee will end.
You might have heard about “running in” sometimes in relation to new cars. It’s basically the time it takes for everything to settle in, and the same idea applies to new homes.
While it was being built, the materials will have absorbed moisture. As the building dries out during your first year of living there, the wood and plaster will shrink as the moisture evaporates. This is what causes the small cracks to appear. They aren’t anything to worry about, and are easily fixed when you decorate.
We will, of course, carefully check out and fix any larger cracks which aren’t caused by drying out.
We know you’ll be excited about decorating your shiny new home. Just remember that if you’ve decorated during the first 12 months and we need to fill any larger cracks, you will probably need to decorate again or at least paint over where the new filler is. It’s also worth keeping a note of the colours you’ve used in case you need to touch anything up after the 12-month inspection.
If you choose not to decorate during the first year in your new home and we need to fix any large cracks, we will make sure any small bits of redecorating are done in the original colour.
You can keep cracking due to shrinkage to a minimum by:
This section explains the key features of your new home including some key environmental features and energy/water saving tips.
Your home has electricity, water, and gas connections. It is important to make sure you know where the shut-off valves are for each of these services, in case of an emergency.
When you set up your utility accounts, you may be asked to supply detailed information about your new meter. All the information you will need to set up these up is on your meter and key sheet at the end of this document.
It’s important to set up your accounts and provide meter readings quickly when you move in to ensure your bills are accurate and the energy supplier knows you are the home owners.
When you move in British Gas* will be your supplier for electricity and gas. However, we encourage you to shop around to get the best prices for your energy.
Your home will come with a smart electricity meter, however your gas meter is a standard readable unit, Please request your gas account to be put on to smart gas metering.
*For help and advice regarding your supply or bill enquiries please contact British Gas on 0333 202 9802
To avoid any confusion, we recommend that you do not change your suppliers until after you have received your first bill.
To keep things safe, we have fitted what’s called an earth bond clamp to various bits of equipment in your home. They have a green and yellow cable connect to them, and act to “earth” the equipment, giving electricity a fast route to ground and minimising the risk of electrocution.
For your safety, please do not to interfere with these.
The electricity cable comes into your home through your electricity meter, found in your hallway cupboard, and from there goes to a fuse box, or consumer unit, like the one in the picture. The meter and cable are the property of the electricity company – for your safety, please leave them alone.
If you break any of the seals within your meter cupboard will could be prosecuted and have your electricity supply cut off.
Your fuse board, or consumer unit
The electrical consumer unit is usually in the hallway cupboard. The trip switches are all marked showing what they operate.
Only qualified electricians can work on consumer units. There is a very real risk of getting injured if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Your consumer control unit contains:
Main Switch
When this is in the ‘Off’ position, all of the circuits are then isolated from the electrical supply (known as dead).
Residual Current Devices (RCD’s)
It’s common to set up a consumer unit so that if there’s fault on one part of your electrics you can still have light and power in part of your home.
Regulations mean your consumer unit has two RCDs. They are linked to various circuits within your house – usually those to the left of the RCD. Because there are two, if there’s a fault on one part of the system, the other part should still be working.
When the RCD’s are in the ‘Off’ position all circuits are then isolated from the electrical supply (dead).
Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB’s)
MCBs tend to be linked to individual appliances. They are very sensitive and will switch off is there’s a fault with the appliance they are linked to. You might know this as “tripping a switch” or say the power has “tripped off”.
If this happens, first disconnect/switch off all your appliances at the plug. Then switch back on the MCB which is off. Turn on your appliances one at a time until the MCB switches off again. That’s the one with the potential fault – so get professional advice on getting it fixed.
Circuit breakers
When these are in the ‘Off’ position only the individual circuits connected to the current breakers are then isolated (dead) from the electrical supply.
Using your consumer unit
To make circuits ‘live’ To make circuits ‘dead’
If a power circuit(s) fails it could be because:
To get the circuit working again;
The lighting can fail if a bulb blows:
Remember – changing light bulbs is your responsibility as the tenant.
General plugs and amps advice
There are electric sockets in all rooms, except the bathroom and toilet areas. All electrical appliances you intend to use must be fitted with a three-pin square 13-amp plug with cartridge fuse of the correct rating. If you’re buying new appliances for your new home, don’t worry, they’ll have the right plugs and fuses. If your appliances are more “vintage”, check the list below for standard fuse ratings.
The following are the most common fuse ratings for most appliances
Please check the fuse ratings for any of your appliances with your supplier
REMEMBER THAT ELECTRICITY IS DANGEROUS AND CAN KILL, SO:
Keep a torch handy by the control box for emergencies
Your home is connected to a gas supply. This connects to your boiler, which heats water for central heating and hot water.
The gas supply has an emergency control valve which you’ll find in the hallway cupboard inside your flat. This will stop and start your gas supply.
Your gas meter is in a meter box on the external wall of the building. There is another stopcock in this meter box which is the main point to disconnect your supply.
Any work on the gas installation must be carried out by a suitably qualified and registered person. Only people who are qualified are on the Gas Safe register, so check it before having any work done.
If you smell gas:
Your water supply passes through a stopcock which you’ll find under the kitchen sink.
Stopcocks turn off the water supply. If you have a major water leak, turn off your stop cock immediately as the first step to stop water coming into your home. This will minimise the damage and allow you or a qualified plumber to fix the issue.
Your water meter is outside in the main hallway cupboard and will have your property number on it.
Just like gas and electricity, you’ll be charged for what you use, and the water company will read the meter to understand your usage. Due to modern technology, this is often done without needing access to your home.
It’s usually straightforward to deal with minor leaks such as dripping taps with without isolating the whole water system. We’ve added isolation valves for the basin and bath so you can switch off the water to these individually. Find them under the basin and behind the bath panel.
You need to report any leak which might result in OX Place or Oxford City Council needing to make a report. If you don’t, you might be charged for any work to repair the problem and decoration.
Tips to remember:
Oxford City Council insures the building you live in – this is known as buildings insurance.
You are responsible for insuring the contents of your home, including your personal possessions. This includes everything in your home – all furniture, your clothes, and things like laptops, TVs and phones.
We strongly advise you arrange a comprehensive policy covering your contents as soon as you move in and make sure the level of cover is adequate. You can use online calculators to estimate the value of what you own to make sure you have enough cover.
For more information about insurance, the different types and why you need it, check out Insuring your home | Insuring your home | Oxford City Council.
We all want to think we live in a lovely and safe area, but it’s still practical to do everything you can to keep yourself and your things safe.
We advise that you do not open the front door until you are satisfied that you either know who is there, or they have shown you satisfactory identification.
We advise that you:
Your flat will have either an individual bike store in either the rear or front garden (ground floor flats only) or storage within the main bike store on the ground floor. We strongly recommend that you use a strong security rated bike lock.
What to do if there’s a fire:
No one wants to think about the worst-case scenario, but it’s better to be prepared.
Familiarise yourself now with the advice if there’s a fire in your home or building. If you live in an apartment, read the fire signage and know where your nearest fire exit and meeting point are. Make a mental note of the fire alarm points within the building so you can set the fire alarm off if you need to.
It’s just as important if you live in a house to know how you would get out in the event of a fire.
Think now about possible escape routes from your home.
Your home is fitted with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to help keep you safe. You’ll find smoke detectors on the ceiling in the entrance hallway and living room.
There’s a combined carbon monoxide alarm and heat detector in the kitchen close to the boiler.
Your smoke alarm detectors are in the lounge and hall.
They are both electrically mains wired with battery backup in case of mains failure.
You need to regularly test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Do this by pressing the test button. The detectors are sensitive to dust so to save them going off (and disturbing you in the night!) you can clean them with the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner.
Take care to prevent false alarms from cooking (burnt toast, for example) by keeping doors closed and using your kitchen extractor fan.
If your carbon monoxide detector alarm goes off:
There’s also a heat detector on the ceiling in the kitchen. They are wired to the mains for power with battery backup in case of mains failure.
Heat detectors are less prone to false alarm situations in the kitchen as they respond to heat rather than smoke. Just like smoke detectors, you need to regularly clean them with the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner.
Your home is heated by hot water radiators in all rooms, fired by a gas boiler. The level of heat is controlled by an electronic thermostat. The combined thermostat and boiler controller is on the wall in the hall and generally should be set at about 20 C. Your home user pack has the instructions for using the thermostat.
You can set the time of day that your heating automatically comes on using the programmable thermostat.
Radiators are fed from the boiler. On each radiator there is a thermostatic valve (except in the room with the thermostat on the wall). Adjusting this valve regulate the level of heat in the room, giving you more control over the heating.
You can alter the temperature of the supply to the central heating from the boiler. Take a look at your user manual to see how.
Making adjustments as the weather warms up makes your home much more energy-efficient – and can also help to reduce your energy bills.
Just using the thermostat to reduce the temperature in your home by one degree can dramatically reduce your energy consumption.
For the first 12 months, if there’s a problem with your heating, Oxford City Council might be responsible for repairs. Before calling, here are some practical steps you can take which might get your heating and hot water working sooner than waiting for an engineer.
Water is heated by your boiler. You are able to adjust the temperature of the hot water by adjusting your boiler. The time of day that your water comes on is set using the single channel timer switch.
Take a look at your boiler user manual for details of how to make these and other changes. Your combined thermostat and boiler controller is in the hallway or living area.
If your hot water is not working, please carry out the same process as for heating (above) before calling Oxford City Council.
Your fitted kitchen has kitchen units and laminated worktops. Spaces have been provided for a cooker and fridge/freezer. There’s space in the hall cupboard for a washing machine and tumble drier – see advice on ventilation below.
Your electrical appliances are plugged into 13amp sockets which are on the wall above your worktops, close to each appliance. This allows you to turn off your appliances at the wall if you need to.
If you choose to replace any of your appliances, make sure they are fitted by a suitably qualified person.
Your kitchen is fitted with a stainless steel mixer tap which has a flow restrictor to limit the flow of water and act as a water-saving feature.
Your tap has a high-quality finish. To keep it in good condition you don’t need to use harsh cleaning products, just wipe it with a soft damp cloth, and use washing up liquid to remove any stains.
If you use other cleaning products your tap’s finish is likely to wear off or become damaged. Things like bath cleaning powders – even the non-scratch kind – will damage it, so stick with a damp cloth and washing up liquid for cleaning it.
Your bathroom door is fitted with a lever handle and a lock. In an emergency, this can be opened from the outside using the ‘coin slot’.
The taps in your bathroom have been fitted with flow restrictors that limit the flow of water and act as a water-saving feature.
You have a shower over the bath which also has a flow restrictor fitted. Look after your bathroom taps and shower the same way as your kitchen tap – with a damp cloth and washing up liquid if there are stains.
Your bathroom has a shaver socket which can also be used to charge electric toothbrushes. Check your shaver/toothbrush voltage and plug into the side with either 115V or 230V written on it.
To keep homes free from damp it’s important there is some air flow. Your home has continuous extract ventilation installed in the kitchen and bathroom. This MUST be left on.
The light switch in the bathroom will trigger a boost on the fan. In the kitchen there is a separate boost switch.
Usually there’s a switch to turn the ventilation on/off above the door to your kitchen and bathroom. You should leave the fans on at all times as cooking and using the bathroom can make a home steamy, which can make it damp.
Mould can grow in a damp home, and that’s especially bad for people with breathing conditions like asthma. That’s why we’ve created good ventilation with the fans in your kitchen and bathroom.
There’s space in your hall cupboard for a washing machine or combined washer/dryer. You should not put a standard tumble drier in here as there is no dedicated extract. A standard tumble drier could lead to issues with damp, so you’ll need a fully condensing type which must be professionally fitted.
Your home has been fitted with standard low energy light bulbs. They are easy to change, but, as with all things electrical, it’s worth you taking some safety precautions.
To replace a pendant lighting bulb, turn off the electricity supply and let the bulb cool down for around 10 minutes to avoid being burnt. (Bulbs can get hot if they’ve been on for a while).
To replace a bulb:
The windows in your new home are aluminium / timber composite casement windows.
Your windows lock tightly shut using a number of bolts which lock into grooves in the window frame when the handle is in the closed position. It’s a good safety feature which works automatically linked to the window handle.
Turn the key, push the key and button in, lift the handle and push the window open. On first floor windows, the window will only open as far as the width restrictor allows. Depending upon the type of home you have, some of your windows might be “tilt and turn”, which means the windows move differently.
Push away from the pin. The restrictor will automatically re-engage when you close the window. Windows are fitted as a safety feature, particularly for small children. We recommend you leave them on your windows.
Grip the handle, pull the window in and turn the handle down. Turn the key to lock. This engages the bolts around the window frame too.
Clean the frames and glass every three months using mild, non-scouring cleaner and a soft cloth.
Don’t use any tools with sharp edges such as a knife, metal scrapers, steel wool or scouring pads.
Use a lubricating spray such as PTFE on moving parts. Vacuum the grooves that the window sits in to remove dust and dirt to avoid the drainage holes becoming blocked.
| Manufacturer | Range / Colour | |
| Kitchen tiling | Cormar | Oaklands Silver |
| Bathroom tiling | Klifface 300×600 | Klifface White (Grey in colour) or Klifface Pearl (also a grey) |
| Kitchen flooring | Tarkett | Pure Oak, Rustic Duoplank |
| Bathroom flooring | Klifface 300×600 | Klifface White (Grey in colour) or Klifface Pearl (also a grey) |
| Kitchen units | Premiere Kitchens | Light Grey units
|
| Kitchen worktop | Premiere Kitchens | Premier Kitchens, Nuvolento Worktop |
There is always some moisture in the air, even if you can’t see it. If the air gets colder, it can’t hold all the moisture and tiny drops of water appear. This is condensation. You notice it when you see your breath on a cold day, or when the mirror mists over when you have a bath.
Condensation is water produced when warm and moist air, such as steam, comes into contact with a cooler surface such as glass. It causes dampness that can damage clothes, bedding, and carpets. It can encourage mould growth and most importantly it can damage your health.
Look for it in corners, on or near windows, in or behind wardrobes and cupboards. It often forms on north-facing walls. Due to the amount of water used when building new homes, they are particularly likely to suffer from condensation.
You might also notice white deposits on the inside or outside walls of your home. Known as efflorescence, it’s caused by salts in the building materials forming. On external walls it will eventually disappear. You can clear internal walls by wiping or brushing with a dry brush.
The most common causes in the home are:
In modern homes built to high standards like the ones OX Place builds it can be fairly easy to deal with condensation:
Your home has modern central heating, so you shouldn’t need to use any other heating types. Gas (LPG/Calor Gas) heaters are especially dangerous – they produce moisture but also increase the risk of fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Cupboards and wardrobes can be ventilated simply by leaving the doors ajar to help circulate the air. Avoid putting too many things in them as this can stop the air circulation.
Leave a space between the back of the wardrobe and walls, and if possible avoid putting wardrobes and large pieces of furniture against external walls.
Please remember that a large quantity of water is used in the construction of a new building and it will take several months to dry out fully. It is really important to ventilate the property well, and it is better to leave the heating on all the time on a low setting, rather than let the air get cold and then heat it up (which increases condensation and uses up more power).
All external walls to your property are built with masonry (blockwork) inner skin that has a plasterboard layer with a skimmed finish.
Heavier items can be fixed onto your walls using suitably sized wall plugs and screws. Please make sure the wall plug and screw go right through the plaster or plasterboard, well into the blockwork.
Internal partitions are stud walls, built with wood and plasterboard before receiving a thin coat of plaster. With these kinds of walls, you need to be more careful about what you hang on them, as they don’t provide as much strength as drilling into brick.
It should be easy to hang small pictures and other small items on picture hooks, either single or double nail types.
If you want to hang heavy pictures and mirrors you’ll need a stronger type of fitting. Use a suitable plaster board toggle type wall plug which can support the load. These go through the plasterboard into the cavity and are available from hardware and DIY shops.
If hanging an item through tiles, keep the end of the wall plug level with the plaster face and not the face of the tile.
Ceilings use plasterboard fixed to the underside of a metal frame and are generally not suitable for fixing items to.
Be careful when nailing or drilling into walls or ceilings to avoid contact with any electric cables or pipes which may lie beneath the surface. You can check for buried pipes and cables using a detector which you can buy at a DIY shop (see picture).
A useful rule of thumb is that electric cables normally run vertically or horizontally from a socket or switch so avoid fixing in these positions. Also, some heating pipes to and from radiators may also drop next to window openings. Please take extra care if drilling in these areas.
We know it’s exciting to have a home of your own and to be able to decorate it however you please. As it’s a new home, there is some settling which takes place and you get a 12-month warranty which means defects will be fixed after the 12-month inspection mentioned earlier in this guide.
Because your home needs to dry out and settle, we recommend you don’t wallpaper walls in your new home until after the 12-month inspection. If you do, it might be hard to see any issues on those walls and we won’t be able to fix them and make good for you.
If you paint walls which then develop large cracks which need fixing, we won’t be able to re-do the decoration for you after they are fixed. If you’re happy to keep some spare paint or a note of the colour so you can re-paint a wall if it needs fixing, you can go ahead and decorate to your heart’s content!
If you want to make significant alterations to your home, for example, moving internal walls or building an extension, speak to Oxford City Housing for advice first. If you don’t get written permission to make alterations, you may void the warranty on your home.
If this is your first home, you might find it useful to know how to keep it clean while retaining that shiny new home finish.
Your glazed ceramic tiles can be cleaned by removing any loose dirt or grit with a dry cloth, then washing with warm water and a neutral, low sulphate detergent.
Regularly using cleaning products which are more acidic or alkaline can cause irreversible damage to the tile surface. Many degreasing agents that contain wax, sodium silicate or other additives leave a sticky deposit which means they attract dirt – best to avoid these.
After a further rinse with clean water to remove any traces of the detergent solution, wipe down the tiles with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Abrasive powders can scratch the tile surface so stick with mild cleaning products.
Check for signs of damage every three months or so. Over time the grout lines between the tiles may become discoloured. You can buy products for refreshing grouting. Do please check the instructions for use.
Basins and sinks should only be cleaned with recommended products to avoid damaging their surfaces (e.g. Cif/Ajax cream or similar cleaners). Do not use scouring or gritty powders. Bleach should not be mixed with lavatory cleaners and should not be left to stand in stainless steel sinks. Use a non-abrasive cleaner instead.
Do not polish this kind of flooring (you’ll make it really slippery!). Instead use wet or dry suction cleaning or a broom. Don’t allow timber flooring to stay wet.
A carpet looks good and lasts well only if you take care of it. Please remember that wearing rubber-soled shoes and trainers can cause extra wear just as stilettos and metal-tipped heels can. We recommend a regular light clean with a vacuum cleaner or carpet sweeper, together with a thorough vacuuming once or twice a week.
Clean light fittings only with a soft dry cloth. Do not use any chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or anything damp.
You can get rid of finger marks and similar using a damp, soft cloth. Please do not use abrasive household cleaning materials on painted doors.
Modern paints are often made so you can easily wipe them down with a soft wet cloth. You can use mild soap or cleaning products to remove stubborn marks or stains and then wipe again with clean water. Rub with a dry cloth to remove as much moisture as possible then allow to dry.
Using stronger cleaning products might leave a sticky residue, damage the paint finish or colour.
Marks made by oil, grease or wax are not easily removed with soap or detergent. You often find this type of mark around edges of doors or on skirting boards. You can usually remove these kinds of marks by wiping with a clean cloth and white spirit, followed by a wash with cleaning solution and finally rinsing with clean water.
If a blockage happens and the sink is full of water, try to remove the blockage by pushing a flexible rod down the plughole or by using a suction cup plunger to force water up and down the waste pipe. You can reduce the risk of blockages by putting fats, oils, and greases into empty packaging and then into the bin rather than down the drain.
Blockages here are normally caused by a build-up of hair and soap and become noticeable when the bath or basin starts to drain away more slowly. You can try to remove the obstruction by using a piece of bent wire to fish carefully down the plughole to bring up the material which is causing the problem. This must be done gently to avoid damaging the waste pipe.
If your bath or shower has a hair trap, clean this out regularly to help stock blockages.
Even wipes labelled “flushable” don’t break down so should not be flushed down the toilet. You should never flush disposable nappies, face wipes, toilet wipes, period products or anything else down the toilet as they could cause a serious blockage and you would be responsible for any costs to fix it.
If a serious blockage persists, contact Oxford City Council Customer Services by calling 01865 249811.
Your home has been provided with external and internal bin stores for recycling and general waste.
Bins are collected fortnightly from the courtyard on an alternating basis.
You can find information about the waste and recycling services available in your area, including your bin day and what to put in each bin here.
If everyone took just a few simple steps to curb their energy wastage we could have a dramatic effect on cutting the UK’s carbon emissions – and save ourselves a small fortune in energy bills.
Here are some handy tips to save you money, and help reduce our impact on the earth.
Your property has been designed to conserve water and is fitted with a low water content cistern with dual push button flush of 2.5 or 4.5 litres. You don’t have to use the big flush every time and it’s worth teaching children the difference too.
Showers and basin taps are may have been fitted with flow limiters to enable you to use water wisely and lower your water bill.
Due to the good insulation and high standards of airtightness in your home it is important, particularly in winter months, to keep air flowing in bathrooms and kitchens. You will be able to avoid condensation forming within the insulation materials which would reduce their energy saving qualities.
When buying products for your home, remember to think of the environment and consider energy efficient electrical items, timber from sustainable sources and responsibly produced household chemicals.
There are parking spaces in the main car park to the rear of the property. These are not allocated to any properties.
Please do not carry out car oil changes on the surfaced or paved areas as oil can cause damage and you may be charged for making good any damage. This paving is porous and forms part of the drainage strategy if oil gets on to this is will seep into the soil below and contaminate the land.
Do not pour any oil or fuel products down the drains.
Please visit www.oxford.gov.uk to apply for an ANPR (automated Number Plate Recognition) Resident Parking Permit.
You will need to provide:
Contact parking enquiries on 01865 252870 or 01865 252372.
There are electric car chargers in the car park. If you need to use the EV chargers to charge your car, please contact OCC’s Tenancy Management team on 01865 252372.
We have carefully considered how to manage drainage on your development. We use sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) to reduce the amount of water which enters sewerage systems after heavy rain as this can overload the system, causing dirty water to back up into the street, or even people’s homes.
You may see permeable block paving around the development. This allows water to seep through the surface to the material beneath. This helps control how much rainwater ends up in the sewerage system, reducing the chances of flash flooding and of dirty water backing up into streets and homes. These features help to minimise the impact of the development on the environment.
You can read more about SUDS here.
More than 6,000 homes and gardens flood with sewage in the Thames region each year due to blockages. Google “fatbergs” if you want to see one of the reasons.
What you flush could come back up through the toilet, sink or manhole, flooding your home or a neighbour’s. So please be a good neighbour:
Your electrical meter is in your flat hallway next to your consumer unit. The meter number is printed on the side.
Your gas meter is outside the rear doors to the courtyard with a specific meter room (the grey metal door with louvers). They are in separate boxes and are labelled with their meter numbers.
Your water meter is on your core landing within the riser cupboards. This meter is numbered the same as your flat.
We will provide you with the best care possible, but if you would like to contact us about our service here is a link to our comments, compliments and complaints via Oxford City Council.
Please click here to find out more.
https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20097/report_it_online/512/make_a_comment_compliment_or_complaint
OX Place is a trading name of Oxford City Housing Ltd., Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1BX. Company No.: 10212716. Oxford City Housing Ltd. is a housing company of Oxford City Council, set up in 2016. OX Place is a registered trademark. Trademark no.: UK00003806216
Copyright © 2022-2023 Oxford City Housing Ltd.
