✔ Keep the property in good condition and inform the Trust when repairs are required. You are also responsible for any damage caused by your visitors.

✔ Decorate the interior of the property – internal walls, doors, ceilings and woodwork. Remember, dark paint and wallpaper are not permitted.

✔ Ensure that no changes or alterations are made to the property without first receiving permission from the Trust in writing. For example; any electrical works, changes to kitchens, fitted wardrobes, bathroom fixtures and fittings, floor & wall tiles etc.

✔ Allow reasonable access to the Trust’s staff or agents working on the Trust’s behalf for repairs or inspections.

✔ Ventilate the property effectively to prevent the build-up of condensation and ensure that any vents provided are not blocked or obstructed.

✔ Operate your heating system in accordance with the instructions provided. Do not interfere with heating system valves, vents or switches.

✔ Do not move, cover or damage any smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors.

✔ Replace batteries in smoke & heat detectors when required.

✔ Replace light bulbs and fluorescent tubes.

✔ Do not keep waste or possessions in the property that may make exit and entry difficult, block ventilation or increase the risk of fire. Do not leave the block entrance door ajar.

✔ Do not remove, alter or prop open fire doors or remove door closers.

✔ Do not remove escape route or emergency evacuation signage.

✔ Do not flush wet wipes, sanitary items, make-up wipes or kitchen towel down the toilet.

✔ Do not fix satellite dishes, CCTV or any equipment to the exterior of the property, or, to the building containing the property. Such equipment will be removed.

Outside your home

✔ Exterior walls, doors, window sills, window frames, closers and sash cords.

✔ Exterior painting and decorating.

✔ Roof, gutters, drains and down pipes.

✔ Chimneys, chimney stacks and flues.

✔ Pathways and steps.

✔ Storage sheds that may be rented along with your property.

1. Call your estate phone line.

Once we receive your call, we’ll follow the steps outlined below. If nobody is available, leave a voicemail with details about the repair and make sure to include your phone number. Your voicemail will be picked up by your estate manager as soon as possible. You can also report the repair directly to your estate manager.

2. We’ll assess whether the repair is an emergency, urgent or routine.

A member of staff may need to arrange an appointment with you to assess the repair. It’s important that somebody is at home when we call or the repair will be cancelled, and a new repair request will have to be logged.

3. Your estate manage will prepare a works order.

4. The contractor will contact you to arrange an appointment.

Again, it’s essential that somebody is at home at the agreed time to allow the contractor to carry out the repair.

5. Finally, you must sign the works order.

You must sign the works order to confirm that the repair has been completed satisfactorily. If you are not at home when the job is completed, the estate manager will sign off on the works order. We may get in touch with you afterwards and ask you to complete a Tenant Satisfaction Form.

If you need to report an emergency between the hours of 5.30pm and 8.30am, you can call the Iveagh Trust’s after-hours helpline.

When there is an emergency, call the number provided. The call centre will go through the call with you to determine what type of incident it is. If it is deemed an emergency they will contact an engineer, explain the issue and send someone out to resolve the matter. All calls are responded to within 4 hours of the initial call.

Before calling, first consider:

1. Is it really an emergency?

2. Can it wait until morning?

3. Does it fit within the emergency scenarios listed in the previous section?

Who will call to your home will change from time to time. Various contractors will attend to calls i.e. plumbers, electricians etc. All contractors are vetted by The Iveagh Trust, they are Garda vetted and they will carry ID.

Any damage to your home caused by you as the tenant, or a visitor, is deemed to be a rechargeable repair.

The Trust may rectify the damage, however, the cost of the work will be recharged to you as the tenant. We will let you know in advance if the works will be recharged and the likely cost of the repair. We may allow you to make arrangements to repay rechargeable repairs over a period of time or instruct you to carry out the works yourself in a reasonable time frame.

Examples of rechargeable repairs include:

✔ blockage of waste pipes through misuse; wet wipes, food waste, kitchen roll etc.

✔ removed or damaged detectors

✔ removal of permanent fixtures without approval

✔ damage caused to windows, walls and doors

✔ lost keys or fobs

✔ broken glass

✔ damage to window restrictors

We will require access to your home to carry out routine servicing or inspections throughout the year.

The most common type of services include:
- Gas boiler and heat pump servicing - Electrical testing - Checking internal fire alarm detectors (where they are connected to communal system)

We will always let you know before we call. As part of your tenancy agreement you are required to provide access to the Trust’s staff or contractors working on our behalf.

Inspections may also be carried out annually and are required so that we can assess the condition of the property to help us plan for future maintenance and repair works. They are also an opportunity for you to highlight issues that may need attention.

Decorating the interior of the property is your responsibility.

Typically, this would include painting of internal walls, doors, ceilings and woodwork. You do not need to make a written request before carrying out these works, but remember that you will need to obtain permission from the Trust in writing before carrying out any other improvements or alterations.

All new properties are inspected for defects prior to handover; however, it is normal for small repairs to emerge as the property is occupied.

These are known as defects or snags. Usually, the builder who constructed the property will deal with building repairs that arise during the first 6 to 12 months, known as the snagging period.

For example, small cracks in plasterwork may emerge that will need to be repaired – for this reason you are asked not to carry out any decoration works for the first 12 months so that defects can be easily identified and resolved by the builder who constructed the property.

While the Trust will ensure that the property is provided to you in good condition and everything is in good working order, decorating the property is your responsibility and we may provide you with an allowance for decoration to assist with the cost of paint or painting equipment when you move in.

We hope that you make your home your own and understand that you may want to make some improvements or changes over time.

However, you must first request and receive permission in writing for any alterations or adaptations to your home, before you can proceed with the work.

✔ the work should be of a satisfactory standard and carried out by competent contractors.

✔ all tradesmen or contractors must have the required insurance.

✔ gas or electrical work must be carried out by registered installers or fitters.

✔ the work should not disturb your neighbours.

✔ the improvement should not involve any cost to the Trust.

Almost all applications are approved as long as the request is reasonable and meets these conditions. However, the requirement to request permission before carrying out any works is strictly enforced and failure to receive permission, in writing, is a breach of your tenancy agreement. You will be liable for any costs incurred by the Trust to rectify any unauthorised works.

Any permanent fixture added or removed:

✔ Kitchen alterations

✔ Bathroom alterations

✔ Fitted wardrobes

✔ Electrical alterations including sockets, switches and light pendants

✔ Plumbing alterations

✔ Removal or installation of wall or floor tiles

✔ Removal or replacement of windows and doors

✔ Installation of suspended ceilings, partitions or feature walls

✔ Removal or obstruction of smoke detectors or ventilation systems

The Iveagh Trust is proud of the properties that we own and manage and many of our staff live and work on our estates. Trustees take their responsibility to look after these buildings very seriously, and we ask that you do too. Working together, we can ensure that our estates are great places to live with thriving communities!

We’ll do our best to rectify any problems that are our responsibility as soon as we can, but there are also things that you can do to help limit any damage to your home, or prevent a problem occurring.

Find out where the valve to turn off the water in your home is located. If you’re unsure, ask us and we’ll be happy to help. It’s a good idea to record the location on the inside cover of this booklet for easy reference.

If a leak does occur, place a bowl or bucket under the leak and use towels to limit any damage. Call us as soon as you can.

Never dispose of food waste, oil, wet-wipes, kitchen towel or other bulky items down the toilet or the plug hole of your sink. If you do have a blockage, plungers, washing- up liquid and cleaning agents can help. First, remove as much water as you can from the basin. Try applying some washing-up liquid around the plug hole to lubricate the blocked material. Hold a cloth over the overflow opening and place the plunger over the plug hole. Pumping the plunger quickly should release the blockage and allow water to drain freely again.

If your heating system has broken down, there are some basic checks you can carry out before calling your estate phone line:

✔ Check your thermostat, it may be set at too low a temperature.

✔ Check your heating timer, it may be stuck on the wrong setting.

✔ Ensure that there is power to your boiler. If none of the above resolve the issue, call us and we’ll arrange to have it looked at.

Condensation happens when moisture in the air comes into contact with a cool surface. If this condensation cannot dry out, it can cause mould to grow on surfaces – especially on outside walls, windows, tiles and even clothes.

Our bodies alone produce a lot of moisture in the air every day.
Additional moisture in your home is also created by common daily tasks like:
✔ Cooking & boiling water
✔ Drying clothes indoors
✔ Taking baths or showers

Ventilating and heating your home is key to preventing the build up of any condensation and damaging mould growth.