Support and assistance

If your electricity cuts out, there are things you can do to find out what caused it where the problem is. 

We also do an electrical safety check in your home every five years.

If your electricity cuts out, you can check what may have caused the power failure.

However, it is not safe to investigate a power supply, switch, socket, or appliance that is not working.

If your building or street has no electricity

If you have a power cut in your home, check if your neighbours are affected as well. 

Check also if the lights or power are working on the stairs or communal areas of your building.

If the power outage affects other people in your building or street, freephone Scottish Power Energy Networks on 105 to report the issue. 

If your home has no electricity

If it's just your property that has no electricity, it's likely the issue is inside your home. 

First, check the main trip switch in your fuse box. The main trip switch controls the power supply in your own house or flat. Your fuse box is usually located next to your electric meter.

If the main trip switch is down, move it back up to turn the power back on. 

If it trips again and the power goes off, contact us and tell us you have no electricity at all. An electrician will come and investigate the problem.

If it's a faulty socket or appliance

The electrical power failure could be caused by a faulty appliance or socket in your home. 

This can happen when:

• there are too many appliances on a circuit, and it's overloaded
• an appliance is faulty
• water has leaked into a circuit or has spilled onto a plug
• there is faulty or damaged wiring in a socket
• a light bulb has blown.

First, check all the trip switches in your fuse box.

The trip switch supplying the faulty appliance or socket can switch off to break the electrical circuit.

If any of them are down, push them to the up position. You may also need turn the main switch off, then on again, to reset the system.

If it trips again and the power goes off, see if you can identify an appliance causing the fault.

Disconnect or unplug the appliances powered by that trip switch and then turn the trip switch back on again.

If this restores the electricity, there may be a problem with one of your appliances. If other appliances work in the same socket, get the appliance checked by a qualified electrician.

If no appliance works in the socket you've identified, contact us and tell us you have no electricity in part of your home. We'll arrange an appointment for an electrician to come and investigate the problem.

If the lighting is not working

If you have no lighting in part of your home, first check if the lightbulb in that part of your house is working or needs to be replaced.

If this does not solve the issue, contact us and tell us you have no lighting in part of your home.

If you've run out of credit

If you use a card meter to top up your electricity supply, the power will be cut off if you do not have enough credit on your account. 

Check the balance of your meter, either on the meter box itself or online. 

If it is too low or zero, you'll you will need to add more credit to reconnect your electricity supply.

Report a housing repair

You can also report an electrical issue by:

• phone on 0300 300 0300
• email at repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Why we need to do a safety check

We have a legal duty to carry out an electrical safety test in your home every five years. 

This means sending an electrician to your home to carry out a safety inspection. 

We do this for the safety of our tenants and our property; and to fulfil our obligations as your landlord.

Before your electrical safety check

We'll send you a letter around 8 weeks before your electrical safety check is due. 

It's important that you respond to this letter. 

You must contact us to book your appointment.

You can book or change your appointment:

• online through the Report a housing repair form
• by phone on 0300 300 0300
• by email at repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

If you forget to contact us, we'll send you a reminder.

Unsafe electrical systems or appliances are dangerous and can cause death or injury, so it is very important that you allow us to carry out these checks. 

Your electrical safety appointment

As part of your tenancy agreement, you must allow us access to your home so that we can carry out these essential checks. 

If you do not, we may have to force entry to your property, and you'll have to pay any costs such as repairs to the door.

Before we arrive, make sure:

• the cupboard or area around the fuse box and electricity meter is clear so the electrician can access it
• all electrical sockets and light switches are accessible.

We'll carry out the inspection in a safe manner and clean switches and surfaces before and after the safety test.

What to do if you're homeless or could become homeless

If you're under 25 years old, we can help if you're homeless or if you're worried you could become homeless.

A youth housing adviser will talk to you, find out more about your situation, and go over your housing options.

Phone us on 0300 300 1203 to get started.

Find out how we can help if you're 25 or older.

Support available

Once you phone us, we'll go through a 'housing options interview' with you to see if we can help you avoid becoming homeless and find a positive route into housing.

If we're not able to prevent you from becoming homeless, we'll provide you with emergency accommodation and offer you support to help you in your journey out of homelessness.

If you have a difficult relationship with your family

We work with young people and their families to rebuild relationships.

We can help:

• if you're still living in your family's home and need support to avoid having to leave
• if you're currently homeless, need a temporary place to stay, and would like to rebuild your relationship with your family.

If you need support to keep your current home

We can work with young people and provide resettlement assistance or housing support which will offer practical guidance to help you:

• set up your home
• keep your tenancy.

If you were in care

If you were in care, we'll help you apply for council housing and ask for an assessment of a higher priority because of your care background. This will help you avoid needing to make a homeless application.

Other support available

If you're not sure if we can help or not, phone us on 0300 300 1203 anyway and tell us about your situation. We'll talk through your options with you.

How we can help

We can get you a temporary place to stay tonight if you:

• are worried about sleeping rough tonight
• are not safe in your current home and do not have anywhere else to go.

The type of temporary housing we'll offer you will depend on your situation and what places we have available right now.

What you need to do

Phone us on 0800 121 4466.

This number is free to call, day or night.

You'll speak to someone from the council who will ask about your situation and offer you an emergency place to stay.

This phone number is for people in an emergency situation who need a temporary place to stay tonight. We have other information and help available if you're homeless or could become homeless within the next 56 days.

If you're homeless now or will become homeless in the next 8 weeks

How we can help

Tell us if you're homeless or if you could become homeless in the next 8 weeks (the next 56 days).

A housing options adviser will talk to you and find out more about your situation. They'll discuss your housing options with you. If you need housing support, they'll refer you to our housing support team.

The housing support team will help you:

• while you're still homeless
• settle into a new, permanent home
• avoid becoming homeless again.

Who we can help

We can help if you're homeless or if you think you'll become homeless in the next 8 weeks. This could include if:

• you've been living with friends or family, and they've asked you to leave
• you're at risk of violence from someone you live with or used to live with
• your landlord evicted you, and you have nowhere to stay
• your current home is unsafe or unsuitable for you to continue living in, and staying there would put you in danger
• you do not have a home or any place to stay right now.

How to apply for help

Phone us on 0300 300 1203.

A housing options adviser will talk to you and explain the next steps.

You can let us know if you'd prefer a male or female adviser.

This phone number is to start the homeless application process. We have other information and help available if you're worried about sleeping rough or need a temporary place to stay tonight.

After you apply

Once we've talked to you, we'll be able to find out if you:

• are homeless or may become homeless in the next 8 weeks
• deliberately did something, or failed to do something, which resulted in you losing your home
• have some local connection to Renfrewshire.

To help us make a decision on these 3 points, we may need to contact people you know, such as:

• your previous landlord
• friends or family who have asked you to leave their home
• other agencies that may have information related to your situation.

We will not contact anyone that would put you at risk.

Once we've determined that you are homeless or may become homeless in the next 8 weeks, we'll work with you to find you a permanent home.

We aim to reach our decision on your homeless situation within 28 days. We'll let you know if that's not enough time to collect all the information we need.

If you need it, we can provide you with a temporary home during the time it takes to find you a permanent home.

If you're worried you could become homeless later on (more than 8 weeks from now)

How we can help

We can help or give advice if you're:

• struggling to pay your rent
• struggling to pay your mortgage
• worried that your landlord is going to evict you before you can find another home
• worried that your home is going to be repossessed before you can find another home
• in prison or jail and will become homeless once you're released.

We'll be able to give you advice on:

• how to find somewhere to live
• understanding the court process for eviction or repossession
• specialist legal or debt advice
• accessing housing support services.
• accessing other agencies that can assist you with benefits advice, employability, and other issues that can help resolve your homeless situation.

Phone us on 0300 300 1203.

If you'd prefer to speak to someone face to face, phone us first, and we'll arrange an in-person appoint for you in our office at:

15 Abercorn Street
Paisley
PA3 4AA.

If your landlord or mortgage provider is planning to evict you or repossess your home

If you rent your home from a private landlord or housing association, they have a legal duty to tell us if they're taking you to court to evict you from your home.

If you're a homeowner with a mortgage, your mortgage provider has a legal duty to tell us if they're planning to repossess your home.

Once we receive this notice from your landlord or mortgage provider, we'll contact you to talk about your situation and how we can help.

Read more about benefits and money if you're struggling to pay your rent or mortgage.

If you're currently in prison or jail

If you're in prison (long-term)

If you're currently serving a prison sentence and will become homeless once you're released, ask for a housing appointment through your prison link centre.

Once you've done this, our new start officer will contact you and talk through your options.

If you're in jail (short-term)

If you're temporarily in jail, you should stay in touch with your landlord and try to maintain your tenancy so you can return home once you're released.

Phone us on 0300 300 1203 if you think you'll become homeless once you're released.

If you have a family member in prison and they need support

If you have a family member in prison and you're worried they'll become homeless once they're released, there are various organisations that you can contact for advice:

• housing associations in Renfrewshire
• Scottish Prison Service (SPS website).

We can help you if you're:

• homeless now or will become homeless in the next 8 weeks
• worried you could become homeless later on (more than 8 weeks from now).

We will carry out certain repairs and maintenance to your property to make sure it is maintained to a safe standard.

For includes outside repairs and maintenance, it includes:

• roofs and chimneys
• drains, gutters, and rainwater pipes
• walls, windows, and window frames
• external doors and door frames
• boundary walls, fences, and paths
• bin areas and poles supporting washing lines.

For inside repairs and maintenance, it includes:

• walls and ceilings
• heating, hot water systems, insulation and lagging
• plumbing
• electrical wiring, sockets, light fittings, and hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• kitchen fittings, including cooker hoods and extractor fans
• bathroom fittings like sinks, toilets, showers or baths
• issues with condensation, damp or mould
• doors and door frames inside your home.

We are also responsible for communal areas around the property.

If you live in a flat, or in a sheltered housing scheme, we will also repair and maintain:

• shared entrances, including door entry systems
• halls
• stairways
• lifts.

You are responsible for taking care of your home, including carrying out minor repairs and decorating.

This includes:

• repairing or replacing minor fixtures and fittings such as curtain rails, light bulbs, toilet seats or sink and bath plugs
• replacing keys or fitting extra locks
• maintaining internal decoration
• maintaining or replacing floor coverings we’ve supplied in kitchens and bathrooms
• maintaining or replacing shower curtains we’ve supplied in bathrooms
• repairs to television aerials and reception equipment, except in multi-storey flats and sheltered housing complexes.

You are also responsible for any non-standard fixtures or fittings you have accepted as part of the property including floor coverings, garages, and sheds.

As a tenant you must:

• report any damage or repairs you need to your home or a communal area
• allow us access to your property so we can carry out repairs, inspections, maintenance, and annual gas servicing
• ask for permission before you make any alterations to your home.

If you move out of your house, you must leave it in a clean and tidy condition.

You can also report a repair by:

• phone 0300 300 0300
• email repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

You can report a repair online, by phone or by email. 

We will respond to your report depending on how urgent it is and what kind of repair it is.
 

We schedule general maintenance and repairs in council properties. Many of these jobs involve replacing items, working at height or repairs between us and private owners in the same building.

See responsibilities for repairs in common (shared areas).

In some cases, it is of benefit to carry out larger scale repairs on a programmed basis rather than carrying out individual responsive repairs.

All repairs which fall into this category will be inspected before we plan the work. The length of time to complete these repairs will vary depending on the type of work required, but generally we complete these works within three months.

You are responsible for any damage that you, your family, or visitors to your home have caused.

If we repair this damage, you will have to pay for these repairs.

We will give you an estimate for the cost of the repair, including the administration charge. If you cannot afford to pay it all at once, we can arrange for it to be paid in instalments.

If you believe the damage was caused by vandalism, you must report the matter to the police and get an incident reference number.

You’ll be charged for the cost of the repair.

We’ll give you an invoice with the charges for the repair and how to pay it.

However, you may be able to appeal against the cost of the repair when you get the invoice.

If you think there is asbestos in your home, contact us. We’ll inspect your property and advise you on what to do next.

What asbestos is

Asbestos is a natural mineral which was widely used in building materials for houses or buildings constructed before the year 2000.

Asbestos is resistant to heat and chemicals, which meant it was used in a wide range of building materials and household appliances. 

Due to health concerns, its use in products and buildings is now banned.

Where asbestos might be found

Asbestos might be found in these parts of a building:

• roof and wall cladding
• pipe lagging
• roof slates, lining and flat roof tiles
• flue pipes or air bricks
• internal partitions
• some types of insulation
• plastic or vinyl floor tiles
• ropes surrounding oven doors.

It could also be in these materials, fittings, or appliances:

• decorative textured coatings and paints applied to walls and ceilings
• floor tiles
• heating and ventilation flues and parts of heaters
• toilet cisterns
• bath panels
• old electrical fuse boxes
• access panels to service ducts
• screen panels under windows
• parts of roofs like fascia boards, soffits, roof tiles, rainwater gutters or pipes
• water storage tanks.

Potential risks of asbestos exposure

Asbestos is made up of small fibres which are harmful if you breathe in dust containing the fibres.

However, it’s only a health risk if materials containing asbestos are damaged or disturbed and the asbestos fibres are released.

If building parts or materials containing asbestos are in good condition, and structure, materials, or fittings are not going to be disturbed or damaged, there’s no risk to anyone living in the property.

Asbestos which has been painted or covered by other materials, or enclosed in ducts, pipes, or cupboards, for example, should also not be a risk if the materials are not disturbed or damaged.

How exposure to asbestos could affect your health (GOV.UK website).

If you’re a council tenant and think there’s damaged or exposed asbestos in your home, or you’re planning DIY or maintenance work, do not deal with it yourself. 

Be careful when disturbing or moving materials or fittings. Do not break or damage anything which may contain asbestos.

Report suspected asbestos

You can also report it by:

• phone on 0300 300 0300
• email at repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

We’ll arrange an appointment with a technical officer to inspect your property and give you advice on what action, if any, needs to be taken.

They may also arrange for a sample of suspected material to be taken for analysis.

If we find asbestos in your home, we’ll arrange to have it removed. If we do not find any asbestos, you can begin any planned works or DIY in your home.