Safety in your home

Some of our bigger blocks have a heat network where the heating and hot water supplied comes from a shared boiler rather than from an individual boiler in your home. Where this is the case, shared boilers are checked annually. You don't need to be at home to give access for this check.  

If your home uses a heat network, instead of a boiler you will have a Heat Interface Unit (HIU) in your property which needs to be serviced annually. You will need to be at home so the engineer can come in and check this. The contractor will contact you by telephone or email to book your appointment.  

It is important that you regularly check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms in your home and replace any batteries if necessary.  

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas. It's colourless, odourless and tasteless but it can be fatal. Carbon monoxide can escape from appliances like boilers and fires if they are not working properly, or if the chimney or flue is blocked. 

The danger signs of carbon monoxide are: 

• Gas flames that normally burn blue, burning orange or yellow 
• Sooty stains on or above appliances. 

To make sure everything is working safely, it's essential that you have a valid gas safety certificate by getting a gas safety check done every year. 

The majority of your electrical components are inaccessible, but it is still very important for us to be sure the electric supply in your home is safe. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a report carried out to assess the safety of the existing electrical installation within a property and it is a legal requirement for a qualified electrician to come into your home and check this at least once every ten to five years.

Our electrical contractors will send you a letter with either a morning or afternoon appointment around four weeks before this check is due. This can be rearranged if the appointment does not suit you but it is really important to attend this appointment.  

Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) are carried out in shared communal areas by qualified and independent assessors. The assessors consider every aspect of your building to check the likelihood of a fire happening, and if it did occur how likely it would be to spread or how would it be contained quickly, effectively, and safely. The frequency of these assessments taking place depends on the type of building your home is in. You will be informed of the assessment date and may be asked to provide access to the communal area.

Once the check is complete there may be a list of actions that need to be carried out to ensure your safety in the event of a fire. Your housing officer may be able to carry out some of these actions, for example, speaking with you about keeping fire exits clear, or an engineer may need to visit to resolve them.

We inspect all fire doors annually, which may include the front door to your home. Initially, we will do this when we complete the FRA. 

For instructions on how to be as safe as possible or if you wish to request the fire risk assessment (FRA) for your block, please have a look at our fire FAQs. 

You may have a lift, CCTV or door entry system in your block which needs to be regularly serviced to ensure they're working safely. You will not normally be required to be home for this.

Some of our residents have lifting equipment in their homes, for example, hoists, which need to be checked by a qualified electrician every six months.  

E-scooters and e-bikes

London Fire Brigade has issued a warning regarding e-scooters and e-bikes. There has been a significant rise in fires involving e-Scooters and e-Bikes. Please pay special attention to bike conversion kits. Do not attempt to modify or tamper with the battery and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. You can read LFB's e-scooters and e-bikes guidance on their site.

Some of our homes, particularly those built before 2000 may contain asbestos in insulation or older flooring. Any asbestos in your home will remain locked inside whatever product it was used in and will not be released unless these products get damaged. There’s no danger to you unless the fibres are released and inhaled.

If you ever suspect asbestos materials in your home have been damaged or have deteriorated, do not touch it or try to clean it up and get in contact with us straight away.  

Bogus callers

To stay safe in your home, it's important to check the identity of all callers before you let them in. Our staff members carry identity cards with photographs that they should show you, as should representatives from other organisations such as gas and electricity companies, the local council and contractors we hire.

If you're suspicious of somebody calling at your home, do not let them in, but call the police or the organisation that they claim to represent.

Online scams

Please watch out for suspicious emails and other online scams, especially those asking you to click on links. They are often created by criminals pretending to be a recognised organisation to trick you into sharing personal information.

If you receive any unusual emails that appear to be from Notting Hill Genesis or any organisations associated with us, please let your local officer know in the first instance. The easiest way to get in touch is via My Account. Do not click on any links in the email.

Should we become aware of any cyber attacks against us which have compromised the data we hold about you, we would contact you directly.

You can find more information about cyber-crime here.

Where we know about specific attempts at fraud, either locally or nationally, we will include them on our known attempts at fraud page.