Emergency Letting Repairs
If you are experiencing an emergency outside of our standard office hours and cannot reach us on our usual office telephone numbers or via email we have emergency contacts you can call.
Before calling the numbers below please ensure that the property you are calling regarding is managed by Shires Estate Agents Ltd (Mildenhall office), or Shires MBC Ltd (Bury St Edmunds Office) and you have tried calling and emailing us first. If this is the case and our offices are closed please get in touch with the preferred contractors listed below.
Out of hours – any time outside the hours of 9am-5.30pm, Mon – Fri or Saturday 9-1pm
Please note: You should only contact our ‘out of hours’ service in a genuine emergency. Contractors charge extremely high rates for out of hours work, therefore if the call out is deemed not to have been necessary or warranted then tenants may be liable for the call out charge.
What is NOT an out of hours emergency?
- Normal central heating and boiler issues. These should be reported the next working day. (unless the weather is extremely low). As boilers that breakdown typically require parts to be fixed, which can only be obtained from the plumbing suppliers during the working week.
- No hot water
- Blocked sink
- Appliance breakdowns – e.g washing machines, ovens etc. These should be reported the next working day.
- Tenants have locked themselves out – this is not Landlord responsibility. Tenants should contact a locksmith themselves and then arrange for the correct number of new keys to be supplied to the office. Spare keys are only available for tenants to borrow during the normal office hours.
- Normal wear and tear maintenance, condensation, damp issues, pest (mice etc)
What IS an out of hours emergency?
- Serious water leaks where the leakage cannot be contained until the next working day.
- Damage caused as a result of break-in which would compromise the security of the property and contents. You must report such an incident to the police and obtain a crime reference number.
- Lock malfunction (please be aware, if the locksmith decides there is nothing wrong with the lock, you may be charged for his call out).
- Serious structural damage
- If you smell gas, please call the National Grid gas emergency services on 0800 111 999
General Advice
- If you have a serious water leak you will need to shut the water off to the property to reduce the risk of more damage to the property. The stop cock is usually located under the sink or may be listed on your initial check in inventory.
- If you have a smaller water leak that could be caught by a bucket and receive attention on the next working day please do this and email the office to request assistance when we are next open
- If you have lost power to the property, check that your neighbours have power. If they do not, you will need to speak with your utility provider. If your neighbour has power, please try to reset your fuse breaker before calling.
If you believe you have a genuine out of hours emergency, then please call the following relevant contractor;
Plumbing or Maintenance Emergency;
- Homefix Express – 01842 861155
Electrical Emergency;
- Brunning Electrical Services – 07737 698117
Please note: If for any reason you are unable to reach someone, then you should always act appropriately to protect yourselves and the landlord’s property from damage.