Help around Chobham Manor (AKA FAQs)

Call the L&Q help desk on 0300 456 9998,  don't book it online.  You should expect a person on site within 4 hours, keep a note of the job number.  If the person does not arrive on site within 4 hours then call the help desk again and keep calling until they arrive.

Housing leads have a duty rota so can be called out at any time, as do L&Q Building Services.  If the problem is not being resolved in a timely manner then call the L&Q help desk again and ask them to put you in contact with the person on duty.

Its probably best to start with relevant L&Q Housing Lead.  This is Julie Oli (email: Joli@lqgroup.org.uk) for Phase 1 or Phase 4 properties or Dobir Ahmed (email: DAhmed@lqgroup.org.uk) for Phase 2 and Phase 3 properties.

This is explained in  L&Q Housing Association Repairs Policy document.

Check the usage on your smart meter (its a white box called "Netthings").  You will have a screen in the same cupboard where you can read the data.

No problems you can connect to your Netthings box using a phone, tablet or other computer.  To do this:

• The Netthings box has its own network separate from any network you may have at home.  Make a note of the SSID and password from the label on. the Netthings box.

• Connect to that network using your phone, tablet or PC.

• Open a browser and type in the IP address 172.16.0.254 and the smart meter screen will appear.

• You can use this to check your electricty or heating/hot water usage. 

• Remember to switch back to your own network as the Netthings netwrok does not provide internet access.

If you want to challenge the service charges you must do so within six months of the delivery of your reconcilliation statement; this statement is normally delivered by the end of September.

To see the detail of the charges and corresponding invoices you need to write to L&Q (email: info@lqgroup.org.uk) within that period.  Here is a template challenge letter that you could use.  

L&Q are obliged to provide invoices within two months of your request. 

Yes you do.  The L&Q insurance covers water fire, lift failures, water leaks etc in leasehold properties.  It noes not cover the contents of your home.  You should consider insurance for your clothing, funiture and be very careful about relying on the L&Q building insurance for fixtures.  See the Building Insurance Policy Summary for more information.   if you need to ask questions on this then email the L&Q insrtuance team on insurance@lqgroup.org.uk.  You only get L&Q insurance if you pay for it on your Service Charge; normally this would apply to Lease Holders or Shared Owners -again check before you rely on it. 

The new policy cover for 24/25 is documented in the attached insurance policy document and contains some useful contact numbers.

Firstly the L&Q insurance policy covers Leaseholders and Shared owners only.  See Building Insurance Policy Summary.

If you want/need to make a claim call the Zurich help desk quoting the policy number.  We have found that its best to go directly to Zurich; they have been very helpful in the past.  To claim you will need the policy details in the  insurance policy document .  The number to call is 0800 232 1927. 

The Sinkng Fund (in the Service Charge for Leaseholders and Shared Owners)  is used to save money for major long term expenditure such as Lift replacement, decorating, roof replacement.  If you live in a Leasehold property you will be asked to contribute to this so that you do not face a large bill in the future.

Housing Association tenants do not pay into the Sinking Fund as mainentance is covered by L&Q.

Freeholders pay a nominal amount into the Sinking Fund to cover major repairs on the estate (eg playground or road replacement).   Major repairs to freehold properties are the responsibility of the freeholder

We don't.  L&Q don't apply the management percentage to the Sinking Fund when we contribute or when it is used.  L&Q charge a management fee for the job being undertaken instead.

Largely yes.  you could take a vote in your block to decide how much you want to acrue.  

If you don't acrue enough money and someone leaves the estate/property then the remaining residents will have to carry the Capex costs.  If there is too much acrued then the departing resident will have contributed more than their fair share.  

You can see the Capex forecast for your block and the estate on request from L&Q.

You don't.  Residents who live in the apartment block (known as Core) pay for those facilities - communal widnows for example.  Residents in Maisonettes have a lower charge exluding apartment block items.  

You may wish to raise a formal complaint if a repair or issue is taking too long to resolve or it has not been resolved to your satisfaction.  Raising a formal complaint initiates a fixed process and L&Q must meet formal response times.  Simply reporting your problem to someone does not raised a formal complaint.

To raise a formal complaint call the L&Q help desk on  0300 456 9998.  Ask to raise a formal complaint; the call agent will run through a set of questions about your complaint and record them for you.  At the end of the call he/she will provide you with a complaint number; if you don't get a complaint number then assume that you have not yet raised a complaint.  You will receive an email confirming details.

Within 24 hours you will be called to talk about the complaint.  Withion 10 days the relevant department will provide you with an answer or status update.  it may be held open until the issue is resolved.  For more detail see the  L&Q Complaints Policy 

In certain circumstances you may be entitled to compensation see the L&Q Compensation Policy for details.

This could be a problem with the District Heating system run by Equans, but it may not.  Try these things first:

• Check you have hot water.  If you do then the problem is inside your property.  If not then call Equans on 0800 999 3080.  If you do have hot water then...

• Increase the room thermostat so that it forces the heating to switch on.  Still not working?

• Is the thermostat switching on the heating system?  Is there a green light on the central unit in the utility cupboard for that item?  

• If you dont have a green light check that the thermostat is communicating with the hub - hub shows a green light for that room and the (digital) thermostat shows that the heating is on.

• If the termostat and hub are connecting then you likely need an engineer to check the heating system

In the first instance you should speak to your housing lead - Charlene Plante cplante@lqgroup.org.uk (for Phase 1 and 4 properties) or Dobir Ahmed dahmed@lqgroup.org.uk (for Phase 2 and Phase 3 properties).  They will help guide you through your issue.  Also take a look at the  L&Q Anti-social Behaviour Policy 

You also have recourse to Newham council resourses - for example to raise a noise complaint on a weekend.  take a look at the  Newham ASB resources 

L&Q are no longer collecting the Park Charge.  Rendall and Rittner have sent letters to residents but we beleive that the demands are wrong for Phases 2, 3 and 4 to administer the collection.   You can check your Park Charge using the calculator we have created.   See more detail here. 

There was an error made in the application of the RPI escalator a few years back, this is resulting in a £10-30 rebate,  the actual amount will depend on what you pay.   You can check your L&Q "rent" account to see what rebate you received. 

See this attached manual.  If the unit in your aprtment stops working remove it from the wall, unplug/replug the unit to reset it.  You can change the battery at that point too.

BPT Futura X2 User Manual.pdf

The Housing Ombusdman is an independent service established in law to adjudicate complaints with property managers.  

To use the Ombudsman service you should in the first instance raise your compliant to L&Q in a formal manner.  If you have been through the L&Q complaint process, through levels 1 and 2 and a still dissatisfied then your final redress is to the Housing Ombudsman, you can raise your compliant to the Ombudsman on their site.