Battersea Tenants Co-operative is a Tenant Management Organisation (TMO/ RMO) set up under ‘Right to Manage’ legislation. There are many TMOs in London and particularly in Wandsworth.

Our Aims and Objectives

Battersea Tenants Co-operative’s objective is to ensure our properties are maintained to the highest possible standards and to provide a first class service to the residents. Battersea Tenants Co-operative is a registered Industrial and Provident Society and is run by a Committee of residents who are elected at the Annual General Meeting. Anyone applying for housing in the Co-operative will be required to become a member before they are offered a tenancy.

As a member of Battersea Tenants Co-operative you will be entitled to vote at meetings and help decide what the priorities for the co-operative should be. All members can stand for election to the Management Committee or any of the Sub Committees at the Annual General Meeting.

We aim to:

• Provide an efficient and accessible rent collection service giving residents
  appropriate welfare advice.
• Provide an excellent repairs service aiming to complete repairs to a high standard well
  within the time scales laid down by Wandsworth Council.
• Deliver a good service to all Battersea Tenants residents according to their needs.
• Encourage active participation by residents and help to foster a community within the coop.
• Ensure that all residents are notified in advance of meetings and have access to information about
  the activities of the organisation.

Repairs and Maintenance

Battersea Tenants Co-operative is not responsible for the replacement of any units, work tops, basins or other fixtures or fittings that have been destroyed by the tenant. Any windows that are broken due to the fault of the tenant will be boarded up and made safe but will not be replaced. Any damage to gas, water or electrical supplies will be made safe and the cost of repairs will be charged back to the tenant. Battersea Tenants Co-operative is not responsible for repairing tenants own improvements.

Reporting a repair?
Repairs can be reported either by visiting or telephoning the office between working hours of 10am – 4pm Monday – Thursday. The office is located at 155 Battersea Rise, SW11 1HP. Outside of these hours, you can report a repair by email on [email protected].

All repair requests will be logged and job order will be issued which will acknowledge the repair, state its priority and confirm mutually convenient access. An initial inspection will take place to determine the nature of work, likely cost and responsibility, i.e. rechargeable to tenant.

Wandsworth Council’s repair time scales will provide a minimum standard for the Battersea Tenants Co-operative and are shown in the table below.

Emergency out of hours repairs
If you have an emergency repair such as a major pipe burst or any repair that presents a danger to the person, you can contact our out of hours telephone service on 07712677032. Please do not use the out of hours telephone number for non-emergency repairs. If you contact us with a non-emergency repair, we will ask you to call again during working hours.

Repair Schedule:

What is not an emergency?
A blocked sink, a toilet that will not flush or a leak of some sort. Please do not call the emergency number for repairs of this sort. This is not an emergency and will be attended to the next working day by Battersea Tenants staff.

Please note, unfortunately we do not receive any allowance for the re-decoration of any homes.  New tenants may be provided with a small allowance per room depending on the condition of the property when the tenancy was issued. Please contact the Battersea Tenants office for more information.

Battersea Tenants Co-operatives repair responsibilities

• The plumbing, including cold water systems beyond the main stopcock in each dwelling including pipes, valves, stopcocks, cisterns and overflows.
• The property’s plumbed fittings including baths, sinks, basins, WC suites, taps and waste fittings but excluding plumbing installed for washing machines, dishwashers etc.
• The electrical services from the electricity board’s meter including internal wiring.
• The property’s internal fixtures and fittings.
• Re-glazing of broken windows to dwellings where break has known cause and the Co-operative is liable.
• The rainwater system including gutters and fixings.
• The common parts of the property including bin areas and communal gardens.
• Electrical services for the supply to the common parts including wiring, conduits, socket outlets, switches and bulkhead light fittings.
• Fences, enclosure walls and gates that belong to the Co-operative

The successful care and upkeep of the properties is dependent on an effective partnership between the residents and Battersea Tenants Co-operaitive. It is the responsibility of residents to keep the front of their own homes clean and tidy.

Tenant’s responsibilities

It is the responsibility of tenants to report to the Battersea Tenants office any defects as soon as possible. It is also the responsibility of the tenants to take care of their home and not allow negligence or abuse, either by members of the household or by their visitors. Any alterations or additions to the property or its fixtures must have the written permission from the Battersea Tenants Co-operative.

If any defect arises out of such negligence or abuse, the tenant will be liable to be charged the full cost of any materials and labour used to remedy any defect or damage caused. This would include any damage to the property of third parties.

Fire

There are lots of simple safety precautions you can take to help reduce the risk of fire in your home.

• Do not store flammable liquids, bottled gas or paraffin in your home.
• Always keep fire doors shut, and keep exit routes clear.
• Bicycles should not be chained to handrails on the stairways left in the corridors or in the main entrance area.
• Residents should not leave any obstructions in the corridors or stairwells.
• Do not overload sockets.
• Install battery fire alarms in all of your rooms.

In the event of a fire or a suspected fire, please call the London Fire Brigade on 999

Gas
Make sure you know where your gas meter and the main gas supply tap are. If in doubt, ask at the office. If you think you may have a gas leak or can smell gas you should follow these simple steps:

• Open the doors and windows for ventilation.
• Ensure that all gas appliances are switched off.

If you can still smell gas, turn the gas supply off at the meter and phone the gas emergency service:
National grid: 0800 111 999

If there is a strong smell of gas when you enter the front door, do not go inside. Gently close the door and telephone the National grid.

• Do not use matches or naked flames or smoke.
• Do not turn any electrical switches on or off.

Electricity
If you are experiencing problems with your electrical supply, check to see whether other properties are also affected. If only your home is affected, check the main fuse box to see whether the trip switch has turned your supply off. Modern fuse boxes have a tripping mechanism instead of ‘blowing’ a fuse, it automatically switches off.

If other properties are experiencing the same problem, call the Electrical Emergency Number 0845 600 0102

If you cannot find the cause of the problem call the Battersea Tenants office.

Water
Check where your mains stop cock is for turning water off in an emergency. It is usually in the toilet or the kitchen as this should be the first thing you do in the event of a flood. Please contact Battersea Tenants Co-operative if you are unsure where this is.

Condensation
Condensation is caused by a build up of too much moisture and not enough ventilation.

To help reduce condensation:

• Leave the windows open during cooking or taking a bath.
• Do not block air vents or extractor fans.
• Make sure tumble dryers are properly installed and ventilated.
• Keep a constant temperature in all rooms during winter.
• Do not use radiators to dry clothes without adequate ventilation.