Borders Country Lets
The main Letting Office is at:
30 Woodmarket
Kelso
Tel 01573 229887
Office opening hours
Monday to Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 12 noon
Our telephone lines are open 7 days a week until 10pm
Contact numbers
Borders Country Lets, Kelso – 01573 229887
Borders Country Lets, Selkirk – 01750 724160
Property Shop, Kelso – 01573 225599
Other Useful Contact Numbers
Coldstream Medical Practice – 01890 882711
Duns Medical Group – 01361 885040
Galashiels Health Centre – 01896 661366
Hawick Health Centre- 01450 370999
Jedburgh Medical Practice – 01835 863361
Kelso Medical Group Practice – 01573 224424
Borders General Hospital, Melrose – 01896 826000
NHS 24 – 111
Scottish Borders Council – 0300 100 1800
Police Scotland Non Emergency Number – 101
Emergency – 999
Gas – SGN 0800 111 999
Scottish Water – Customer Helpline – 0800 0778 778
Electricity – SP Energy Networks – Freephone Number 105
What to do in an emergency
Fire
In the case of a fire dial 999.
Get everyone out of the property and stay out.
If you are in a flat set off the communal fire alarm to alert other residents.
If you smell gas
Open all the doors and windows
Check to see if a gas appliance has been left on and unlit or the pilot light has gone out.
Don’t smoke, light matches or cigarette lighters and put out any naked flames such as candles
Don’t turn light switches or anything electrical on or off, including using mobile phones
Turn off your gas supply at the meter (and leave it switched off until you’re sure it’s safe to turn it back on again)
Call the Gas Emergency Line on 0800 111 999 to report a suspected gas leak. They will give you further advice on how to stay safe and will sort out the problem.
If you have no electricity
If you have a power cut or can see damaged power lines, contact your network operator. You can get through to them by calling 105.
Burst or Leaking Water Pipes
If you have burst pipes or a water leak you should ensure that you turn the water off at the stopcock and open all taps to drain the water from the system to prevent further damage to the property and then call our letting team.
If you think the water has affected and electrical fittings do not touch the fitting. Turn the electricity off at the consumer unit and call our letting team.
Locked out or lost keys
It is the responsibility of the tenant to ensure that keys to their rental property are kept safe. In the event that you have been locked out or lost your keys you can call our out of hours service who will be able to provide you with a number for a locksmith. You will be responsible to the cost of the call out. In the event that the locksmith has to change the lock you will also have to pay for the new lock and provide us with a set of key.
Tenant responsibilities
The tenant is responsible for looking after the property, this includes keeping the property clean, tidy and well heated and ventilated. It is particularly important to keep the property adequately heated in the winter months so that the pipes don’t freeze.
The tenant is responsible for minor maintenance at the property, ie changing light bulbs and backup batteries in smoke detectors, ensuring that sinks and drains are not blocked with food and grease or wipes etc.
As a tenant you should ensure that any maintenance issues are reported straight away to minimise damage to the property and prevent the issue becoming worse. Your Landlord or Letting Agency will require your cooperation in allowing access for trademens to assess and repair any issues.
Condensation
Condensation issues are often a common problem in rented properties. You can help to avoid this by following some simple steps:
Try to keep the inside temperature constant
Avoid drying clothes indoors but if you do you should ensure that the room is well ventilated. DO NOT hang wet clothing or towels etc on radiators.
Tumble driers should be properly vented outside or if it is a condensing drier the tank emptied regularly.
Do not place furniture or beds up against walls
DO NOT turn off extractor fans or cooker hoods
Deposit
The deposit is taken as a guarantee against:
- any damage caused by the tenant
- any cleaning required at the end of the tenancy
- any rent arrears
The deposit cannot be used in lieu of the final months’ rent.
The deposit will be lodged with Safe Deposit Scotland and the tenant will be issued with correspondence stating where this is and giving contact information for Safe Deposit Scotland.
At the end of the tenancy, once the end of tenancy check has been carried out we will put a proposal to Safe Deposit Scotland for the repayment of the deposit. This may be to return the full deposit, to retain part of the deposit or to retain the full deposit.
Ending your tenancy
If you want to end your tenancy at the property you should ensure that you give the appropriate notice, in writing. This will be detailed in your Tenancy Agreement and differs depending on whether your tenancy is a Short Assured Tenancy or a Private Residential Tenancy. Please check your Tenancy Agreement and if you are not sure check with your Landlord or Letting Agency. If your tenancy is in joint names written notice is required from both parties named on the Tenancy Agreement.
General Troubleshooting Tips
Washing machine is not draining or has stopped mid cycle
Check the filter for any blockages
Do you have a large enough load in the machine? Washing too little at a time can cause an imbalance and the drum will not turn properly.
Electric Oven not working:
Check that the power is on. Check that the clock is set properly.
Sink draining slowly or not draining
This is most likely caused by a build up of food debris. Try a plunger or a sink/drain unblocking liquid to remove the blockage.
Central Heating not working properly
Check that there is power to the boiler. Check that the timer is set correctly and that the thermostat is not too low.
Borders Country Lets is the Letting Service of Hastings LegalLetting Service for the Borders