Living in your house

Maintenance

As with all aspects of the services we provide, we aim to ensure that all houses are maintained to the highest possible standard. Although problems very rarely arise, we encourage you to report any maintenance issues as soon as they are noticed. 

General maintenance

Maintenance requests should be referred to our Maintenance Manager, who will normally inspect the problem within 24 hours. If he is unable to rectify the problem personally, he will refer the issue to one of our specialist contractors.

Typical maintenance issues might include:

• Loose door/​cupboard handles, squeaky hinges
• Dripping/​leaky taps
• Kitchen appliance malfunctions (oven lights not working etc.)

All issues which cannot be dealt with immediately in-house will be passed on to the relevant contractors without delay, who pride themselves on a swift response.

Call-outs are prioritised according to urgency and there may be a short delay in them attending less urgent matters, or where parts are required.

Our Maintenance Manager is always happy to update you on the progress of any visit, and will take interim measures to mitigate any inconvenience to you.

Certain day-to-day household jobs – e.g. changing of standard light bulbs – would be your responsibility; however, if you are struggling or do not feel confident in tackling a matter yourself, please let us know via your Facebook group chat.

Any other issues affecting the property or your time in the property should be reported to the Lettings Team.

Maintenance requests

Maintenance requests can be reported in your Facebook Messenger group, or alternatively for non-urgent issues, please use our online form: johnw​.in/​m​a​i​n​t​e​nance

Standard furnishings

All houses are provided furnished as follows:

Kitchens and Lounges

• All large appliances/‘white goods’
• High quality lounge furniture
• Dining table and chairs and/​or breakfast bar and stools as appropriate
• Microwaves (houses with 6 or 7 beds)

Gardens

• Rotary or retractable washing line provided in all houses 
  (where garden space available)

Bedrooms

• 120cm wide double bed with memory foam mattress
• Study desk with chair
• Wardrobe (usually built-in)
• Shelving unit (wall-mounted)
• All rooms have curtain tracks/​poles and vertical/​roller blackout blinds but curtains are not provided

Please note that if upon arriving at the property there are any furnishings not included in the list above these will likely have been left by previous residents. If you have not agreed to inherit these items, please get in touch so we can remove them for you.

If you do not ask us to remove these items, you will ​‘inherit’ them as yours, and therefore become responsible for their disposal at the end of your contract with us.

Essential items to purchase

• Bedding, towels and other linens
• Curtains – if required
• Crockery
• Cutlery
• Small electrical appliances – microwave (not provided in 3,4 and 5 bed houses), kettle, toaster
• Indoor refuse and recycling bins
• Television
• Vacuum cleaner
• Iron and ironing board

Waste and recycling

All Waste and recycling collection in Cardiff operates on an alternating system.

General Waste

Fortnightly collection according to the Council collection schedule

General waste bags

General waste is collected from outside your house every fortnight. Your black general waste bags will need to be put inside the Council provided Gull-proof sacks to be presented on the street. There’s a limit of 3–4 general waste bags per household. 

Make sure to recycle efficiently in order to minimise the use of general waste bags.

Please ensure that you do not include any recyclable items or food waste within your general waste bags – this will attract rats and seagulls who are likely to rip the bags apart.

Wheelie bins

Houses with frontages (front gardens or strips of paving set off of the pavement) will normally have a 120 litre black wheelie bin for general waste. This is also emptied fortnightly and is used instead of presenting loose black bags on the street. Houses of six or more people will have a larger 160 litre bin.

Food Waste

Weekly collection

Every house should have two brown plastic caddies, a smaller kitchen caddy for indoor use and a larger kerbside caddy for presentation on the street.

We will have provided you with bags to line the small kitchen caddy – fill these with all compostable waste and food leftovers.

Full liners should be tied and placed in the larger brown kerbside caddy for emptying at collection. 

Glass Recycling

Fortnightly collection

Every house will also have a glass caddy for all clean glass bottles and jars.

Please do not use this for any ceramics or broken glasses and please refer to the council website for further detail.

Red recycling sack

Weekly collection

Red reusable sacks are for all clean metals, plastics and food and drink packaging:

• Plastic toiletry and cleaning bottles
• Drink bottles
• Plastic containers
• Plastic takeaway cartons and lids
• Empty aerosols
• Metal drinks cans
• Metal food tins
• Tetra Pak (drinks cartons)
• Clean foil and foil cartons

They are not for:

• Plastic carrier bags
• Soft plastic (e.g cling film)
• Cheese wrapping or bread bags
• Crisp packets
• Plastic blister packs (medicine packs)
• Toothbrush or toothpaste tubes
• Razors or razor blades
• Tupperware containers
• Solid metals (saucepans, cutlery etc)

Blue recycling sack

Weekly collection

Blue reusable sacks are for all clean paper and cardboard:

• Card and cardboard boxes
• Egg cartons
• Toilet roll tubes
• Cereal boxes
• Toothpaste boxes
• Paper (including shredded)
• Newspapers and magazines
• Envelopes and letters

They are not for:

• Food and drink cartons (Tetra Pak)
• Polystyrene
• Plastic film or packaging
• Wrapping paper
• Tissues, paper towels and kitchen roll
• Sanitary products
• Plastic carrier bags or bin bags
• Food stained packaging (pizza boxes)

Large or unusual items

Larger or unusual items (electricals, unwanted furniture or non-recyclable waste not permitted in the general waste) must either be taken to the nearest Recycling Centre or a collection needs to be arranged with the Council.

The two nearest Recycling Centres are listed below – please check on Cardiff Council’s website for further details and opening hours.

Local recycling centres

• Lamby Way Recycling Centre, Lamby Way, Rumney CF3 2HP (map)
• Bessemer Close Recycling Centre, Bessemer Close, Leckwith CF11 8XH (map)

Collection schedules

It is important to ensure you are putting the correct bins/​bags out on the appropriate day/​week – please familiarise yourself with the collection schedules on the Council website, or download the CardiffGov app for a pictorial guide to each week’s collection, and push notifications which adjust for bank holiday collection changes. Waste is to be put out for collection no earlier than 4.30pm the day before collection is due.

It is essential – for hygiene and vermin control, and to facilitate effective upkeep of your garden/​courtyard by our team – that all accumulated refuse and recycling is put out for each collection. Collections should not be missed under any circumstances and no refuse/​recycling should be left in the house or garden during holiday periods.

If bags/​bins are left to accumulate, 
we may have to remove them and pass on the cost of their disposal (approximately £30 per bag).

Penalty notices 

Please take careful note that Cardiff Council are quick to levy fixed penalty notices of £150 (rising considerably if unsuccessfully defended in the Magistrates’ Court) for failure to present waste appropriately.

Please adhere to the Council regulations when presenting waste for collection.

Keys and security

Keys

For your safety and security, the keys for all our houses are of a unique, custom‑profile high-security type which can only be obtained via the Maintenance Manager. This guarantees that, aside from our closely-controlled management keys, the keys we issue to you at the start of your contract are the only keys which exist for your house.

Please note that your key will open both the locks on your front door.

Your individual key is uniquely identified by a two-part number stamped on it, of which the second part refers specifically to you as a contract holder. Your key is for your personal use only – please ensure your keys are not swapped over with your housemates, and you should not loan your key to anyone.

You will not be able to make copies of your key at any commercial locksmith or key‑cutting outlet.

In the event of a lost key

To ensure your safety, a lost key will necessitate the changing of both locks on your front door and the issuing of a new set of keys for all members of your group.

There is a subsidised cost for this service of £75.00 for all keys and door locks to be replaced.

Lost keys are to be reported to the Maintenance Manager immediately. We will allow up to one week to search for the missing key until a lock change must be carried out for your personal safety and the security of your belongings.

Regrettably, we cannot accept reasons of ​‘known irretrievable loss’ (e.g. keys lost in drains) as justification for not carrying out a full lock change or for issuing a duplicate key. Would-be burglars have been known to systematically try lost keys in the door locks of houses in the vicinity – if you lose your key, or know that a housemate has lost theirs, it is imperative for security that it is reported straight away.

Temporary key loan

If you have locked your key inside your property, we are happy to temporarily loan you a key during office hours as long as it is returned to us the same day.

Out-of-hours lockouts 

If you have been locked out of your property outside of office hours (10am to 5pm Monday to Friday), we can make arrangements for you to be let into your property, however there will be an out‑of‑hours charge of £30. Payment can be made either in cash or via the following weblink: johnw​.in/​l​o​ckout

Please contact us via your Facebook Messenger group to arrange this.

Security

All of our houses are secured to the highest possible standard and are on safe, well-lit streets.

However, as in all cities, crime does occur so please ensure you take appropriate precautions.

• Don’t leave valuables on display in windows
• Always use both front door locks and close/​lock windows when leaving the house
• Ensure that your back door has been fully locked. Just lifting the handle/​latch up is not sufficient. Please ensure that the thumbturn is always used to secure the door.
• Leave lights on to give the impression someone is at home if you are out
• Ensure your possessions are insured, should the worst happen

In the very unlikely event of an incident, please inform the Maintenance Manager immediately and make a report to the Police via 101 straight away (999 in an emergency).

Locks on bedroom doors

Every bedroom door has a bolt on the inside for your privacy. We don’t fit keyed locks to bedroom doors, and we never have.

This is mainly for fire safety: in an emergency, nobody should be held up by a locked door, whether they’re getting out or someone is checking a room is empty. It also means we can check a room quickly if there’s ever a problem while you’re away, such as a leak or a smoke alarm going off.

Your front door has high-security locks with keys that can’t be copied, so the house itself is secure. Inside, we ask every group to agree between themselves how they’ll respect each other’s rooms and belongings.

Please don’t ask for bedroom door locks or fit your own, as we can’t agree to them.

Condensation, Damp and Mould

Although all our houses are fully damp‑proofed and in the best possible state of repair, condensation – and resulting mould – can occur in any house under inappropriate conditions.

Condensation occurs when the moisture content of the air is high – it is often seen running down windows and cold walls, and pooling on window ledges.

Mould will subsequently grow in such areas of high humidity and insufficient ventilation, and is worsened by inadequate heating.

• Don’t dry clothes on radiators or clothes airers – use the tumble dryer or washing line
• Ensure windows and internal doors are opened every day to allow exchange of air
• Open windows and ensure extractors are on when showering, bathing or cooking
• Use the heating for at least a few hours every day when weather is cold

If you do notice mould, wash the area down with a mild bleach solution and rectify the conditions of the house as above. If the area is difficult to clean, or requires remedial redecoration, contact the Maintenance Manager who will assist.

Damages & Charges

Thankfully, our rate of damage beyond light general wear and tear is uncommonly low. However, we understand that accidents do happen; if something in the house is damaged, please contact us to arrange for it to be repaired or replaced.

In less than 1% of properties, where the level of damage is excessive and found to be the responsibility of the residents or their guests we will ask you to cover the cost. This will be kept to an absolute minimum and you will only ever be asked to pay the amount charged to us. Please do be honest, however, and report such issues immediately; it will often be easier, and more cost effective, to deal with damages during your contract than if you wait for us to find it at the end.

Typically, chargeable damages are caused by guests and not the residents of the house; but please keep in mind that you are responsible for the conduct of anybody you invite into the house. 

Some of the most common damages and the charges are as follows. These are intended as a guide and are not an exhaustive list. Where the cost of repair or replacement is different, the amount charged will reflect the cost incurred.

• Lock changes from lost keys — £75
• Carpet damages (i.e from straightener burns) — £100 per room
• Stained mattresses — £50
• Wall damages — approx £50 per wall
• End of tenancy waste removal — £30 per item / bag
• Professional cleaning where end of tenancy condition is poor — The amount charged to us

Getting along

Living with others will inevitably result in occasional tension, and learning to deal with issues amicably as they arise is a valuable life experience. 

Some typical problems arising in student houses are: 

• Disagreements over household chores and shared costs (such as heating) 
• Issues relating to personal boundaries (entering other housemates’ bedrooms)
• Issues relating to differences in social and study patterns
• Personal issues arising from social ​‘nights out’

If you are having difficulties with relationships within your house, please try to remedy problems before they escalate. Non-confrontational meetings to discuss issues can be very beneficial, especially if they take place outside of the house (for example, arranging to discuss a particular problem over coffee, somewhere neutral). Alcohol is rarely conducive to remedying problems. 

Please also be very cautious over the nature of discussions on ​‘Group Chats’ via social media/​messaging platforms. Whilst these are normally excellent for organising household and social matters, what can seem like reasonable discussion over an issue can often be perceived as bullying.

If you feel an issue is escalating and you cannot resolve it as a household, we advise you to speak with your university’s Student Support service in the first instance. Whilst we are always happy to advise, we can only assist with disagreements related to or affecting the running of your house.

Being a good resident

We genuinely intend to be an outstanding landlord and to ensure our team provide you with an exemplary service in all regards. We are very fortunate that our team members share the same intention and take immense pride in looking after everybody we house immeasurably better than they would be cared for elsewhere.

This becomes considerably easier when our residents reciprocate the respect that is accorded to them; while we absolutely want you to have a fun, relaxed and happy time living with us, we do request that certain basic principles are observed with regard to conduct by both yourselves and any guests you may invite to the house:

Anti-social behaviour

We operate as part of our local community, and therefore trust that you will do everything you can to respect those who live within your local area. Please be aware that your neighbours may not be students and that others may operate to work and lifestyle patterns which do not match your own. It is always a good idea to introduce yourself to your neighbours when you move in, and to stay in contact with them so that you are on friendly terms.

Anti-social behaviour can broadly be defined as behaviour which negatively affects those living around you, and can include:

• Excessive noise (at any time of the day or night) including shouting and loud music
• Drunk or disorderly conduct
• Harassment
• Parties
• Rubbish dumping

Anti-social behaviour will result in action being taken by ourselves, your university, the local council and the police, and persistent behaviour may result in your occupation contract being terminated.

Smoking

Smoking and the use of all vaping products are not permitted at all within the property. If you smoke, please use outdoor areas only with all doors and windows closed. Please do not lean out of windows or stand in back / side doors to smoke – these measures offer no more relief from the smoke than if you were to smoke indoors.

Drugs

No illegal drugs or psychoactive substance use is to occur within the house. Our attitude towards such matters is measured and realistic but we do need to make you aware that there are much graver legal ramifications for ​‘permitting the use of’ drugs in rented properties than there are for straightforward individual possession. Please also be aware that communal purchase/​use of drugs of any classification constitutes an offence of ​‘supply’ in law – what might be intended as a group venture organised through one person could, under the wrong circumstances, see you facing criminal proceedings for as many counts of supply as there are housemates!

Guests in the house

Guests’ stays should be carefully managed and limited in duration. Whilst we entirely appreciate that inviting old school friends or family members to stay is enjoyable and you’ll likely be proud to show off your house and to entertain guests, the wishes of the other housemates should be taken into consideration at all times. Please give them ample notice, please keep numbers of guests sensible, and we advise against any stays of more than 48 hours.

Boyfriends / girlfriends

Where boyfriends / girlfriends (or the more casual equivalent) are concerned, this is of particular importance — it is not unusual for such to become a de facto ​‘extra housemate’ and a source of particular irritation to everyone else. Please remember that when agreeing to live with each other, you and your housemates did not agree to live with your partner also! Please also consider the potential consequences of inviting new/​casual partners — often a decision made under the influence of alcohol — back to the house; your safety, and the safety of the others in your group, should be your principal concern.

Where possible we would always advise against choosing to live in a shared home with a partner. In our experience this has caused a disproportionate number of issues in households. Please take this into consideration when signing.

Dealing with our team

Please appreciate that our team members work very hard to ensure you are satisfied, that all aspects of your contract run smoothly, and that your house is well‑maintained. We expect everybody we house to treat them with due respect in return, and not to make their work harder unnecessarily – please treat them with courtesy and endeavour not to obstruct required visits or to give them reason to have to chase you for responses/​documentation. 

Pets

Requests for permission to keep pets are quite common — we will ordinarily acquiesce to these for small pets kept in compact enclosures only (small rodents, reptiles, or fish). Any permission given will be subject to an undertaking that the entire group will ensure the pet is impeccably cared-for, has no impact on the property and causes no nuisance to any member of the group. Please refer to our pet policy for further information: johnw​.in/​p​e​t​p​olicy

Leaving mid-contract

The vast majority of people we house stay together as a group for the remainder of their course, often in the same house. Unfortunately, for some, circumstances dictate this isn’t right for them, and on occasion need to withdraw from the house. If this is looking to be a possibility for you or your group, please advise us as early as possible and refer to our guidance: johnw​.in/​l​e​a​v​i​n​g​m​i​d​c​o​n​tract

Inspections and Other Visits

All of our houses are inspected periodically to ensure they 
remain in the best possible condition. You’ll be advised of these visits in advance.

Whilst we will be mostly looking for maintenance issues during inspections, we do expect to see houses being well looked-after – so general cleaning and clearing of floors and surfaces should be carried out before the visit.

Visits by contractors will normally be at your request (via the Maintenance Manager) and all contractors will carry John Winter identification. Please feel free to request to see this and to contact the Lettings Team or Maintenance Manager for verification. 

Please be aware that the gas engineer, electrician, gardener 
and Maintenance Manager, along with the Lettings Team, 
are keyholders for all properties and may, if there is no answer to sustained ringing of the doorbell, access the house for the required purpose of their visit.

You will be notified of all visits not requested by yourselves in advance.

Work Opportunities

Current residents often approach us to work with us during the letting season, taking prospective groups to view houses and assisting with responding to enquiries and signing contracts. It’s very enjoyable work and often extends to assisting with administration and various other projects across the year – if you would be interested in helping us during your time in Cardiff, please contact the Lettings Team

General dos and don’ts

Much of this will be common sense, but this quick summary of the most common dos and don’ts should help you get through a trouble‑free year in your house without difficulty.

Do

• Ensure your TV licence, insurance, Wi-Fi payment and bills accounts are sorted at the start of July.
• Report any problems with your house as soon as they are noticed.
• Check you are aware of the current refuse and recycling collection schedules.
• Familiarise yourself with the heating/​boiler controls, fuse boxes, stopcocks and utility meters.
• Be security conscious – always use both front door locks as well as window locks and don’t leave valuables on display by windows or in cars.
• Use the heating properly to prevent condensation and mould, as well as freezing pipes in winter.
• Keep an eye on your cash flow around rent payment time – let us know if your loan payment is delayed.

Don’t

• Damage or allow guests to damage the property – the cost of rectifying this will be passed on to you.
• Smoke or vape in the property – a cleaning bill will result.
• Be a nuisance to neighbours – ensure parties end at a sensible time, noise is not excessive and the behaviour of guests is impeccable.
• Allow maintenance issues to go unattended – report problems promptly.
• Let rent payments bounce – this damages your credit rating. Speak to us if you need to delay any rental payments until you have sufficient funds.
• Ignore problems in the hope they’ll go away – if you have trouble with your housemates, neighbours, course or rent, or are leaving university, speak to us for advice on how to deal with it properly.

Useful contacts

Student support departments

Cardiff University
02920 874 844 
cardiff​.ac​.uk/​s​t​u​d​y​/​s​t​u​d​e​n​t​-​l​i​f​e​/​s​t​u​d​e​n​t​-​s​u​p​p​o​r​t​/​c​o​u​n​s​e​l​l​i​n​g​-​a​n​d​-​w​e​l​l​being

Cardiff Metropolitan University
cardiffmet​.ac​.uk/​s​t​u​d​y​/​s​t​u​d​e​n​t​s​e​r​vices

University of South Wales
advice​.south​wales​.ac​.uk/​a​2​z​/​s​u​p​p​o​r​t​-​s​e​r​v​ices/

RWCMD
www​.rwcmd​.ac​.uk/​s​t​u​d​e​n​t​-​s​e​r​vices
02920 342 854

Student Unions

Cardiff University Students’ Union
cardiff​s​tu​dents​.com 
02920 781 400

Cardiff Met Students’ Union
https://​www​.cardiffmet​su​.co​.uk
02920 205 830

USW Students’ Union
https://​www​.uswsu​.com
01443 483 500

National Union of Students (NUS Wales)
nus​.org​.uk
08455 210 262 

Other useful contacts

Cardiff Council 
cardiff​.gov​.uk
029 2087 2087

South Wales Police 
south​-wales​.police​.uk
101

NHS 111 (Wales)
nhs​di​rect​.wales​.nhs​.uk / 101

Mind — Mental Health
mind​.org​.uk
0300 123 3393 / Text 86463

Samaritans
116 123