The Cutaway House
Most people learn where the water shut-off is on the day a pipe bursts. Take twenty minutes on a quiet evening instead and walk these six stops in your own home with whoever lives there, children and teenagers included. Then write the answers on the card.
1. The water shut-off
A tap or valve on the pipe where water comes into the house. Turning it off stops the water to every tap at once.
- Where to look
- Often under the kitchen sink, near the front door, or where the water meter is.
- What everyone should know
- Which way turns it off (usually clockwise), and that it moves. Try it once, gently, with everyone watching.
- What to leave to a qualified person
- A valve that will not turn, or one that leaks when it moves: call a plumber.
2. The fuse box or breaker panel
Where the electricity comes in and is split into circuits. Each switch looks after one part of the house.
- Where to look
- Often in a hallway cupboard, under the stairs, or in a garage.
- What everyone should know
- Where it is, which switch is the main switch, and which labels match which rooms. A switch that has flipped down can be pushed back up once.
- What to leave to a qualified person
- Never take the cover off. If a switch keeps flipping, or you see scorch marks, call a qualified electrician.
3. The trap under the sink
The U-shaped bend of pipe under a sink. It holds a little water, which stops smells coming back up from the drain.
- Where to look
- Under the kitchen or bathroom sink.
- What everyone should know
- That a slow sink is often a trap full of grease or hair, and that some traps unscrew by hand over a bucket.
- What to leave to a qualified person
- Pipes that are glued rather than screwed, or a leak you cannot stop: call a plumber.
4. The thermostat
The control that switches the heating on when the room is colder than the number you set, and off when it is warmer.
- Where to look
- On a wall in a hallway or living room, or as a dial on the boiler or radiators.
- What everyone should know
- That turning it higher does not heat the house faster. It only decides when the heating stops.
- What to leave to a qualified person
- Anything inside the boiler: that is for a qualified heating engineer.
5. The smoke alarm
A small round alarm, usually on the ceiling, that sounds when it senses smoke.
- Where to look
- On the ceiling of each floor, often in a hallway and near the kitchen.
- What everyone should know
- How to test it (press and hold the button until it sounds), and to test it together once a month. Agree where everyone meets outside if it goes off for real.
- What to leave to a qualified person
- An alarm that keeps chirping needs a new battery or a new alarm. Never take the battery out to stop it.
6. The meters
The dials or screens that count how much electricity, gas or water the house uses.
- Where to look
- Often outside in a box, in a cupboard near the front door, or under the stairs.
- What everyone should know
- How to read the number, and that reading it on the same day each month shows how much you used.
- What to leave to a qualified person
- If you ever smell gas, do not touch switches: leave the house and call your gas emergency number from outside.
Our House Card
Print, fill in by hand, and keep it on the inside of a kitchen cupboard door.
- Water shut-off is: ______ (turns ______ to close)
- Fuse box or breaker panel is: ______ · main switch: ______
- Smoke alarms: ______ · tested on: ______
- Where we meet outside: ______
- Meter readings this month: electricity ______ · gas ______ · water ______
- Plumber: ______ · Electrician: ______ · Gas emergency number: ______
The First Flat Card
Moving into a first rented room? Do these six things on day one, before you unpack. Rules about deposits and repairs differ from place to place, so this card says what to do and to keep it in writing, not what the law is where you live.
1. Photographs, room by room
A dated record of how the place looked the day you arrived, before any of your things went in.
- Where to look
- Every room: walls, floors, windows, the inside of the oven and fridge, the bath, any marks or damage.
- What to do
- Take them on day one and keep them somewhere that is not your phone alone. If you are given a written inventory, check it against the photos and say in writing what is missing from it.
- If it goes wrong
- Arguments about damage later are much easier with photos from the first day. Ask a tenants’ advice service where you live if a disagreement starts.
2. The first meter readings
The numbers on the electricity, gas and water meters on the day you move in.
- Where to look
- Where the Cutaway House says to look: a box outside, a cupboard by the door, under the stairs.
- What to do
- Photograph each meter with the date, and send the readings to whoever bills you, so you only pay for what you use.
- If it goes wrong
- If you cannot find a meter, or cannot read it, ask the landlord or agent in writing where it is.
3. The water shut-off, before you need it
The same tap as in the Cutaway House: it stops the water to every tap at once.
- Where to look
- Under the kitchen sink, near the front door, or by the water meter. In a flat it may be inside a cupboard, or shared.
- What to do
- Find it on day one and try it gently. In a shared building, find out whether turning it off affects anyone else.
- If it goes wrong
- If it is somewhere you cannot reach, ask the landlord or agent where it is and who to call if a pipe leaks.
4. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
The smoke alarm on the ceiling, and, where there is a gas or wood appliance, a carbon monoxide alarm.
- Where to look
- On the ceiling of each floor, and near any boiler, gas fire or stove.
- What to do
- Press and hold the test button on each one on day one. If an alarm is missing or does not sound, tell the landlord or agent in writing the same day.
- If it goes wrong
- Never take the battery out of an alarm to stop it chirping; ask for a new battery or a new alarm.
5. Who to call, for what
The difference between a repair you report and an emergency you act on now.
- Where to look
- The tenancy agreement or the welcome email, which should name who handles repairs.
- What to do
- Report repairs in writing (an email or a message you can keep), with a photo and the date. In an emergency, such as a gas smell, a flood or no heat in winter, call first and write afterwards.
- If it goes wrong
- Anything inside the boiler or the fuse box is for a qualified person the landlord sends, not for you.
6. The bins
Which bin is for what, and which morning it goes out.
- Where to look
- A neighbour, the local council website, or a sticker on the bin lid.
- What to do
- Write the bin day on the card. It is the first thing your neighbours will notice about you.
- If it goes wrong
- Nothing to leave. Just remember the day.
Our First Flat Card
Print, fill in on the first evening, and keep it with the tenancy papers.
- Moved in on: ______ · photos saved to: ______
- First meter readings: electricity ______ · gas ______ · water ______ (sent on ______)
- Water shut-off is: ______ (turns ______ to close)
- Smoke alarm tested: ______ · carbon monoxide alarm tested: ______
- Repairs go to: ______ (in writing) · emergencies: ______
- Bin day: ______ · recycling: ______
Houses differ, and so do the rules about who may work on what where you live. When in doubt, ask a qualified person: nothing on this page is a substitute for one. Moving into a first rented room? Start with the First Flat Card.