Council tenants

If you smell gas in your home or suspect a gas leak, call the free 24-hour national gas emergency number immediately on 0800 111 999. This applies if the smell is inside or outside of your property. Always call from a safe distance and do not assume someone else will report it. 

If you're a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use SignLive to contact the National Gas Emergency Service free of charge. For people with hearing or speech difficulties, Relay UK provides support to communicate over the phone. Find out more on the Relay UK website.

When you call, you’ll be asked a series of questions to help assess the situation. Based on your answers, the operator may advise you to: 

• Avoid turning electrical switches on or off
• Open doors and windows
• Turn off the gas at the meter - unless it’s in the cellar or basement
• Avoid using naked flames
• Refrain from smoking

Once the National Gas Emergency Service has addressed any immediate risk, please contact us if they have identified a problem. 

Your gas appliances need to be serviced once a year to ensure you’re safe.

Why these checks must happen 

Unchecked gas appliances have a higher risk of carbon monoxide leaks.  Carbon monoxide can kill you, and you won’t smell it or hear it. Annual safety checks are a legal requirement, and you must give us access to do this. If you don’t, we'll get a warrant from the court to enter your property, and we may charge you for this.

How to get a gas service

We’ll write to you, 28 days (and again seven days) before your inspection to arrange an appointment. Then you need to give a Gas Safe certified engineer access to your house for 45 minutes. If you can’t be there at the arranged time, please notify us as soon as possible on 0203 3058 0531/ 020 3051 3653 to arrange an alternative date.

Yearly gas service

If you haven't been contacted about gas servicing in the past 12 months, call us immediately on 0203 3058 0531/ 020 3051 3653 today to arrange one.

Left undisturbed, asbestos is harmless. However, when it’s disturbed by damage, drilling, sawing or moving, the airborne particles can cause you serious health problems.

Tenants planning home improvements

If you’re planning work at home that may disturb asbestos - for example; repairs, alterations, decorations - you should contact us first.

When you contact us, we’ll be able to check our records to see if there’s a chance asbestos might be disturbed.

Remember you need our written permission before carrying out any alterations or improvements.

• How to deal with asbestos in your home.

Asbestos thought to be threat to your health has already been removed from your home by the council. But if you would like to see the records of asbestos in your home, please feel free to contact us.

Email buildingservices@walthamforest.gov.uk or Phone 0208 496 4096.