What to do when..
This article will advise you on what to do if you encounter some unpleasant situations while living in your home. We will describe different situations such as burglary, serious malfunction, fire, dispute with a neighbor, dispute with the landlord, flooded apartment from neighbors, water leakage, and other various inconveniences.
Apartment robbery - If you have discovered that your apartment has been burglarized, the first thing to do is to contact the police and the owner of the apartment. Document all damages so that you have evidence for the insurance company. The insurance company should reimburse you for the value of the stolen items and the damaged items, such as a broken lock that the thieves damaged when breaking into the apartment. Contact your insurance company and report the burglary. The insurance company will always require a report from the police. After a burglary, we recommend analyzing the weak spots in the apartment's security and strengthening them. For example, installing a security lock or security door with a stronger lock.
Looted cellar - Whether your basement or other common areas have been burglarized, the procedure will be the same as for the theft of an apartment. However, the insurance company will reimburse lower amounts than in the case of a burglary of an apartment.
Fire in the apartment - If there is a fire in your apartment, the first thing to do is to call the fire department, their phone number is 150. Then contact the owner of the apartment. Damaged items should be reimbursed under insurance, and if you have good insurance, you should also receive alternative accommodation. If the fire was caused by your mistake or gross negligence, it is possible that the insurance company will not reimburse 100% of the damages.
We are happy to help you with the restoration of your fire-damaged apartment, repairs after the fire, and possibly with the complete reconstruction of your apartment. We can also assist you in dealing with the insurance claim.
Flooded apartment - If you have noticed signs of water leakage in your apartment, such as damp spots on walls or ceiling, puddles on the floor, and so on, it is likely that water is leaking from somewhere and it needs to be located and fixed. If you find wet spots in the upper part of walls or ceiling, water is probably leaking from the neighbors living above you or, if you live under the roof, water is leaking from the roof. In such a case, go to your neighbors who live in the apartment above you first. If no one lives above you, contact the building management or apartment owner. The person who caused the water leakage should cover the costs of repairing the damaged items in your apartment. In some cases, there may also be a leakage in the piping between individual apartments, and repairing it can be quite challenging, as a part of the apartment must be demolished to find the leakage spot, fix it, and then restore everything to its original state.
Our company, Prague Home Repairs, offers a complete service for repairing water leaks. We will take care of everything from locating the leak, repairing it, to restoring the apartment to its pre-flood condition. We can also assist you in handling the insurance claim and communicating with other parties such as neighbors, building management, and the apartment owner.
Dispute with the apartment owner - If you have a dispute with the apartment owner, it is very important what the dispute is about. We are happy to help and advise you for free, do not hesitate to contact us through our contact form.<br>
Dispute with neighbors - If you have a dispute with the owner of the apartment, it is very important what the dispute is about. We are happy to help and advise you for free, do not hesitate to contact us through our contact form.
Electrical faults
Electricity is not working in the entire apartment - If electricity is not working in the entire apartment, it will first be necessary to determine whether the fault or problem is on your side or whether it is a general power outage. A general power outage can occur, for example, during a storm or hurricane. To determine if there is a general power outage, the best way is to check if there is lighting in the hallway or at the neighbors. The first thing you should check in your apartment is the circuit breaker box. After opening it, the circuit breakers with levers pointing upwards are turned on and the circuit breakers with levers pointing downwards are turned off. Therefore, check if the circuit breakers are turned on. If the circuit breakers are turned on and electricity is still not working, look at the hallway where the electrical meters are located. There is a main circuit breaker, which can turn off electricity to your apartment. Then check the electrical meter - if the electrical meter is not lighting up - electricity from the supplier is not reaching you, so it is possible that there is a fault with the supplier or the electricity has been disconnected due to non-payment of bills. We at Prague Home Repairs are happy to help you with any electrical repairs in your home. Contact us through our contact form or at info@praguehomerepairs.com.
Electricity is not working in a part of the apartment - If electricity is not working in one room but electricity is working in other rooms in your apartment, it is evident that there is some fault in the electrical circuit in your apartment. The fault may be in the electrical cables, there may be a shorted electrical outlet, or some electrical appliance may have caused the circuit breaker to trip. Therefore, first check the electrical circuit breakers inside the apartment. If any phase is tripped, try resetting it, then electricity should work. If this does not help or if all circuit breakers are up, you will need an expert for electrical repairs. We at Prague Home Repairs are happy to help you with any electrical repairs in your home. Contact us through our contact form or at info@praguehomerepairs.com.
No hot water - First, check the main water supply, which usually has two handles for turning on and off hot and cold water. Cold water is blue, hot water is red. If only cold water is coming out of the faucet, you need to determine how the hot water is supplied to your home. The hot water may be supplied centrally (hot water flows through pipes directly from the heating plant) or locally (there is a device for heating water in the house or apartment where you live, such as a boiler or water heater). If hot water is supplied centrally, you will have to wait for the fault in the water supply system to be fixed. If there is a device like a boiler or water heater that heats the water in your home, you will need to arrange for repairs. For older water heaters, repairs may not be possible, so it is better to replace them immediately, while for boilers, replacement is usually very expensive, so it is better to arrange for repairs. Contact information for a service technician or repairman should be provided on the device, and if not, it can be found online. Note! Some water heaters are powered by gas, so handling them can be dangerous, and we do not recommend handling a gas boiler without the involvement of professionals!
No water - If there is no water flowing in your home, first check the water supply in the apartment. If the water still does not flow, there may be a fault in the water supply system and you will have to wait for it to be fixed. In case of a longer interruption, a drinking water tank will be brought to your street. You can find a list of faults and outages at this link- https://www.pvk.cz/aktuality/havarie/
Appliances not working - If one of your household appliances is not working, it is first necessary to determine whether the appliance belongs to you or the owner of the apartment. If the appliance belongs to you, you will arrange the repair yourself. You can choose a suitable repairman based on your location or the brand of the appliance. If the appliance belongs to the owner of the apartment, they will arrange the repair. If the owner does not want to repair or replace the broken appliance, you have the right to request a discount on the rental price. (Washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, boiler, oven, cooker, ..)
Waste is not draining - Non-draining wastewater from sinks, bathtubs, showers or toilets can be very unpleasant. As a first step, visually inspect the pipes, as clogged pipes can also lead to water leaks. If you want to release the waste yourself, first try using a plunger. If that doesn't work, people often try chemical drain cleaners, which can be bought in regular stores.
At Prague Home Repairs, we are professionals when it comes to plumbing services, so we would be happy to help you with repairing or releasing non-draining waste. In addition, we also solve other plumbing repairs, with quality service and at a fair price. Contact us at info@praguehomerepairs.com or fill out our order form.
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In the next chapter of our Local Guide, you will find information and advice on how to extend or terminate your rented apartment contract.