Housing administrator advises you to take care of your home before going on holiday

Housing administrator advises you to take care of your home before going on holiday

Many apartment dwellers go on holiday during the summer, leaving their homes alone. Gintaras Stanišauskas, a building maintenance specialist at Civinity Namai, a company that provides maintenance and administration services for apartment buildings, reminds us that when planning a holiday, it’s not only worth thinking about your holiday plans, but also making sure you take care of your home and that you leave it in a proper way.

Take care of water accident prevention

According to Civinity Namai, plumbing accidents in apartment buildings are among the most popular, causing significant damage not only to the apartment where the accident occurs, but also to the premises and property of neighbouring apartments.

These types of accidents are most often caused by old, rusty pipes and valves, faulty or improperly installed or worn plumbing hoses and fittings, and poor-quality coarse-cleaning filters.

“Plumbing accidents in flats very often happen when the occupants are not at home. There are also inevitable situations where accidents happen when they are away. In such cases, the water is not noticed when it starts flowing and the accident is only dealt with when the water reaches the neighbouring flats and the neighbours notice it,” says Stanišauskas.

To avoid this, residents are advised to turn off the water in their apartment before going on holiday. Anyone can do this, as long as they know where the water inlet is located. Usually it is in the bathroom or toilet in the apartment, in the stairwell of a block of flats or in the basement.

Reduce the risk of potential electrical accidents

Electrical accidents are less common in apartment buildings, but the consequences can be much more complex. Old or faulty wiring, as well as faulty electrical equipment in use, can lead to fires, which can cause serious damage not only to the property but also to the occupants of the apartment block.

It is recommended to switch off all electrical appliances and unplug plugs and chargers from electrical sockets before leaving home. According to G. Stanišauskas, it is also very important not to leave any plug socket hubs (two-branch, three-branch) in electrical sockets.

“Before leaving home and going on holiday, you should make sure that the electrical wiring in your apartment is in good order, and if you have any doubts, you should tidy it up before you leave, or at least switch off the electricity supply,” says the Civinity Namai specialist.

The electricity supply to the apartment is turned off by turning off the automatic electrical switches and lowering all the knobs. These switches can usually be found in the electrical panel in the stairwell or in the apartment.

It is recommended to switch off the electricity supply when going away for an extended period of time, not only for fire prevention but also to save electricity. When leaving the house in summer, it is advisable not to leave the air conditioner running, but instead to draw the curtains to prevent the sun from warming the house. It is also advisable to completely empty and switch off the fridge, as it uses more electricity when empty, which can be saved during the holidays.

Inform your nearest neighbours of your departure and leave the keys with someone you trust

According to G. Stanišauskas, in the event of any emergency in an apartment when the occupants are not at home, it is very important to find them as soon as possible so that emergency responders can enter the apartment. “Before leaving home for an extended period of time, it is advisable to make sure that the building manager and neighbours have your contact phone number. It is also very important to make sure that the spare keys to the apartment are in the possession of a person you trust and who can enter the premises if you ask,” advises a Civinity Namai representative.