SOCIAL AND
STAFF HOUSING
Maintenance and Repairs
UNIT INSPECTIONS
Yukon Housing inspects its housing
units on a scheduled basis as
follows:
At the time of move-in and
move-out
REPAIR SERVICE
STANDARDS AND
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
Generally, tenants are responsible
One month after the move-in date for informing YHC of maintenance
concerns, and YHC will follow up
Six months after the move-in date
on all concerns brought forward by
One year after the move-in date
assessing and repairing damages
At least one time per year
based on priority and necessity.
afterwards
YHC will provide notification to
Your Housing Manager or Tenant
tenants that their maintenance
Relations Officer will arrange a time
concern has been received, and
to complete the inspection with you.
where possible give an indication of
when the concern will be addressed.
MAINTENANCE
EMERGENCIES
NON-EMERGENCY
REPAIRS
Emergencies are situations that could
potentially cause a lot of damage
to the building and/or create a
significant inconvenience or safety
hazard to you, your family and other
tenants. Emergencies might include
the following:
Normal wear and tear on a home is
to be expected, and in most cases
you will not be charged for it. We
encourage you to inform us about
any non-emergency repairs that your
home may need so that we can keep
our buildings in the best possible
condition and avoid more costly
repairs later on. Non-emergency
maintenance means it is not a matter
of health, safety or security.
There is no heat, electricity or
water in your unit
There is a threat to the safety or
security of the tenant
Your toilet is plugged and your
unit has only one washroom
There is a water leak or flood
A window is broken during the
winter
You are locked out
YHC determines what general
repairs can’t wait for the planned
capital or maintenance projects.
When you call your Housing Manager
or Tenant Relations Officer for a nonemergency maintenance repair, they
will ask you for permission to enter
the unit. YHC will try to complete the
repair as soon as possible, usually
within one and 14 days depending on
the nature of the repair. We will let
you know if the repair will take longer
and why.
If you are having a maintenance
emergency, please call the YHC
after hours contact number in your
community at anytime. The contact
numbers are listed on the first page
of the tenant handbook.
YUKON HOUSING CORPORATION | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
Basic Maintenance Instructions
APPLIANCES
BASEBOARDS
Use a mild soapy solution for the
smooth surfaces of appliances. A
paste made of baking soda and water
tackles grease and dirt well. Please
do not use abrasive cleaning pads or
chemicals — these can scratch and
damage appliances. Oven cleaner may
be used, but please follow instructions
carefully and ensure that any fumes
do not escape from your unit into
common areas or other units.
It is important that you keep any
belongings away from baseboard
heaters and heating vents to allow
them to function properly and avoid
creating accidental fires. Please
do not hang clothes to dry or put
furniture or blankets close to heaters
or vents. You should regularly
vacuum baseboards to remove dust.
To clean radiators, frequently vacuum
the central grooves with the crevice
tool of your vacuum. Periodically
dust the inside of the radiator and
be sure to take a look above your
radiator at the same time: heat can
cause passing dirt to attach to the
wall here. Wash it off with a soapy
sponge.
YUKON HOUSING CORPORATION | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
FURNACE
PLUMBING
Please keep a minimum three-foot
You can help keep your home’s
clearance around furnaces and water plumbing in good condition by
heaters at all times. YHC maintains
following these simple tips:
all furnaces in its units on an annual
Do not dispose of cooking grease
basis. Please do not tamper with your
or fat down the drain (keep a jar
heating device.
or other container under the sink
for that purpose and run hot,
If your unit has no heat, please check
soapy water down the drain at the
to make sure the furnace power
same time if you absolutely must
switch is in the ON position. Call
dispose of small amounts)
your local YHC office or emergency
maintenance line if your furnace
is not turning on, or if you have
questions.
Only flush toilet paper. No paper
towels or baby wipes (even if the
package says “flushable”)
POWER SHUTOFF
Keep a toilet plunger handy to
clear any blockages
Locate your unit’s electrical box. If
a circuit breaker blows, disconnect
or turn off the appliance(s) that may
have caused the problem. Reset the
circuit breaker by pushing it all the
way to the OFF position, then to the
ON position. The electricity should
be restored. Please do not replace
or attempt to fix electrical issues
yourself, call YHC instead.
Do not flush an overflowing toilet
(turn off the water supply valve at
the back of the toilet)
YUKON HOUSING CORPORATION | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
MAIN WATER SHUTOFF
SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL
The main water shutoff valve in
a single or semi-detached family
dwelling can usually be found in the
basement near the water meter.
It can be closed to shut off all the
water in your home, and the water
lines drained by opening faucets at
the highest and lowest points in your
home. Individual shutoff valves can
also be found on some sinks and
most toilets. Turn the valve clockwise
to stop water flow and then open a
faucet or flush the toilet to drain the
water in the lines.
YHC does snow removal for some
units like apartments. Tenants are
responsible for removing snow from
their patio, decks or balconies.
OUTSIDE TAPS
If you are living in a single or semidetached unit, you will need to shut
off the outside tap and disconnect
your garden hose when temperatures
start to drop in the fall. You can
usually find the outdoor tap valve in
the basement ceiling area where the
outdoor tap is located. Open up the
outside tap so just a bit of water is
flowing, and then shut off the inside
valve to allow the water line to drain
completely and avoid a burst pipe
once it freezes.
For single family homes and
duplexes, tenants are responsible for
clearing snow from their driveways
and sidewalks in front of the unit.
YARDS
If your unit has a yard, you are
responsible for maintaining it in a
clean and orderly state at all times.
Seasonal yard maintenance yard
maintenance tasks include mowing
the grass, raking and bagging leaves,
trimming hedges and trees, and
pulling weeds such as dandelions.
We encourage you to compost any
yard waste.
In the winter, we ask tenants with
yards to keep the sidewalk (including
any municipal sidewalks), driveway,
and steps clear of snow and ice. This
includes any municipal sidewalks.
Do not build outdoor skating rinks in
the yard of any YHC unit due to the
potential for flooding in the spring time.
If you have a dog, you are responsible
for cleaning up the dog droppings in
your yard on a daily basis.
YUKON HOUSING CORPORATION | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
CONSERVING ENERGY
AND WATER
YHC is committed to energy and
water conservation throughout its
operations, including staff and social
housing. With over 800 housing units,
even small efforts like these can add
up to big results:
WATER
POWER CONSUMPTION
Turn off lights in rooms that are
not being used
Use energy efficient light bulbs
Use cold water to wash clothes
Report leaky taps and toilets to
your local YHC office
Turn off taps while you are
brushing your teeth or shaving
Take shorter showers
OTHER
Apply weather stripping to
doorways
Keep your refrigerator on a
medium or low setting
Sort garbage and use recycling
YUKON HOUSING CORPORATION | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
PREVENTING MOULD
Mould refers to various types of
fungi that are a natural part of
the environment. Mould can grow
indoors if there is too much moisture
and cause a number of serious
health issues — including respiratory
problems and allergies.
If you find small to moderate
amounts of mould (patches larger
than one square metre), you should:
Here are a few simple tips to prevent
excessive moisture build up and
mould in your home:
Wear gloves, goggles and a dust
mask to protect yourself
Promptly report any leaks in
plumbing and the building’s
exterior so that YHC can make
repairs
Use kitchen and bathroom
exhaust fans when cooking and
showering
Do not turn off your ventilation
system or block vents
Wipe down the affected surfaces
with a solution of four parts
vinegar and one part water (best
applied with a spray bottle)
Get assistance if mould is on
carpets or soft furnishings
Try to identify the source of the
problem and fix it
Never use a dry brush — it will
only spread mould spores
You should contact your local YHC
office if you have a recurring mould
problem.
Avoid storing any moisture
holding items (fabrics, wood,
paper, food) in damp areas such
as basements
Be sure to completely dry any
areas affected by an accidental
flood
Keep thermostats at 18° Celsius
or more in the winter
YUKON HOUSING CORPORATION | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
Important Contacts
WHITEHORSE ONLY
Call 911 if you need ambulance, fire department or police
YOUR COMMUNITY
Ambulance
Fire Department
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Community Health Centre
Security
YUKON HOUSING CORPORATION
Community Offices
Carcross................. 867-821-4281Mayo/Pelly..........867-996-2358
Carmacks............... 867-863-6411
Ross River...........867-969-2347
Dawson City........... 867-993-5478Teslin..................867-390-2024
Faro........................ 867-994-3113
Watson Lake.......867-536-7304
Haines Junction...... 867-634-2202Whitehorse..........867-667-5712
Emergency Repairs (after hours)
Tenant Relations Officer/
Housing Manager
Housing Advisory Committee
OTHER CONTACTS
Yukon HealthLine.... 811
School