Page Category: Tips

Pool safety

Here are some useful tips to help you and your little ones stay safe in the community pool:

  • Never leave babies or children alone or in the care of another child, while in or near pools.
  • Do not leave any pool toys in the water as a child could fall in while trying to retrieve them.
  • Consuming alcohol at a public swimming pool is against the law.
  • If you have any illness or infection (such as a cold, sore throat, diarrhoea), please refrain from entering the pool to prevent spreading the disease.
  • Take children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes or check diapers every 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Shower with soap before you start swimming (then rinse yourself under the shower at the pool before you swim).

Pets

Here are a few guidelines to ensure your pets never become a nuisance in the community:

  • All dogs must be kept on a leash when not within the boundary walls of your property.
  • Any dog mess deposited on the community must be promptly removed and disposed of in a sanitary manner by the dog handler.
  • All pets must wear appropriate identification tags at all times when outdoors.
  • No animal shall be permitted to make an unreasonable amount of noise or to become a nuisance.
  • Owners must ensure that pets do not urinate on the community walls.
  • Owners whose pets are found leaving a mess in public areas may be issued a notice of violation and a fine – even if they were not handling the pet at the time.

Pest control

Keep your home pest-free by following a few simple steps:

  • Carry out pest control treatment periodically within your home.
  • Do not leave food crumbs and unsealed edible items around your home. Do not leave buckets, pet bowls, containers, or any other objects where water can stagnate outside your home.
  • Do not leave empty cardboard boxes under beds or around your home – they maintain the ideal moisture and temperature for pests like cockroaches to thrive.
  • Fountains and water features should have moving water. If not in use, the entire water feature must be drained and emptied. Do not allow excess water to accumulate in planter boxes.
  • Enlist only Dubai Municipality-approved service providers to carry out pest control.

Air conditioning

Here are a few steps to ensure your air conditioner is working flawlessly all year round:

  • Ensure that you service your air-conditioning unit at least once a year.
  • Enlist only qualified air-conditioning service personnel.
  • Ensure that clogged/dirty filters are routinely cleaned or replaced.
  • Clean and flush the unit’s drain line regularly to prevent excess moisture.
  • Keep external doors and windows closed.
  • Keep windows, which are exposed to the sun, shaded by using internal blinds or curtains.
  • Make sure you go through the energy-saving factsheet for more information. Scan through it now. 

Fire safety

It’s crucial that you take precautions to ensure your home is always protected against fire hazards:

  • Conduct regular maintenance of the smoke/heat detectors within your apartment.
  • Refrain from smoking in non-designated areas.
  • Never throw cigarette butts from your balcony.
  • Do not dispose of flammable materials (including cigarette butts) down the garbage chute.
  • Do not barbecue or smoke shisha at your balcony.
  • Never store flammable liquids/materials in your allocated parking in the basements or on balconies.
  • Familiarise yourself with the evacuation plans in your building.
  • Ensure you take part in the annual fire drill conducted in your building.
  • Never obstruct fire doors or attempt to keep fire doors open.
  • Never allow children to access fire equipment cupboards or tamper with emergency equipment and signs.
  • Did you know? It is an offence punishable by law if your detectors are not working properly or they have been obstructed, as this poses a risk to the entire community.

Holiday tips

Here are a few things you can do to secure your home before leaving for vacation:

  • Contact your concierge to have your water supply turned off till you are back. This will prevent any leaks that could damage your property.
  • Ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your home while you’re away.
  • Secure your home effectively; close and lock all windows and doors.
  • Discontinue newspaper subscriptions and deliveries to your home.
  • Give a key to a trusted friend or neighbour so they can check your apartment periodically.
  • Do not leave unsecured items on your balcony/terrace that can be easily removed.
  • If you have a burglar or intrusion alarm, activate it.
  • Secure all valuables and cash in an approved and securely fastened safe.
  • Unplug all unnecessary appliances such as televisions, stereos and personal computers (take care not to turn off the power to any alarm systems).
  • Unplug or turn off the ringer on all telephones and answering machines.

Pool safety

Remember to always exercise caution when at the pool to ensure everyone has a great time:

  • Never leave babies or children alone or in the care of another child, while in or near pools, spas, or wading pools – or near bath tubs or other open bodies of water.
  • An infant can drown in just one inch of water – make sure the supervising adult is always within arm’s length of the child with their full attention focused on them at all times.
  • The supervising adult should not be engaged in distracting activities, such as talking on a telephone, socialising or tending to household chores.
  • Parents and caregivers should learn CPR or BLS (Basic Life Support).
  • Supervising adults should make sure they do not leave any pool toys in the water as a child could fall in while trying to retrieve them.
  • Toddlers and children with seizure disorders are particularly vulnerable to drowning, but all youngsters are in danger if unsupervised in or near water.
  • Even a child who knows how to swim may drown a few feet from safety.
  • Consuming alcohol at a public swimming pool is against the law.
  • If you have any illness or infection (such as a cold, sore throat, athlete’s foot or diarrhoea), please don’t spread it around; once you are better, you can use the pool again.
  • Visit the bathroom before you use the pool!
  • Take children on bathroom breaks or check diapers every 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Change diapers in the bathroom or diaper-changing area and not at the poolside, where germs can get into the water.
  • Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.
  • Shower with soap before you start swimming (then rinse yourself under the shower at the pool before you swim).
  • Don’t swallow the water you swim in.

Pets

Emirates Living is a pet-friendly community – but it’s important to ensure that your animal friends never disturb other residents:

  • Dogs must always be kept on a leash when outside the boundaries of your home.
  • Any dog waste deposited in the community must be promptly removed and properly discarded in a sanitary manner by the dog handler.
  • All pets must wear appropriate identification tags at all times when outdoors.
  • Dog owners must ensure their animals do not make an unreasonable amount of noise or disturb neighbouring residents.
  • Abandoning pets is strictly forbidden and offenders will be reported to the authorities. If you cannot commit to caring for a pet, do not get one.
  • Refer to the pet etiquette fact sheet to learn more about pet care guidelines in your community.

Pest control

Keep your home pest-free by following a few simple steps

  • Do not leave buckets, pet bowls, containers or any other objects where water can stagnate outside your home.
  • Fountains and water features should have moving water. If not in use, the entire water feature must be drained and emptied.
  • Do not allow excess water to accumulate in planter boxes.
  • Clean out bird baths and bird feeders daily and replenish with fresh water.
  • Do not leave empty cardboard boxes lying around your porch or lawn – they maintain the ideal moisture and temperature for pests like cockroaches to thrive.
  • Do not leave food out for strays in the community – it attracts even more pests. Moreover, pet food is often reinforced with micronutrients like vitamin K that may help rodents help build immunity and develop resistance to rat poisons.
  • Collect fruits as soon as they fall from trees in your garden.
  • Dog waste can offer flies a breeding ground for weeks – ensure that any waste produced by your pets is discarded in the provided dog bins.
  • Refer to the pest control fact sheet for more information.

Landscaping

Here are some tips from our landscaping team to help you keep your landscaping lush and healthy:

  • Maintain a mowing height of 2.5 to 3 inches but during summer, increase this to 3 or 3.5 inches to reduce water loss from your soil.
  • Check your irrigation system for leaks periodically.
  • Water your landscaping as per its requirements and not just every day.
  • Apply water directly to the roots of plants to minimise evaporation and water runoff.
  • Avoid mid-day watering – instead, water in the early hours before sunrise to lessen water loss through evaporation and daytime winds.
  • Choose plants that are native to the arid climate of the Middle East and require less water such as desert rose, flame trees, bougainvillea, neem, palms and hibiscus.
  • Make adjustments to watering durations as needed; for example, shaded or protected areas may need less water than patches that are always under the sun.
  • For better efficiency, install a drip irrigation system to minimise evaporation.
  • Water brown spots by hand and check your irrigation system; lawns usually develop brown spots because of faults in the sprinkler system.
  • Planting seeds in the common areas (outside the boundary of your villa) is prohibited.
  • Refer to the landscaping fact sheet for more information.
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