Years ago we were council tenants and thought the councils were slow at repairs and tried any excuse to get out of actually doing the repairs, that was until we took a housing assoc flat.
We moved in just over 5 years ago, we were over joyed at moving to an area where my children could go outside to play unharassed by drug paraphernalia where they could play in areas designated for them, areas that were safe.
What I didn't know was the lack of care toward tenants by the HA. We pointed out a few repairs when we viewed the flat, ohh no problem those will be done as soon as you take the property. Hogwash.
Here we are 5 years down the line and still the boiler (roughly aged about 15 years old by the many gas engineers sent to service it each year) needs condemned, it only seems to work when there is a howling gale threatening to break the kitchen window, and maybe for long enough for the pilot light to light then it switches itself off and refuses to come back on for at least a week. One repairman told me (a woman who can't reach up to press the button on the boiler) to "press here next to the switch and it will come one as long as you press firmly" yeah O.K. then wait while I get my teenager she can climb up on the work top and risk falling out the window to press firmly on a part of the boiler I didn't see because his body was in the way, or maybe just fix the thing??? Ohh no the repair men got it working for all of 2 minutes therefore it clearly works all the time doesn't it? Even though he saw it go back off and he ordered parts which didn't help make it work more often. Of course this was after the engineer who said "there isn't a drop of water in the boiler I have to re-pressurise it love" then swore loudly and repeatedly because he had BROKEN it 3 weeks no boiler again. When there was snow on the ground and they couldn't be bothered ordering the part as anything other than routine . . . snow on ground no heating no hot water and he wanted to switch my gas supply off???? Never gonna happen at least I could still get the teenager to put the fire on to heat the living room!!!
Now to be honest I wouldn't complain so much but its a combi boiler which means if it wont go on we can't get hot water to wash, never mind heat for the flat.
I still have what I call trampoline floors, which is to say when my youngest child walks down the hall the floor dips and sags. I complained and eventually they sent out joiners, who lifted the old floorboards tutted over and over and swore a few times about "cowboys". I asked outright what they were on about and got the following answer - "the idiots who did the central heating cut through every single joist love that means no matter how we fix this the problem will return because you need the joists repaired and we are here to replace the floorboards", now I have taken out many swear words here the joiners were livid as was I. This repair lasted less than a month.
A few months later I asked the local housing inspector to come out about the many repairs I thought needed, he told me over and over the joiners, gas engineers and various other workmen that had been out to my home had no idea what they were talking about and he who hadn't seen any of the repairs done, and had never worked as a repair man, knew best there was nothing wrong with my flat.
He could open and close the windows, regardless of the creaking and rattling of the glass panes, so it could be done of course it didn't matter that he is able bodied and quite strong and had to rattle the windows a few times before they opened even the smallest amount. He saw the boiler light (on first time of course) so nothing wrong there, but he would speak to the company when he had lunch with them the following week and get back to me . . . . . at least a year and a half later I'm still waiting!!!!
This week I got a letter from the local council asking me to fill in and return and one of the questions was how much was my rent per calendar month, so here I am on hold waiting for them to deem me important enough to answer and put me through to the housing officer to tell me how much they charge me for this leaky, cold, non weather proofed, rattling windowed flat. So far I have been on hold for over 20 minutes with the constant disembodied voice telling me my call is important and they will answer as soon as they can . . . . . . ohhh wait the one and only person answering the phone finally answered and tells me I have to go through and leave a message and they will get back to me as soon as possible. O.K. I leave a message and call back to speak to repairs about everything else, ohh sorry call the gas repair company we don't have any workmen to do the gas boilers you need to take it up with them. O.K. what about when they hang up on me?? You will need to contact them. O.K. what part of they hang up on me don't you understand??? I will pass you over to my colleague she can tell when they have had calls from you. O.K. at the risk of repeating myself AGAIN they HANG UP ON ME they do not come out they do not answer the call they do not log the complaint, so a fat lot of good it will do checking the system when they don't actually answer my report of problems with the boiler. Ohhh goody she is going to check and call me back . . . . . when is any ones guess however because I'm still waiting on the inspector getting back to me about the thing 2 repair companies ago!!!!!
Every time I call up and ask about the double glazing I'm told "sorry we don't know what we are doing with our flatted stock" which is just a fancy way of telling me they don't care as long as they get the rent money each month. Now this excuse has worn thin (very very thin) since its all I have been told for the last 3 years, while I watch other properties owned by the same housing assoc get new kitchens new central heating new windows, in some cases properties have had 3 sets of double glazing while the tenants of these flats are told they are the only one with the problem of the windows and floors not to mention the boilers.
The properties getting all the work done are in walkable distance to the office so of course they will get the repairs done because they can easily go to the office and complain, which those of us miles away can't. We get fobbed off with excuse after excuse while the HA hope we don't actually speak to each other and see we are not alone in this.
I am sorry councils I unreservedly apologise I was wrong to move out when you actually did the repairs. I had a warm double glazed solid floored home where my children could be children without fear of falling into the downstairs neighbours flat by simply walking to their bedrooms or the bathroom. I did not have to worry about them sleeping near windows, which stupidly is the only place my youngest childs bed can actually go because of a built in cupboard taking up valuable space. I didn't have to worry about my kitchen worktops falling off or the cupboards opening all by themselves.
And now I'm stuck I am not disabled enough to need to move out of the flat, simply because DLA does not take into account going up and down stairs, and I am sat here with a duvet wrapped round me and 3 layers of clothing on because of the howling gale coming through my windows. But its O.K. I have 3 bedrooms and I have a kitchen and a bathroom, who cares that during the winter we all huddle together under duvets in the living room????
