Council Service Charges

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What is included in council service charges, all items are itemised that we pay for in our block of 70 flats, we get no service from caretaker the common area and lifts are filthy and he never looks at floors of the block to see if the floors needs cleaning.

All he seems to do is wet floor and not clean them he puts a big yellow triangle on the places that he wet and leave it there. All dirt is swept into the sides of the floor and is left there. He is only at the block for a couple of hrs if that each day. This guy is completely lazy and does not see dirt or does not know what it look like.

Would like to know what this guy is responsible for before making complaints to council.
Many thanks for help

macman

Obviously if the communal areas are supposed to be cleaned then it has to be done properly, if it's itemised under your bills then you have clear grounds to complain-but why not speak to him first?

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Thanks but have spoken to him loads of times and it is very difficult as you can spend ages with him because he does not understand what people are saying to him. After many frusltrating conversations with him he will say 'yes' will do it, but it is never done. He seems to have lots of reason for not doing his work, blaming tenants, which is not true as we see the same dirt everyday and he does not know anything about health and safety issue.

Do you know what is in their job description how many hrs is he supposed to spend at his place of work everyday.

macman

That's not really your concern, you simply need to put in a complaint that the job is not being done, it's not your job to monitor the hours put in.
How can anyone else know what is in his particular job description?

poppysarah

Speak to his boss.

Caretakers have a work schedule and will be expected to do a certain amount of things every day. This might only be checking the lifts are clean once a day.
However a good council will want clean buildings.

Is there a tenants group? A council is much more likely to listen to an elected comittee of representatives.

macman

With 70 flats in the block, how come no-one else has complained already?
Tenant's association?

propertyman

Your council has a formal complaints process, use it. Document the shortcomings with a photos etc over a two week period and ask them to address them as a formal complaint.

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macman wrote: »

That's not really your concern, you simply need to put in a complaint that the job is not being done, it's not your job to monitor the hours put in.
How can anyone else know what is in his particular job description?

We pay his salary and not getting any thing for it. Also his supervisor is not much better he says that if no one get hurt because of H&S issue then that is OK.:eek:

We used to have a Tenants Liaison team but they were not acting in the interest of the cleanness of the block and not democratic either. Caretakers were doing then favours like going shopping for them etc. This group was disbanded after 30 years of the same people and now there is reluctant to organisation another one these groups. The people above the supervisor and caretaker is not interested in the building either. All that seems to wake them up is when tenants do not pay rent.

macman

Put in a written complaint (not phone, not email) to the housing dept, and make sure you copy it to your local councillor.

theartfullodger

While you're about it could you also complain about the streets not being properly cleaned, the bin collection service declining in frequency, recycling schemes being different in different councila, councillors being a bunch of self-interested nobodies only after their expenses, some council staff seeming very keen on taking back-handers, council offices being overly luxurious, schools not instilling discipline & respect and the kids having too many days off, daft schemes being funded when the citizens would cancel them and councils everywhere sending out glossy brochures lying about what a great job they do..

Entirely unlike those fine folk in Westminster of course... - oh and Eric Pickles being a fat smug b***ard..

Cheers!

Artful