Council Repairs/Decent Homes Standard

propertyman

With the exception of a probationary tenancy, the decor is a secure tenant's obligation.

While some postings could be read like the Daily Mail letter page, many are in social housing for a good reason. Lacking choice or opportunity it is understandable to seek a better standard.

Whatever one's prejudices or opinions, it is not selfishness, but a sensible question.

While all councils are required to work toward the DH standards, and many are just starting, 10 years too late, the time when it was due to be completed, as artfull has indicated no matter the rent certain basic standards are required.

The common standard is that a kitchen has secure dry storage, at least one workspace and washing facilities.

Making a kitchen serviceable does not mean it has to be pretty, so in complaining you might have to be constructive in what might be acceptable. ie what do you expect to get.

Forget selfishness, the reality is that the money is not there for new one off kitchens

You might want to think about if funds permit tile paints or sticky back plastic to veneer the fronts of drawers or cupboards.

I have a lady who is a good friend to me and Mrs Propertyman, who fleeing an abusive partner, is in a council flat and has gone through this two years ago,

Steadfast in refusing to be helped ( we have spare rooms) we have helped with a spray tile paint finish over a mish mash, and a wood veneer to the white doors and a £25 mixed tap you can do yourself, and on a wall of tiles some uni bond and sheets of veneer. You can always hack off some tiles, reuse them, and paint those areas.


or a 40 watt bulb :rotfl::eek:

terryw

OP

I am a little lost here. You have been in the property for 21 years. The tiles are broken.

Have the council broke the tiles or have you?

The person who broke the tiles should replace them.

Simple.

SingleSue

We purchased our own kitchen as the one provided when we moved in was woeful (one sink unit and a larder cupboard where you could only reach not even half of it unless you wanted to climb bodily into the blooming thing)

Cost us £50 from the local paper......14 years ago.

terryw

SingleSue wrote: »

We purchased our own kitchen as the one provided when we moved in was woeful (one sink unit and a larder cupboard where you could only reach not even half of it unless you wanted to climb bodily into the blooming thing)

Cost us £50 from the local paper......14 years ago.

Good for you. A nice bit of MSE.

So where did the missing drawers go?

teeni

SingleSue wrote: »

We purchased our own kitchen as the one provided when we moved in was woeful (one sink unit and a larder cupboard where you could only reach not even half of it unless you wanted to climb bodily into the blooming thing)

Cost us £50 from the local paper......14 years ago.

off track i know but i hope you got landlords permission , i know of someone who is going through possession proceedings at the moment for changing the kitchen with out asking 12 years ago. it was not noticed until the council came to inspect to change the kitchens under the welsh housing standards.

Even though the one they put in was a cracking hand built one from a local master craftsman and was worth thousands.

SingleSue

Yes, permission granted. It was them that suggested we got a cheap second hand one in the first place.

wagtail

terryw wrote: »

OP

I am a little lost here. You have been in the property for 21 years. The tiles are broken.

Have the council broke the tiles or have you?

The person who broke the tiles should replace them.

Simple.

Lino floor tiles, of which some are cracked and parts missing. I think it`s not unreasonable to assume that after 25 years a floor would have some wear and tear. As with any period of 21 years living in a house there are some long stories attached - I had a leak under the sink which was spraying water rather than dripping, about 10 years ago I think. I reported it immediately. The girl on the line said it wasn`t urgent and to turn the water off and put a bowl under the leak when I needed the water to be on. I explained that it was spraying and drenching the cupboard and a bowl wasn`t catching it as it wasn`t a drip. When the plumber came several days later he said they should have come out straight away. The result of that was a rotten sink unit which is one that now needs replacing and the effect of the damp on the floor on the area around the sink lifted some tiles from the concrete underneath causing them to crack and break in areas.

wagtail

So where did the missing drawers go?[/QUOTE]

Two drawers are missing because they fell apart, the little ball bearings came out of the runners if I remember rightly, causing it to be difficult to open and close them, so with repeated use after that the whole draw actually came apart. I would say that`s wear and tear. I would never deliberately damage anything. I tried to glue them back together with wood glue but they still didn`t last much longer and because the council told me I was getting a new kitchen anyway a further repair seemed pointless.
I was told by the council in 1996 that I would be getting a new kitchen next year (97). At the time they were putting central heating in as we had coal fires.
The employees who told me that were in suits and were in charge of the Tenant`s Choice program. The council have had a program of modernisation in place since the 90`s and the general condition of properties in this council`s area is good.