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Property repair cost and my right
MarkHope
Posts: 8 Forumite
Good evening to everyone,
I am a leaseholder of a top floor apartment in Northamptonshire. I bought the property back in December 2009. Four months later, I noted an area of moisture (about 20 cm in diameter) of the part of the wall of my en suite where it meets the shower tray. I reported this immediately to the Metropolitan Housing, which sent someone to investigate it and came to the conclusion that it was a sealant problem.
They then sent a contractor who took the old sealant and applied a new one. Months later, the same problem continued. And, once again I contacted them, and they sent another person who re applied silicon sealant at the edges of the shower tray.
Due to working in Oxford and staying there during the week, it was difficult to tell what is going on as the paint, the wall and also the wood panels started to peel off since the reporting. I was only staying in the property some of the weekends.
Until recently, and after being on sick leave following a bicycle injury, I have been staying in my apartment in all the time, and I started to notice that the problem is slowly progressing. I am now convinced that the problem is still there as more paint is coming off, and the wood panel has started to split. I am worried that it is a deep leak from the pipes or behind the walls and not a simple sealant problem. My apartment is a top floor and I am worried this may damage the the property below me.
I got in touch with Metropolitan but they told me the property is now out of the defect period and they cannot do anything about it.
Clearly, if the problem appeared all of a sudden after the defect period I would have taken responsibility, but the fact that it has never gone away, I feel that they should take the responsibility.
What are my rights in this situation? If I have any? Can you please help or advise me you were in similar situation.
Many thanks.
Mark
I am a leaseholder of a top floor apartment in Northamptonshire. I bought the property back in December 2009. Four months later, I noted an area of moisture (about 20 cm in diameter) of the part of the wall of my en suite where it meets the shower tray. I reported this immediately to the Metropolitan Housing, which sent someone to investigate it and came to the conclusion that it was a sealant problem.
They then sent a contractor who took the old sealant and applied a new one. Months later, the same problem continued. And, once again I contacted them, and they sent another person who re applied silicon sealant at the edges of the shower tray.
Due to working in Oxford and staying there during the week, it was difficult to tell what is going on as the paint, the wall and also the wood panels started to peel off since the reporting. I was only staying in the property some of the weekends.
Until recently, and after being on sick leave following a bicycle injury, I have been staying in my apartment in all the time, and I started to notice that the problem is slowly progressing. I am now convinced that the problem is still there as more paint is coming off, and the wood panel has started to split. I am worried that it is a deep leak from the pipes or behind the walls and not a simple sealant problem. My apartment is a top floor and I am worried this may damage the the property below me.
I got in touch with Metropolitan but they told me the property is now out of the defect period and they cannot do anything about it.
Clearly, if the problem appeared all of a sudden after the defect period I would have taken responsibility, but the fact that it has never gone away, I feel that they should take the responsibility.
What are my rights in this situation? If I have any? Can you please help or advise me you were in similar situation.
Many thanks.
Mark
0
Comments
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Apart from advising you to start taking baths instead, I am not sure you have any redress if bought outright. If you lease (?) or part own property then negotiate with housing association.0
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How old is the property?0
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If you own the property YOU need to get this leak fixed.
The people in the flat below may want to claim on YOUR insurance if they suffer flood damage0 -
I'm someone in a first floor flat currently dealing with a leak and associated damaged caused by the third floor mains pipe leak/burst.
Due to inaction of the third floor (I won't go into deatils) the second floor has significant damage and we have very bad damage. We certainly will be claiming against the third floor.
Get it sorted ASAP before it gets worse like my situation.0 -
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