Does Our 1950s Bungalow Need Windows Constantly Open?

Robisere

Contact your local District, Borough or County Council Environmental Health department. They can now inspect your property and enforce environmental laws to make the Housing Association (or any landlord) responsible for making your home safe and healthy. Check this out:
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_counts_as_a_decent_home

I was brought up in a 1926-built NCB estate home, with coal fires and single glazed windows. I live in a Sheltered Housing bungalow, whose landlord is a Housing Association. The bungalow was built in 1962 and originally had single-glazed windows, before the local Council fitted SUDG glazing around 35 years ago. We had ancient night storage heating and all residents fought for years to get these changed to GasCH. Eventually the local MP pressrised the District Council Environmental Health, who forced the landlord to fit GasCH. Our former condensation, damp and mould problems disappeared within 12 months.

The problem with older properties being fitted with SUDG, is that they were not built to 'breathe': modern homes are, older ones are now sealed boxes and moist air circulates with no exit but vents, which can be useless.

gohan2091

We have double glazed windows but some of the sealing is loose. The windows are very cold and waking up in the morning is so difficult because it's so cold. Our heating system is very old, we can adjust when the heating comes on and off but it's all analogue and we have no actual control over the temperature, it's either on or off. We don't actually know how the hot water works, and we did ask, it seems to be on randomly, regardless of whether the heating has been on or not. There is an additional switch in the kitchen which is an immersion heater but that uses electricity and we hear that can be expensive.

There is a gas fire in the living room (my bedroom because the living room has been moved into the small bedroom) with a 9x9 air vent that I open and close when I want. This gas fire has been disabled and doesn't work but when I asked if it can be removed, they said the boiler is behind it and it has to be kept there.

The bungalow has a chimney but we don't know if it's open or closed. I have emailed the housing association regarding some of these issues and other things just after xmas but we haven't had a reply from them so far. I will contact the borough council (South Norfolk) if we can't get anything done but I don't want to fall out with the landlord, especially this early on.