Issues With Sink, Need Advice Asap

emperorstevee

Hello,

I hope that everyone enjoyed their christmas.

I have had issues with my sink for a long time, which increased in number and severity over time. I am renting with a housing association and none of the issues were caused by myself. I do not have content insurance with an external agency.

A few weeks ago I called up my housing association complaining that the pipes and taps were leaking and that the circle on the side of the sink where overflowing water drains does not have a cap, nor does the water that goes through it have anywhere to fall into, it just falls into the cupboard below. They told me that they would come out and take a look. They never came out to look. A few days after this I went out for a party in town, I was about an hour from my flat. My partner got home early and I got a call from her "the flat is flooded, the tap is running!" Now, I was totally confused. I get quite OCD and when I leave my flat I go through everything in the kitchen "taps off, oven off, fridge closed" etc and I do it several times. I then have a bit of a thing where I lock my flat and then keep turning the handle several times in which i could hear something like water in my flat running. The tap was never left on when I checked. The water had apparently got so high (my partner had towelled up a lot of it before I got home) that it somehow flooded into my downstairs neighbour's flat.

I called the housing association again, this time asking for an emergency repair, explaining what had happened. They were due to come Monday. They never came. This was a second time they didn't come out.

Then yesterday, myself and my partner were in another room and then all of a sudden we heard water running from the kitchen, I went to check and the tap had suddenly started running at a speed much greater than a few drips, it could have filled the sink in a several minutes. I think it started running on its own like this when I went out last time, as I always check things meticulously when I leave. Now, one of the taps will not turn on at all. The taps had been slowly growing more and more stiff, and now the tap won't budge at all. I have called for a second emergency repair, and have been told, like last time, that they would be out within 24 hours.

The water has allegedly caused damaged in the below neighbour's flat, and my partner's expensive shoes have been waterdamaged. I don't believe this was my fault. Of course I want the issue sorted and I don't want to have to pay for the related repairs. What can you advise me?

tacpot12

Keep chasing the Housing Association. You need to keep calling them every day until they come out to fix the pipe, taps and the overflow. Put the neighbour in touch with the Housing Association; the leak was caused either by the tap being faulty, or the overflow not being plumbed in properly. The overflow may not have the capacity to cope if the cold tap is running at full power. I would suggest you ask the repair service to check this and fit a flow restrictor if it will not cope.

You may have to argue with the Housing Association about the responsibility for the leak that has damaged the neighbours flat. If it was due to tap washer having worn out, they might say that this was your responsibility to replace this. I would suggest you challenge this by saying "If this was my responsibility, your repairs service should have asked me to check for this first before agreeing to come out to fix it."

missile

Who is your housing association?

Speak with your neighbours. More people who complain, the more likely they are to take action.

The housing association should have buildings insurance which will cover consequential damage to your partners shoes and neighbours property. It is a legal requirement that they advise you and there ought to be a certificate displayed in your building.

You really ought to get contents insurance asap.