Housing association

midnightjasmine13

Hi,
I am moving out of my housing association property. It's going to be very costly.  Now I am facing costs for repairs that I don't feel at fault for. I have lived here for ten years. Flat is freshly painted and presentable. However, for the last ten years I have had water pouring in my windows, filling up the windowsill and onto the floor. This has ruined my carpets which I had to replace for something I could wipe and ruined my decor. I have black mould and every other coloured mould. I have a serious lung condition. Repairs are a windowsill which cracked due to damp, radiators which I painted with radiator paint to hide the rust and finally after months of not sleeping in my bedroom due to it smelling of mould, I decided to take of the doors to the built in cupboard and get rid. This help immensely as before the cupboard was filled with mould. I'm going to be charged for all of this. I don't feel this is fair. I've had my belongings ruined and I've had to pay for this. I've begged the housing association to help reminding them about my lung condition.  They wouldn't do anything. Never mind there's other things that they wouldn't do or fix which I've paid for. I strongly feel that I should not have to pay for this. In my tenancy agreement which they signed it says that they must carry out repairs. Any advice anyone please? Thanks

ACG

Take photos of the mould, keep copies of letters/emails sent to them and tell them you do not feel you should be paying for costs due to the issues you have raised and they are the reason you are moving out as they did not keep up their part of the contract by fixing these issues. Go from there with it. 

[Deleted User]

What has your lung condition got to do with you dismantling their cupboards? You destroyed them you pay for them! 

HampshireH

I tend to agree with shel. Cupboards come with doors and they were there when you moved in so should be there when you move out.

midnightjasmine13

Black mould was growing inside the cupboard. It had serious damp. The room smelled strongly of mould. I couldn't sleep in there. As soon as I took them off air circulated inside and it helped so much. I feel if the damp issues were addressed then that wouldn't have been something I felt I needed to do. It isn't as if  I wanted a cupboard with no doors. After years of water pouring into my windows, I was sick. I don't think anyone would deal with that as gracefully as I have. I believe if someone else paid for carpet to be laid and then destroyed for example, then they would be as sick as me. I feel that I did it but I also feel that they should take some responsibility. Also, if their property ruined my carpets etc then I should receive something for that.

Smodlet

If the windows are as bad as you say, perhaps consider writing to your MP and/or spreading the word about this housing association all over social media; they sound awful and I wish you luck finding somewhere decent to live.

ElephantBoy57

midnightjasmine13 said:

However, for the last ten years I have had water pouring in my windows, filling up the windowsill and onto the floor.

It sounds like condensation which is your responsibility, not the housing associations. If it was not condensation, but water ingress from the walls, then you should have reported that, but you are not telling us that.

Norman_Castle

midnightjasmine13 said:

 for the last ten years I have had water pouring in my windows, filling up the windowsill and onto the floor.  I have black mould and every other coloured mould. I have a serious lung condition. Repairs are a windowsill which cracked due to damp, radiators which I painted with radiator paint to hide the rust and finally after months of not sleeping in my bedroom due to it smelling of mould, I decided to take of the doors to the built in cupboard and get rid. This help immensely as before the cupboard was filled with mould. I'm going to be charged for all of this. I don't feel this is fair. I've had my belongings ruined and I've had to pay for this. I've begged the housing association to help reminding them about my lung condition.  They wouldn't do anything. Never mind there's other things that they wouldn't do or fix which I've paid for. I strongly feel that I should not have to pay for this. In my tenancy agreement which they signed it says that they must carry out repairs.

What did they say caused the damp? Was the water from the window condensation or rain water?

Removing the doors might have helped reduce the damp but they could have been stored somewhere.

If the majority of the problems are caused by damp conditions due to water ingress they should take responsibility for the condition of the property. Do neighbouring properties have similar problems?

midnightjasmine13

I can tell anything asked. Not withholding the fact that I have reported this issue many times and actually begged for help. I've done so much to better my living conditions for my health and yet I'm living around mould
 Actually, I'm not. I clean it every few days which is probably worse. I do not know what it is. There is sometimes condensation but I tried a dehumidifier, I have a washer/dryer and do not hang out clothes. Due to the measures which I have taken, I don't believe this is the issue. I have been told by others that it's the seals on the window and a friend said something about issues with construction and these things that are meant to drain water that are in the walls are apparently not right. I don't know about any of that. I do know the building next door has issues with damp, you can see it even from the outside and our garden is always like a swamp. No idea if that's related. There's water trapped. I can push on the wood and water comes up like a sponge. I worry about the person moving in after me. I imagine them laying carpet and decorating and it all gets ruined. I don't see a new tenant being passive about it. I feel I have taken every measure to make sure it's not something I am doing. I've spent money on a washer/dryer, dehumidifier and the cost of running it which is crazy, anti mould sprays and anti mould paints, window sealer the panels which were a waste as the window was too wet nevermind the money on ruined belongings. If I have done all these things and it's still an issue I can't see that it isn't an issue with the property. 
Thank you for all the help and advice!

tom9980

Social landlords are not held to the same standards as private landlords they get away with murder. 

I can only suggest you contact your MP, local councilor and housing association and tell them the damage was caused by their lack of repair which you reported. Then refuse to pay. 

diggingdude

If you have been reporting these issues, I would be refusing to pay and let them take me to court. If they are issues you have created though (such as condensation) expect to pay for damage and legal fees.  In future store the doors somewhere or just leave them open all the time as they were not yours to get rid of