Boiler expenses/compensation

tillie123_2

I have now been without hot water for 15 days I have been provided with fan heaters. I have brain cancer and am registered disabled I also suffer with incontinece due to my tumour. I have had to travel over to my daughters on a daily basis to have a bath and have had to outsource the drying of my washing and have had to have fan heaters on for warmth (again my tumour position makes it difficult for me to regulate my body temp) I am a ha tenant. I have been told on numerous occasions that an engineer would turn up and when he did eventually he couldn’t repair but had to order parts fast forwSrd 9 days and after many phone calls the engineer turned up again but found further faults and said we needed a new boiler had this been found early on I would not be in this situation ( the boiler leaked into my dining room ruining wallpaper) as of yet I still have no date for replacement and am going into my third week without a boiler. Can anyone advise me on what I can and can’t do 
thankyou

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

Sorry to hear about all the trouble you have had, in the middle of winter!

I would recommend that your best course of action is to contact Shelter https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help for free tailored advice. They have advisors available on chat/phone and are really good at what they do.

Usually you make a formal complaint to the HA followed by the Housing Ombudsman but you might aready be part way through that. Definitely get in touch with Shelter to fourmulate your next steps - both to get the issue resolved asap and to compensate you for the trouble you have had.

Good luck!

Andreasz

Another vote for Shelter.

notrouble

Formal complaint to the HA?

You have my sympathies, but I'm afraid your medical conditions don't actually affect your legal rights. We are all equal before the law. Having said that one would have hoped the HA would react sympathetically.

Boiler repairs can take time, especially in winter when engineers are busy, and a need to identify and obtain relevant parts is just part of the process. And unfortunately it's a fact of life that when an initial repair is completed, other issues may arise or become apparant eg leading to a need to replace the boiler.

Luckily you've been provided with alternative heating - perhaps the HA can help with the washing issue if you ask?

Keeping in constant contact with them regarding progress is the best advice- any formal route is likely to take time so while it may eventually result in some compensation it's unlikely to be of immediate practical help.

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

notrouble said:

You have my sympathies, but I'm afraid your medical conditions don't actually affect your legal rights.

You are right in that they don't affect a tenant's rights regarding repairs BUT when it comes to seeking compensation, it definitely comes into play.

Individual circustances are most definitely considered when the Housing Ombudman quantifies distress and inconvenience redress payments to compensate for deficiences in service, for example in terms of how a landlord’s actions or inactions have affected tenants or exacerbated existing health conditions. They attenpt to take into account the overall distress and inconvenience caused to the complainant by the particular circumstances surrounding the complaint.

Bakeoff

@tillie123_2
Chat with Shelter. Start a formal complaint if you haven't already.

And continue to chase the HA, preferably in a written form (email, prop mgmt app), making sure you tell them of the issues that are exacerbated by your illness.

Make note of each and every expense and inconvenience that you incur because of this, if will help if/when you need to take the complaint to the Ombudsman.

Remember that even after they have completed the repairs, you can still go ahead with a formal complaint (first to the HA landlord) and then to the Ombudsman for an apology/further action/compensation.  

tillie123_2

Thanks everyone for your replies do they came today and fitted a new boiler couldn’t  wait to have a bath. No sooner had I sat down in it I could hear water they had shut the door so tight I couldn’t open it and water was on Coming from underneath the door  and again coming through my dining room ceiling. I’m hoping I can get some money to help me redecorate and maybe get my carpets cleaned. How to you put an amount of compensation to a claim when the problem has exacerbated your health conditions and taken away two very precious weeks of your life with empty promises of repair visits  When your not sure how long you’ve got left 

theartfullodger

Follow HA's process for reporting faults & complaints, - if you haven't already - usually on their website e.g.

https://www.peabody.org.uk/resident-services/all-about-repairs/reporting-a-repair

.  Confirm everything in writing/email, keep copies.

Best wishes, really sorry this has happened