Housing association not communicating and not doing repair no hot water or heating 1 December 2022 at 7:00PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 50 replies 2.1K views

teddybear154

I wonder if any one can give me some advice as don't know what to do.

I live in a housing association house with my husband and 4 children.

We have been having problems with boiler for a while. It started off with not being able to get hot water downstairs but could get hot water upstairs.

About 4 months ago after contacting housing association about it they sent some one out to have a look and they serviced boiler at same time.

The engineer did something which fixed problem for all of 1 hour then no hot water downstairs again.

I contacted housing association again and they kept saying they would send some one out again but never did.

Last Friday I went to run my children a bath and noticed there was no hot water also heating was off.

I went to check boiler and it was making loud noises and red lights were flashing on and off.

The boiler will not work.

I have tried and tried to contact housing association but they either don't answer, phone is engaged or say they will ring back then don't.

I have sent so many emails reporting problem, but no response.

We have been without heating and hot water for 1 week now it's rediculous.

What can I do to get housing association to communicate and actually do repair.

What should be my next step.

I have 4 children 3 with special needs one with complicated medical needs, I need hot water and heating.

Any advice much appreciated

Thanks in advance 

TELLIT01

Can you go to the HA office?  Alternatively contact your local MP.  With the very recent case of the death of a child being blamed directly on the HA not maintaining the property, MP involvement is likely to concentrate the HA mind.

diystarter7

Have you rang them?

Norman_Castle

Which Housing Association?

Tucosalamanca

diystarter7 said:

Have you rang them?

'I have tried and tried to contact housing association but they either don't answer, phone is engaged or say they will ring back then don't.'

It would appear so

elsien

diystarter7 said:

Have you rang them?

From the OP.


“I have tried and tried to contact housing association but they either don't answer, phone is engaged or say they will ring back then don't.”

OP - I’d try a formal complaint. And potentially also environmental health of the local council, although I’m not sure of the timescales in which they would get involved.

macman

Definitely escalate to local EH. No CH or hot water at this time of year means that the property can be defined as unfit for habitation and the HA should either fix it pronto or rehouse the OP until it's sorted. The problem began 4 months ago.
Formal complaint, and cc to the local councillor.

diystarter7

Tucosalamanca said:

diystarter7 said:

Have you rang them?

'I have tried and tried to contact housing association but they either don't answer, phone is engaged or say they will ring back then don't.'

It would appear so

Hi
Thanks for that. The reason I asked specifically was I've met many people that just email and often that is quite a slow process.

If you wish, are you able to disclose the name of the HA, please?

FYI - I've never worked in a HA but the council in the past and have a good friend in HA complaints - I may ask that person for help if you wish but no promises. 

teddybear154

Thank you everyone who has replied. Just to clarify as said in  first message I have phoned many times too. But struggled to get through. When I did get through and spoke to someone they said someone would phone me back but no one did. When I phoned back I was told they had no record of me phoning then I abruptly got disconnected.

I had no response on any of my emails. On Friday I finally had enough and made a formal complaint. Some one got back to me quiet quick after I sent complaint, but no apology just tried to blame it all on a IT fault.

Any way they sent a engineer out Finally on Friday Evening but Engineer could not do any thing, and could not work out what was wrong. 

They said they would have to order some parts and try replacing one part at a time. They said they will not be able to get parts until Tuesday at earliest. Engineer did give us 2 Tiny and I  mean Tiny fan heaters but they are useless.

We have now been without heating and hot water for 12days.

I had to go out and buy a couple of decent electric heaters my self yesterday to try and warm house as My children were so cold.

Money I could not really afford to spend. I'm having to use electric shower or boil pans of water on electric stove to get hot water.  It's going to cost me a fortune in electricity that again I can't really afford but can't leave my children to freeze.

We are Lucky we have a electric shower so can still wash, but it's in a Wet room next to front door which usually is heated with a radiator but as boiler is broken no heating. I can't put a electric heater in there it's too dangerous. 

It's freezing in Wet room, colder than rest of house. It's not nice having to get undressed in a freezing room jump in shower then shiver trying to dry as quick as your can as it's so cold.

It's -5 out side today and thick snow.

It's rediculous to leave you without heating and hot water in these temperatures.

Does any one know how long housing association can leave us in this weather without heating or hot water. How long do they have to fix boiler.

Are two very tiny fan heaters acceptable as temporary replacement heating.

Also do I have the right to ask for a refund of my rent as I don't have heating or hot water or can I ask for compensation to cover what I'm having to spend out. I don't see why I should be left out of pocket

I would go and stay else where but have no family nearby and no friends with enough room.

Any advice much appreciated

Thanks in advance 

silvercar

Contact your local councillor, they are usually good at putting pressure on housing associations 

macman

You can ask for compo to recover your quantifiable losses. So something for the extra energy costs, but not a rent reduction. There is no maximum time in which repairs have to be made, if parts have to be ordered then it's never instant. Ask for some convectors in the meantime.
Have you contacted your local councillor, as suggested ten days ago?