Impasse with Housing Association.

SpikeyKitten

Hi guys,

I'm at my wits end with this situation and could do with some advice.

I've been renting a flat from a housing association for just over a year. In all that time, I've had no hot water from my kitchen sink. I'm having to boil multiple kettles in order to wash up.

I'm in this incredibly frustrating and expensive 'Catch 22' situation with trying to get the HA to fix it. I report the issue online or by telephone, and they then book in a repair where one of their "plumbers" will attend. I'm not allowed to fix it myself.

I'm self-employed, so I'll have to take a day off work, losing money to wait in for them. Off the top of my head I'd say there has been around eight visits over the last year about it. It doesn't seem to matter how much information I give them over the phone, they always arrive clueless as to the problem. It's like the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. Or they'll give an excuse like they're the wrong type of tradesman and I'll have to rebook, or they'll turn up with a new tap (twice) because I reported 'no hot water from tap). There's nothing wrong with the tap, what's needed is a pump (verified by my own research, and verified by every "plumber" they send. Then they'll leave saying that they'll order the pump, or that they're going to buy it now, but then never return. And the whole thing keeps going round in circles.

This is causing me incredible distress because I can't settle due to not knowing if I'm going to have to move out if they won't fix it. I've not installed carpets or curtains for this reason so am essentially living life on hold in a cold concrete box. Every time I get a new appointment about it I just know I'll be losing more money waiting for them with no resolution. I feel like they're trolling me, or doing it on purpose. I know they're not (Hanlon's Razor), and that it must cost them more money to keep sending people rather than just fix the problem, but it's still incredibly frustrating.

For the first year of my tenancy I was on a kind of probation where I guess I could be evicted easily. For this reason, I hadn't raised any formal complaints, fearing a revenge eviction. I know it's private landlords who usually do things like that but still didn't want to risk it. Now I'm on an 'assured' tenancy so have tried to start a formal complaint via the process set out on their website. If I get no satisfaction there, I can take it to the housing ombudsman.

When I lodged the complaint, I was telephoned a few days later by a representative of the HA, full of apologies and "we understand" etc et ad-nauseum… They said they'd get someone booked in ASAP to get it sorted.

As expected, the whole sorry situation just started going round in circles again. They turn up, give excuse, go away, and I'm back to square one.

When I got back in touch to find out how to escalate my complaint in order to get it to the ombudsman, I was told that my complaint was closed down because they'd 'booked in' the repair!

Has anyone got any idea on how to resolve this? As far as I can see, I'm stuck, and have little option other than to move out. Or have it fixed at my own expense and worry about them finding out and evicting me because 'rules'. Or doing something silly like running a hosepipe from the bathroom etc. I suppose I could buy a dishwasher now I think on it…

Just to say too, for what it's worth. That I've never been late with my rent, I live here quietly on my own, I get on with my neighbours etc. I am probably what is considered to be an ideal tenant. I don't deserve this disrespect.

flaneurs_lobster

Could you have a word with your local councillor? Their contact details are generally online and they often have in-person surgeries.

SpikeyKitten

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81871390#Comment_81871390

I hadn't considered that. Thanks. I did think about 'taking it to the media' 😁

I don't think it's fair that tenants are not allowed to withhold rent in such circumstances. There's no incentive for LL's to fix things. There should be a type of escrow system in my opinion where you carry on paying but it gets diverted from LL to escrow until resolution.

grumpy_codger

… In all that time, I've had no hot water from my kitchen sink. I'm having to boil multiple kettles in order to wash up.

…There's nothing wrong with the tap, what's needed is a pump (verified by my own research, and verified by every "plumber" they send. …

I'm not a plumber, but if it's only the kitchen sink, it's hard to believe that some pump is at fault.

Meanwhile, submit a new complaint - this time about how your previous compaints were dealt with, not about the luck of hot water in the kitchen.

elsien

And buy some curtains and carpet.
It seems a little bit of an overreaction to be living life on hold because of a hot water tap.

SpikeyKitten

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81871411#Comment_81871411

There isn't a pump. Faulty or otherwise. That's the problem. (IMO). If you disconnect the tap under the sink, hot water will come out of the pipe into your bucket, at a low pressure, but I'd accept that over nothing. If you reconnect it, you'll get hot water through the tap. But after twenty four hours or so, the stream will dwindle down until it stops entirely. Repeating this procedure gives the same result.

I'm not a plumber, but have had a year of tearing my hair out about this and researching plumbing online. I believe it's something to do with the header tank being barely six foot off the ground.

SpikeyKitten

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81871424#Comment_81871424

Well it's not 'the tap'.

But anyway, buying curtains and carpets to potentially leave for the next tenant is a luxury I cannot afford. And maybe they'll need to take up the floor to access pipework.

grumpy_codger

Even in a bungalow a header tank would be considerably higher and luck of pressure (if it were really the case) would have affected both hot and cold water in a bathroom as well, not just hot water in a sink.

Is there some isolating valve for the sink hot water?

SpikeyKitten

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81871447#Comment_81871447

Interesting. The cold comes out like a fire hydrant, kitchen and bathroom. Hot is non-existent/sometimes a dribble at kitchen tap. And low but acceptable in the bathroom where the header tank and immersion tank etc are.

Isolating valve? There are the valves that you use a flat screwdriver to turn open or closed. One for each of the two feeds under the sink. They're open believe me.

fullyrendered

If you raised a 'formal' complaint you should have a written response outlining the resolution - this seems to be them booking another plumber - but at the end of the letter it should say 'if you are not happy you can escalate this to Stage 2…'

At the end of the stage 2 complaint response it should say 'if you are still not happy you may be able to escalate this to the Housing Ombudsman…'

Which Housing Association?

SpikeyKitten

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81871478#Comment_81871478

I see.

Well I had nothing in writing so I'm guessing the complaint was terminated in its tracks by them calling me and offering to send another plumber. Which I foolishly accepted and thus 'complaint resolved'.

I've raised another and will not engage with any phone calls until a letter arrives.

Guinness Partnership.

Edit: you sound like you have knowledge of this area. Am I being naive even thinking the ombudsman will resolve it?