Harassment and Unlawful Entry by Housing Employee

shanejen

Hi, I’m looking for some legal guidance regarding my housing association.

I’ve been decanted for around two months due to repair works following a leak and water damage to my bedroom wall and ceiling that originally occurred in 2022. The issue only reached stage two of the complaints process in 2024, and works have only recently been carried out.

However, I believe the repairs may have been done improperly. Instead of fully addressing the damage, they appear to have installed thermal boarding over the walls, which has reduced the size of my bedroom by around 15cm. My bedroom door already didn’t fully open due to the position of my bed, and this change has made it worse. I’ve raised concerns that this could be a fire safety risk, as it restricts my ability to exit the room.

I’m also disabled and have a phobia of being away from home, which the housing association is aware of. Despite this, I’ve been sent back to the property multiple times while works were still incomplete, causing significant distress.

On returning to the property, I found items missing (part of my bed frame). I had previously noticed contractors leaving the key safe open with the code visible, so I changed the code and added an additional lock for security.

Despite this, contractors later accessed my property without my permission. I’m told they forced open the key safe to gain entry while I was still staying in the hotel. This was apparently to take photos relating to a repair issue I had raised. I was not informed or asked for access.

The repairs manager I’m dealing with has been unhelpful and dismissive. She ignores direct questions, including:

• Who accessed my property
• Why entry was forced
• Who has had possession of my keys
• The contractor details
• The list of repairs that have caused this to go from a 2-week job to 2 months.

I feel like I’m being ignored and treated unfairly, and the situation is causing ongoing distress. She knows this, and it's on my file that I have mental health issues.

My questions are:

• Does forcing access to my property in this way raise any legal issues (e.g. trespass or unlawful entry)?
• Am I legally entitled to full details of who accessed my property and why?
• Could the way I’m being treated amount to harassment or a breach of duty of care, particularly given my disability?
• What are my options for taking this further (e.g. Housing Ombudsman, legal action)?

Additional note:
The keys for the property were being managed by the contractors. I was formally given the all-clear by the housing association to return on 2nd April, and the contractors themselves confirmed the works were finished and I could move back in. Based on that, I reasonably believed the property was back in my possession and that no one should be entering it.

On 27th March, I attended the property for an appointment with someone from the council and found the key safe open with the keys removed while the contractor was inside. The code had been left clearly visible (set in a straight-line pattern), meaning anyone passing could have seen it. This appeared to be standard practice during the works.

Because of this, when I returned again on 7th April, I changed the key safe code and added an additional key for a bottom lock to secure the property, as I was concerned keys may have been copied or accessed by others.

Any advice would be appreciated.

TroubledTarts

Contractors obviously need access to repair and then address issues raised. I would suggest with you being out of the property the Housing Association and contractors have rights of access and you had requested the works to take place and the Ha have the obligation to perform such works.

As is always the case contractors are there to get a job done and not hang about for someone with a key and just get the job done.

Perhaps a picture of this door and the issues it now has will help.

You don't know what work has been performed behind the thermal boarding so perhaps ask and see if you get a response but definitely keep an eye on it.

Any old codes for a key safe you can change so that's not going to be an issue going forward

Whatever you do don't watch any YouTube videos on how easy it is to get in key safes !!

itsthelittlethings

Hi - could you do a timeline of what happened. Include approx dates of things like the leak, when moved, when repairs started etc. Also when the complaint went in.

Am I right in thinking you were originally decanted to a hotel for two months, returned, the work was not complete and have been decanted a few more times?

We need a timeline.

itsthelittlethings

I would not say it is harassment but it could be breach of duty of care. Are you under the care of any agency (even such as GP) who may be able to give you some guidance.