Married Quarters (MQ) Residents

padbrat · 1 February 2010 at 12:34PM

Hi all,

Really hoping that someone can provide some advice...
We have never refused a quarter before, but we will be refusing the quarter we have just been assigned at Bassingbourn and I wonder if anyone can advise what are valid reasons for refusal at march in.

Also, what happens once you have refused a quarter.

Very worried at the moment as we are moving from Germany to the UK and am panicking that we will be homeless!

EmmEve · 2 February 2010 at 9:29PM

Why are you refusing? I think the only valid refusal at march in would be if it wasn't clean enough. But then i think they just put you in a hotel until they clean it adequately, or least that is what's meant to happen.

I think if you refuse you go to the bottom of the list but not 100% sure. I think you can only refuse two properties now before they refuse to offer you anything else.

bubbawelsh · 2 February 2010 at 11:00PM

im a ex soldier and got fed up of the pads whinging about their houses while the blocks were in a much worse state than any pads house plus i didnt see any pads living 4 blokes to a room,

also i was based in aldershot in a single man room then moved to cyprus into a 3 man room while all the pads had their own houses so i dont think they got it as bad as "the lads" i think once you live in a single room you shouldnt be moved to a shared room camp

Alias_Omega · 3 February 2010 at 8:18AM

bubba,

I guess you could of had the chance to stay in the uk in your single man room, or to move to cyprus into a 3 man room, with all the extra allowances.

padbrat,

If your a little concerned, then you could maybe join ARRSE and see if anyone lives in the area and would be willing to take a few pictures for you. It might put your mind to rest.

I guess, if its really bad, then it would be Grade 4. Then the monthly rent would be cheap, and you could look to move out of quarters after 6 months. It would have to be 6 months otherwise you may have to pay back Disturbance Allowance, as i was told recently.

mrsdarbs · 3 February 2010 at 10:02AM

Please could someone tell me if it's is DE's responsibility to sort out condensation in the loft? It is casugin damp to come through our 3 bedroom ceilings and in the last two weeks has got a lot worse and one of the rooms, the plaster is just starting to crack on the walls.

Just want to confirm that it is them that deal with it before hubby phones.

Thanks

gt568 · 3 February 2010 at 8:42PM

You need to report it through MHS.

padbrat · 4 February 2010 at 3:09PM

EmmEve wrote: »

Why are you refusing? I think the only valid refusal at march in would be if it wasn't clean enough. But then i think they just put you in a hotel until they clean it adequately, or least that is what's meant to happen.

I think if you refuse you go to the bottom of the list but not 100% sure. I think you can only refuse two properties now before they refuse to offer you anything else.

Hi Emma

This is a grade 4 quarter (lowest grade possible) and we have spoken to people living on the same estate there, my Husband's chain of command, the Welfare Office there and housing here and the quarter has been described as "shocking" and "disgusting"... which worries me! :eek: The hot water and heating is run from calor gas bottles that are very expensive. I have been told that it is very small, they suffer from damp and mould and are very cold (which causes health concerns for us as I suffer severe bronchitis, asthma and sinusitus) and that there are in real need of modernisation..

In addition to this there are only 4 military quarters on the estate (Annington tried to sell the whole ex military estate off and these were the ones that were so bad no one would buy them). As a result there are real worries with security and crime in the area.

Now, before someone jumps down my throat (ahem Bubbawelsh)

, we have lived in old grade 4 quarters previously and so long as they are clean, dry, mould free and fit for purpose I have no problem. However, that does not appear to be the case here.

Now, we could be wrong about this quarter and everyone else could be exaggerating, which is why we are reserving judgement about it until we get there and see it ourselves... however, if it is as bad as described we want to be prepared for what happens when you refuse a quarter.

EmmEve · 4 February 2010 at 6:51PM

I guess you will have to see it to know for sure. You could accept it and then apply for a move for welfare reasons (i.e. your health) if you could get a letter from your GP or something to back you up about the damp and mould causing you health issues. Wouldn't like to say if would be successful but certainly worth a try if they are that bad.

If you refuse it straight away are you likely to offered a second on the same patch anyway?

padbrat · 5 February 2010 at 8:28AM

I dunno, I think they could try to offer another one on the same patch, except if the reason we reject this one is common to all of the quarters on the patch.

I also wanted to know what are considered valid reasons for rejection... I know you can't reject for things like you just don't like it, or it is too small. I have tried looking at the JSP's and funnily enough there is no defination of minimum standards for MQ's! :mad:

hazseljord · 11 February 2010 at 6:47PM

hi all,

i have lived in the gosprt area for around 3 years and contacted MHS on several occasions for the mould in my home, this has led to a partial roof repair, loads of painting and anything else that they know won't work.... they come out and say that the landlord won't pay for certain repairs so they just create jobs that they know are not going to solve the situation ( i've been told this by the contractors who attend to survey the property before they decide what needs to be done).
however the latest "thing" after living in a mouldy damp house for 2 years, the many e-mails i sent finally got through to a member of the HIC and MHS team who actually took an interest, he attended my property and decided that it was health and safety risk so i needed to move, finally i thought but oh no they have now said i can live in one during the day and sleep in the other during the night, nightmare with a 10 month old. so i recieved a call last friday that for legal reasons we can't have 2 houses so we have to move, they are moving us free of charge but when i asked about re-connection charges for TV/Phone and other essentials they won't pay. so we are unable to move as we need a land line and internet for home work. sorry for the rant but i though if any one could offer any advice of how to get things sorted out then could they reply?

thanks in advance

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Married Quarters (MQ) Residents

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