Married Quarters (MQ) Residents
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Thank you for responding so promptly to discussion on this forum & good luck with your new arrival tomorrow ...
Just a quick question - we have had numerous people out from MHS re our roof over the last 12 months or so, and yes, it is still leaking (albeit only when it rains)!! The last person to visit was a supervisor who said that he had condemned houses that had roofs in better condition ... Since this last visit a few weeks ago we have heard nothing else and have to check the tarpaulin in the loft space every time it rains in case it over flows. We were specifically told NOT to phone the MHS help desk as that would only generate a 15 min appointment & the whole process would start again, probably taking another year, by which time we will have moved on again... As you can imagine, I'm keen to get a 'formal' letter or something in writing so that we can apply for a downgrade & hopefully get some decent compensation / re-imbursement of MQ charges.0 -
They can just try charging us for carpets when we march out - we've been in the MQ for 8 years, it needed a redec when we moved in, you can imagine what it's like now - and no I won't paint it myself and risk being charged for that, I have one of those 1970's painted formica kitchens in fact mines probably a LOT older than the 70's!! The carpets are 20+ years old - we had 2 water leaks this year and ended up with NO floor covering of any kind in the toilet for months - when they recently came and laid some lino I was told we'd been very "lucky" as some people had waited over 12 months for floor covering.
As for the leak in the kitchen, they apparently will replace a shelf that got water damaged but I was told I should stand over the bloke when he comes to make sure he also paints it and makes "good" the whole unit, they are also only going to replace 1 sq meter of the ruined floor tiles and those probably won't match the rest of the tiles.
I was told this is because the MOD cocked up with the handover contract to MHS and didn't include floor coverings in the contract so that still has to come out of the DE budget and as the year goes on there's no money available for those jobs.Win's so far: Cadburys Mini Eggs £1.09 Pentel Goody Bag £10 , M&S Luxury Hamper £45, 10,000 Tesco clubcard points (£100) :j0 -
Wow kitchpoo you're brave admitting that on a forces forum :rotfl:
...............I noticed in a recent copy of AFF journal your complaint rates have dropped. I then read an article on complaint fatigue and i have to say i agree complaints have probably dropped because people simply don't have the time (or energy) to constantly chase MHS for repairs, unfinished jobs, unreturned phone calls etc etc...........
Can you tell us why so many things have been left out of the MHS/DE contract. Drains, carpets etc etc.
I would agree that the stats are reducing but can only speak from my patch in that the working partners carrying out the work are now penalised financially for missing appointments and not fixing first time, which has made a difference and I have personally seen a drop in complaints. This change also coincided with the change in what the supply chain got paid per job (paid less), which may be where you are seeing a fall in the level of service and an increase in problems lately.
As to why so many things were left out of the contract I cannot answer, It makes life difficult in sorting out problems for carpets, curtians and garages. Drains should be included and should be dealt with a Specialist Supply Chain Member (not an embedded member), who are usually quite good. There may be specific exceptions, for example drainage in some roads is council maintained.Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!
There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.0 -
I received a letter from DE stating my MQ has been downgraded from a 2 to a 3. I looked at my payslip and noticed that I have been charged for grade 1 since I moved in in Sep 05. I called my admin office at work, they said go to JPAC, who said go to DE, which is Aldershot for me. Aldershot said there was a typo on the letter and it should be a jump from grade 1 to 3, but several others on my patch are grade 2, so my question is...how can I get a difinitive answer as it could potentially be a mis-payment of over £2000, which is significant. In addition, as I am an eligible/not entitled occupant living on my own, how can I get the 25% reduction in CILOCT payment which I have not received for the whole duration. Everyone seems to want to pass me on to someone else to get it sorted, this is also worth over £800 to me. Finally, thanks for setting up this forum, I think its great you are prepared to spend the time answering our queries. Regards GM
Wow - Many of these are outside MHS' remit. Most of this is DE's discussion. Maybe we need a DE thread! BUT from what I know, alterations to grade can be backdated but not by long (6 months rings a bell). Recently you may have had a visit via MHS by Faithful and Gould, auditing the housing stock (to allow rent assessments take place). You may be able to find where this audit paperwork is and will include estimated age of items (bathroom, kitchen) and the items in your house (showers, WC etc). This is probably what has spurred the recent rent change. If you get the last audit paperwork (the housing officer wont have this) you may be able to calculate what level of rent you would have been on prior to that assessment.
The rest - I'm afraid are DE issues which (thankfully!) I dont get involved in.Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!
There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.0 -
Thank you for responding so promptly to discussion on this forum & good luck with your new arrival tomorrow ...
Just a quick question - we have had numerous people out from MHS re our roof over the last 12 months or so, and yes, it is still leaking (albeit only when it rains)!! The last person to visit was a supervisor who said that he had condemned houses that had roofs in better condition ... Since this last visit a few weeks ago we have heard nothing else and have to check the tarpaulin in the loft space every time it rains in case it over flows. We were specifically told NOT to phone the MHS help desk as that would only generate a 15 min appointment & the whole process would start again, probably taking another year, by which time we will have moved on again... As you can imagine, I'm keen to get a 'formal' letter or something in writing so that we can apply for a downgrade & hopefully get some decent compensation / re-imbursement of MQ charges.
This sounds like a job for a tenant liason officer from MHS and the HIC. I doubt if a degradation of rent level will occur over a roofing defect. But more likely any compensation claim regarding any inconveniance and costs you have incurred should be looked at. If MHS has been the cause of this problem then the TLO would attempt to resolve, contact the helpdesk and use the complaint option. As for DE - try via the HIC to contact the Housing Officer to discuss routes of DE compensation.Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!
There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.0 -
Hi Kitch
I live in a 1930's MQ house that has very little insulation in the loft and no cavity wall insulation, the windows are ancient metal ones that were originally single glazed and have been refitted with double glazing and they aren't very good they are drafty and frequently covered in condensation inside in the winter.
Previously lived in a 3 bed house elsewhere and now a smaller house and the heating bills have doubled (I know they the prices have also gone up since Winter 2006).
Rent is higher on this property as it is higher grade, are there any minimum standards in insulation or energy efficiency, especially now it is frequently in the news. I'm sure it won't apply to the MOD but from Oct 08 private landlords must get an energy performance certificate. Or is it possible to get it downgraded to pay less rent?
Thanks for all your help.0 -
wibblewibble wrote: »They can just try charging us for carpets when we march out - we've been in the MQ for 8 years, it needed a redec when we moved in, you can imagine what it's like now - and no I won't paint it myself and risk being charged for that, I have one of those 1970's painted formica kitchens in fact mines probably a LOT older than the 70's!! The carpets are 20+ years old - we had 2 water leaks this year and ended up with NO floor covering of any kind in the toilet for months - when they recently came and laid some lino I was told we'd been very "lucky" as some people had waited over 12 months for floor covering.
As for the leak in the kitchen, they apparently will replace a shelf that got water damaged but I was told I should stand over the bloke when he comes to make sure he also paints it and makes "good" the whole unit, they are also only going to replace 1 sq meter of the ruined floor tiles and those probably won't match the rest of the tiles.
I was told this is because the MOD cocked up with the handover contract to MHS and didn't include floor coverings in the contract so that still has to come out of the DE budget and as the year goes on there's no money available for those jobs.
Sounds like the property was below move in standard when you came in. I woul imagine at move out as long as the carpets (what is left of them) and the walls are clean then you will be OK.
Depending on what workman comes to do the job depends if you have to watch them. Sometimes they are pressured in to accepting more work than they have labour foor (for example if there is a spate of move ins approaching) and may allocate the workman limited time to complete the job. Ask to see his work order, and on the front page there will be an estimated appointment time and duration near the top in a vlack outlined box on the front page.
As for flooring. I dont know what DE was thinking excluding it from the contract - they just 'forgot' about it. Even if DE say they have no budget for flooring it can still be done ONLY on Health and Safety grounds. The best time to put a request for new flooring is at the start of fiscal year - Mar/Apr/May as it will increase your chances!Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!
There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.0 -
Hi Kitch
I live in a 1930's MQ house that has very little insulation in the loft and no cavity wall insulation, the windows are ancient metal ones that were originally single glazed and have been refitted with double glazing and they aren't very good they are drafty and frequently covered in condensation inside in the winter.
Previously lived in a 3 bed house elsewhere and now a smaller house and the heating bills have doubled (I know they the prices have also gone up since Winter 2006).
Rent is higher on this property as it is higher grade, are there any minimum standards in insulation or energy efficiency, especially now it is frequently in the news. I'm sure it won't apply to the MOD but from Oct 08 private landlords must get an energy performance certificate. Or is it possible to get it downgraded to pay less rent?
Thanks for all your help.
You are right in the latter part, there is a set standard (275mm IIRC without checking), and again the lack of insulation would impact on the rent grading and should be noted on the last property audit (mentioned in previous posts). Again MHS get paid for maintaining what is there - if there isnt any there we need to be paid to put it there by guess who... DE.
The audit will only ask - "is there double glazing" but it doesnt specify any grading points for what type of glazing it is or it's efficiency.n I manage a number of similar properties, solid brick walls North facing. We have found the best advice for lower bills and less mould is to ask residents to leave the heating on 24/7 set to a moderate heat - say 19deg. This way the building isnt constantly heating and cooling, and taking ages to heat from cold.Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!
There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.0 -
Another problem is that some MHS staff members seem unaware of correct procedures. For example when i rang about my drain i was told it wasn't their problem and to shove some drain cleaner down it! Obviously this is not correct.
Are you due a baby soon? Good luck :j. With regards to the the c-section, us lot harrasing you would be more than enough to bring on labour i'm sure :rotfl:0
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