To ask for some form of compensation

FleurDeLips · 2023-07-26T10:08:54+00:00

I live in a housing association property which is actually quite expensive to rent a month and pay service charges (meant to be affordable housing, but a mortgage would still cost me less). I’m a good tenant look after the property, always pay rent, claim no benefits and yes I appreciate I am luckier than some. A month ago something went wrong in the HA managed heating system and I was left without any running water (hot or cold) apart from the cold mains supply in the kitchen. We could not flush the toilet without using a bucket filled from the kitchen tap and haven’t had access to any hot water apart from if I boil the kettle up. We did try to fill the bath with kettle water but it took so long it wasn’t worth it for 2 inches of water. We did also kind of slosh ourselves in the bath with kettle/cold water using jugs and bowls. Washing their hair in freezing cold water in the kitchen sink gave my kids headaches and made them cry. They told me I could not get my own plumber in as this would invalidate all the electrical and heating systems in the house and then they would never do any maintenance to the system again and no one had authority to touch it. I have had to take 9 days off work to let in various workmen over the past month. I have also had to drive around to other peoples houses or the local gym nearly every few days to access warm water/showers for myself and my DC. I don’t live near my family or friends or the gym so can’t walk to these places. The main part of the repair has now taken place so I have access to hot water again. I still have to take more time off for the last part of the repair. I’ve raised a complaint about the way this was handled with misinformation and delays. I was told by one workman that some people are without water for 2 years, as if that makes it any better or acceptable? Is it worth pursuing anything from this? It’s fixed now but I can see that I may be entitled to under the right to repair scheme. They did in fact attend my property promptly when I reported it but they wouldn’t authorise the repair as it was a big job and instead kept trying to send workmen to investigate and replace parts.

JenniferBooth · 04/04/2025 18:15

@FleurDeLips

Dont know if you are still on here but you may be interested in filling this in.
https://shaction.org/housing-in-the-workplace-survey/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIoXfZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcG3rJxvf2eW7fqUp-i7QP45bVfhv35cTnavIg7VWHPKOHwWifTVaXT2aA_aem_sCU47JkClN8FAvx-QZKV-Q

carrzeda · 27/07/2023 11:17

OP, the way you described how the HA went about it is complete shambles. Tradesman and engineers coming around with an identified faulty piece, but not replacing it just for the sake of it shouldn’t be expected.

I don’t think £150 covers it, I would try and get 1/3 or half the rent back. You have young children, and using up AL this way will impact your ability to take days off to take care of them when sick and have holidays with them. On your request I would consider adding the value of at least a couple of unpaid leave days as well.

Maverickess · 27/07/2023 09:46

OP, Mumsnet is very funny about asking for compensation

Only when it concerns renting and doubly so when it's social/council. If it were anything else where OP were paying for a service they weren't getting there'd be very different comments about emails and complaints and shit customer service.

The people talking about their owned homes and having to go without things, it's completely irrelevant. When you rent a property you are paying for the service of them repairing or replacing items that break, when you buy a property you're not.

And I doubt any homeowners would be paying for tradesmen or companies that acted this way and just be grateful for it. But they'd have the choice to look elsewhere and engage someone else, and likely be moaning bitterly about it.

OP has paid for that, in her rent every month but because she's renting, is seen as unreasonable for expecting to get what she's paid for. It's not been down to lack of tradesmen or parts, it's been down to the LL not wanting to provide part of the service they've been paid to provide and a fundamental part of the service at that. At the very least OP should get a reduction in rent because she was paying for something that she wasn't actually recieving. As well as some compensation for the extra cost of having to travel/pay for alternatives that she needed to use.

And as for the key thing, my HA insists that the tenant is present when they visit, and OP does say that "Despite them not approving this and not wanting to enter my house without me being there? " the OP would need permission for a key safe and if they're refusing to enter her property without her there, what's the point anyway?!

Again, people comparing owning their own property and being free to make arrangements that suit them over not being able to make those decisions because the LL doesn't permit it, or doesn't cooperate. It's not a valid point because the same parameters don't apply in both situations.

Of course someone will be along soon and say (again) if you don't like it but your own property, but again, not the point because the LL is offering a service, OP pays for that service and didn't get what she paid for.

Original poster

FleurDeLips · 27/07/2023 09:41

@gazpachosoupday I’m going to accept their offer, I just want it to be over now. I can’t get back the annual leave I just have to accept its gone or work time back. It’s just awful they leave people so long and then act like you are being awkward for not being happy about it!

I am not actually even sure whether this company would enter your home using a key safe if you are not in, it’s entirely possible they would refuse. They only do this if the HA house is empty. If I had an agent, I would give them the key as I would know who was responsible for locking up. I don’t have an agent and wasn’t prepared to buy and drill a key safe into my outside wall on the off chance they might not even enter my property and end up with no idea what was going on tbh.

OP posts:

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:37

Some housing associations wont allow you to leave the key, they want you to be there.

That's fair enough and if that's the case then you would probably have the right to compensation, but OP didn't even ask 🤷‍♀️

gazpachosoupday · 27/07/2023 09:27

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:20

I had to use up my annual leave to do it or choose to take it unpaid. Just have a think about how you are scoffing at me to make even more sacrifice and cost for something that was out of my control caused by another company who ran rings round me. Why is any of this my fault is what I want to know?

I'm not getting into it again - you think it's "ridiculous" to leave your key with a workman but that's what millions of people do everyday because, as you've seen, it's impractical and expensive to keep taking time off work.

You didn't want to leave a key anywhere which was entirely your choice, but don't then complain about the consequences when you did have other options.

Some housing associations wont allow you to leave the key, they want you to be there.

OP, if they have offered you money, take it, I was without sinks or a washing machine for 8 months, while my HA pissed around, it only got fixed, when I got my local councillor, my MP and the ombudsman involved.

If you have a read of the HA ombudsman website, it says something like, you can reject the payment, but its then up to the HA and they can either up the offer or take it away. Its not worth the fight tbh

Viviennemary · 27/07/2023 09:22

Ì think you should get one months rent free. That would seem fair to me.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:20

I had to use up my annual leave to do it or choose to take it unpaid. Just have a think about how you are scoffing at me to make even more sacrifice and cost for something that was out of my control caused by another company who ran rings round me. Why is any of this my fault is what I want to know?

I'm not getting into it again - you think it's "ridiculous" to leave your key with a workman but that's what millions of people do everyday because, as you've seen, it's impractical and expensive to keep taking time off work.

You didn't want to leave a key anywhere which was entirely your choice, but don't then complain about the consequences when you did have other options.

Serena73 · 27/07/2023 09:18

I own my own house and the boiler stopped working one Christmas leaving us without heating or hot water. The weather was freezing at the time. We had home emergency insurance that covered this and they were completely hopeless at arranging the repair, resulting in it taking much longer than it should have done. I wrote a letter of complaint and they paid compensation.

Notamum12345577 · 27/07/2023 09:17

FinallyHere · 26/07/2023 21:46

If this was my own house I could have paid someone to come

I'm not sure I really understand the problem. If you are living in so called affordable housing and not satisfied with the services divided, why not move out to your own place.

This would free up the accommodation for someone's use and allow you to make your own arrangements for repair and maintenance.

You understand that not everyone can get a mortgage?

Nodeepdiving · 27/07/2023 09:16

OP, Mumsnet is very funny about asking for compensation. If you didn't deal with a situation in the exact same way they would have then you're being dramatic and should therefore not ask for compensation. If you had dealt with it in the way suggested, you would have managed just fine and wouldn't need to ask for compensation. Oh, and everyone will latch onto some minor, irrelevant detail and twist it to make you seem ridiculous. In reality, it's not always easy to see the best course of action when you're in the middle of it. It's also very easy for outsiders to say they'd have done things differently or it's not a big deal. In reality, a month without hot water at all and only mains access to cold water is shite, absolutely shite. A dwelling without a functioning toilet is deemed uninhabitable. Just because you can manage doesn't mean you should have to. Ask for compensation, the worst that'll happen is that they say no.

Threenow · 27/07/2023 09:13

FleurDeLips · 26/07/2023 22:43

I had buckets and pans and jugs I already mentioned them, but this is not Victorian Britain and I had an installed otherwise functional hot water system that needed a new tank but no one would commit to replacing it and they didn’t even replace many parts, they mostly just came out to look at it. They replaced one of the same parts twice

I drove a lot of extra miles in my car costing fuel and running up my mileage. I also had to take all these days off work, yes. Not every job you can wfh, and not every job will pay you to sit at home 8-5 waiting for a plumber, what world are people living in when this is acceptable way to treat a paying customer, I am a tenant not a freebie. They have offered me £150 and I might just take that, it will cover my fuel costs for sure.

Show quote history

Why did you have to be there waiting for a plumber? Whenever I've had a plumber, electrician, painter, carpet layer, etc. in my flat I just let them have a key and stay at work.

Original poster

FleurDeLips · 27/07/2023 09:13

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:08

Okay

I still don't see why you couldn't have installed a key safe or spoken to the person you originally complained to about organising a key but that's your choice I guess.

I just don't think you can say "I had to take nine days off work and my boss got annoyed" when that was mostly down to choice. There's no way I'd have even able to do that in any of my jobs so it would have been using a key safe or not getting the repair done at all.

I had to use up my annual leave to do it or choose to take it unpaid. Just have a think about how you are scoffing at me to make even more sacrifice and cost for something that was out of my control caused by another company who ran rings round me. Why is any of this my fault is what I want to know?

OP posts:

Original poster

FleurDeLips · 27/07/2023 09:11

Soontobe60 · 27/07/2023 09:03

I think being without hot water for 4 weeks is unacceptable, and for that I would expect compensation.
However, your descriptions of washing hair / body etc had me in stitches! What a palava!
When we had no water at all for 3 weeks whilst having renovations we did various different things.

Nip down to Morrisons at the end of the road first thing to sneak in the disabled toilet where we could have an all over body wash. (I know, I know before you all tell me how awful I am using the disabled toilet in this way)
Arrange with different friends / family to use their bathroom for a shower on a rota basis
keep my hair tied up so it didn’t need washing as often as usual
accept that we would just be a bit dirtier than usual 😂

Having cold water as in your case would have been a luxury to us!!!

Yeah I was grateful I still had one two of cold water tbh. I could use the washing machine. We did what we could. I did all those different things. It cost me money to do them that it wouldn’t have otherwise cost me which was my main point. Forget about the bloody cold hair wash, the DC did try their best to just have dirty hair but would get upset they are girls with long hair and didn’t really want hard crusty hair with shampoo stuck in it or dirty hair but needs must anyway

OP posts:

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:10

You've been snippy and rude to pretty much everyone who hasn't agreed with you 🤷‍♀️

Anyway you made your choice so I guess you just have to live with the consequences don't you? There's nothing the HA can do about you choosing to take time off work.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:08

Okay

I still don't see why you couldn't have installed a key safe or spoken to the person you originally complained to about organising a key but that's your choice I guess.

I just don't think you can say "I had to take nine days off work and my boss got annoyed" when that was mostly down to choice. There's no way I'd have even able to do that in any of my jobs so it would have been using a key safe or not getting the repair done at all.

Original poster

FleurDeLips · 27/07/2023 09:07

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:04

This is ridiculous honestly. No one gives out keys to their house to strangers for a month. And yes, what about contents insurance? It is not like there is one HA person I know, it’s a HUGE organisation based miles away - WHO would I give a key TO?

Get a cheap key safe or speak to the HA and arrange for a key to be left with someone. That's what I've always done and it's never been an issue.

If I'd taken nine days off work to let the plumber in I'd have lost my job!

So, install a key safe at my own property at my cost so I can allow all the workmen to come and go? Despite them not approving this and not wanting to enter my house without me being there? So that I can just go months without hot water and not get it fixed? Are you just trolling me

yep - my work are not happy. Hence me posting but I am glad you see you are not letting go about how this is still.. all my own doing. 🙈

OP posts:

Simonjt · 27/07/2023 09:05

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:03

Giving a tradie a key to my home would invalidate my contents insurance, if thats something you’re doing I would check your policy very carefully.

We're not talking about giving a random tradesperson a key though, we're talking about giving a key to the HA- her landlord.

When I lived in rented accommodation we never took time off for repairs. The landlord or agent let people in and supervised any repair work.

Who would then be giving the key to random tradies, or do you think someone from the HA would sit in her home all day? And yes, that would have still invalidated our contents insurance.

Original poster

FleurDeLips · 27/07/2023 09:05

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:03

Giving a tradie a key to my home would invalidate my contents insurance, if thats something you’re doing I would check your policy very carefully.

We're not talking about giving a random tradesperson a key though, we're talking about giving a key to the HA- her landlord.

When I lived in rented accommodation we never took time off for repairs. The landlord or agent let people in and supervised any repair work.

I don’t have a landlord office I can pop to, I don’t have someone who comes to your house to get keys. My HA is based nowhere near my house, I assume I have some kind of housing officer assigned to my local area but I’ve not seen anyone for years and I wouldn’t know who they are. The logistics of this are actually nonsense. Yes I am sure you had one private LL and a lettings agent. I do not

OP posts:

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:04

This is ridiculous honestly. No one gives out keys to their house to strangers for a month. And yes, what about contents insurance? It is not like there is one HA person I know, it’s a HUGE organisation based miles away - WHO would I give a key TO?

Get a cheap key safe or speak to the HA and arrange for a key to be left with someone. That's what I've always done and it's never been an issue.

If I'd taken nine days off work to let the plumber in I'd have lost my job!

Soontobe60 · 27/07/2023 09:03

I think being without hot water for 4 weeks is unacceptable, and for that I would expect compensation.
However, your descriptions of washing hair / body etc had me in stitches! What a palava!
When we had no water at all for 3 weeks whilst having renovations we did various different things.

Nip down to Morrisons at the end of the road first thing to sneak in the disabled toilet where we could have an all over body wash. (I know, I know before you all tell me how awful I am using the disabled toilet in this way)
Arrange with different friends / family to use their bathroom for a shower on a rota basis
keep my hair tied up so it didn’t need washing as often as usual
accept that we would just be a bit dirtier than usual 😂

Having cold water as in your case would have been a luxury to us!!!

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 09:03

Giving a tradie a key to my home would invalidate my contents insurance, if thats something you’re doing I would check your policy very carefully.

We're not talking about giving a random tradesperson a key though, we're talking about giving a key to the HA- her landlord.

When I lived in rented accommodation we never took time off for repairs. The landlord or agent let people in and supervised any repair work.

Original poster

FleurDeLips · 27/07/2023 09:02

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 08:58

I am not comfortable giving strangers a key to my house. Never met these people. No HA’s don’t let themselves in. It’s the same as a private LL. they don’t wander round your house whilst you are out! It’s my house, I live in it? I’m just so confused by this concept. How would I have talked to any of the plumbers to know what was going on?

If you refused to give anyone a key then toy can't complain that you ended up taking nine days off work

Just give the HA a key next time like everyone else - there's absolutely no need to take so much time off or to communicate with the plumbers in person, that's entirely your choice!

This is ridiculous honestly. No one gives out keys to their house to strangers for a month. And yes, what about contents insurance? It is not like there is one HA person I know, it’s a HUGE organisation based miles away - WHO would I give a key TO?

OP posts:

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/07/2023 08:58

I am not comfortable giving strangers a key to my house. Never met these people. No HA’s don’t let themselves in. It’s the same as a private LL. they don’t wander round your house whilst you are out! It’s my house, I live in it? I’m just so confused by this concept. How would I have talked to any of the plumbers to know what was going on?

If you refused to give anyone a key then toy can't complain that you ended up taking nine days off work

Just give the HA a key next time like everyone else - there's absolutely no need to take so much time off or to communicate with the plumbers in person, that's entirely your choice!

Simonjt · 27/07/2023 08:54

AliceMay55 · 27/07/2023 08:41

Why could you use a bucket and mug in the bath?

A large bowl of water heated on the cooker + more in the microwave + more in the kettle. This with 50% cold water in the bucket is enough for a comfortable lukewarm shower for an adult. Half of India showers with this method ! There was absolutely no need to do cold water showers!

Why did you have to take time off? Did the HA not have a key?

Giving a tradie a key to my home would invalidate my contents insurance, if thats something you’re doing I would check your policy very carefully.