I really need some advice on what to do next because this situation has become completely unacceptable.
We’ve had a serious leak from the flat above for days, causing water to pour through our ceilings and flood the lights/electrics in our property. I have been reporting it constantly, but the same plumber kept being sent out despite repeatedly saying it was outside his skill set and reporting this back to the housing association.
On Friday, a senior subcontractor plumber attended and said there was a significant risk of the ceiling collapsing since I first reported on Tuesday and tried to get us emergency rehousing. Nobody called us back.
i live with my partner and 8 month old baby. Hearing that my ceiling has had significant risk of collapsing for days whilst I was begging for help made me feel sick.
By the time this was established, it was out of hours and we were told there was nothing that could be done. I was actually told earlier on Friday after again constantly calling trying to tell them how serious it was and being told I would receive a call back that never came, that there was “absolutely no chance” either family would be rehoused, before the senior plumber had assessed the situation.
they all went home after saying someone would stay on to speak to the senior plumber after his investigation.
We have two 8-month-old babies involved. The family upstairs have now been left without water for the entire weekend because everyone else has gone home, no way to make bottles, shower or even flush their toilet. When pressed for a plan for the weekend we were told upstairs would have their water turned off and they would be given bottled water — which they weren't even provided with. I went out myself and bought them water.
If I didn't have family to fall back on, I would currently have been sat in a flat with my baby all weekend with no electricity, because water was coming through the ceiling and into our lights.
I have photos, videos and evidence of everything, and I have been reporting this repeatedly for days.
They have left this for so long without properly investigating the source that it is now far beyond an isolated repair (started just in our kitchen). Water has come through our ceilings and lights/electrics, and the damage has now spread across every ceiling and the walls. It is a significant amount of damage which will obviously require much more than simply fixing the original leak.
I was told by the subcontractor the property is now going to be uninhabitable for a significant period of time because of the extent of the damage. My concern is that the housing association will simply say it can all be sorted quickly when the reality is that the damage is now extensive and needs properly assessing.
I have photos, videos and records of everything and have been reporting this constantly.
The other plumber who was consistently sent out has tried for 4 days to feedback that it is extremely unsafe but they did not escalate it.
What would you do next? Who should I escalate this to, and what can I actually do if the housing association refuses to acknowledge that the property is no longer reasonably habitable?