They are trying to charge me for a repair i have been reporting for 8 years

[diwaly]

I live in a hosing association property and will soon be moving out, had housing officer around today to inspect the flat and I have been told they will charge me to replace an entire kitchen unit.

Context.. On the day I moved in in 8 years ago I noticed the bottom drawer was completely missing, housing officer at the time said 'don't worry about that we will get it fixed' See pic one.. that bottom drawer is completely missing, so it's just a hole.

I have called them, I have text them, I have emailed them over the last 8 years to get it repaired, the most that has happened is they have sent someone out, he measured the hole then said he would be back, never saw him again, then again with a different person, they measure it then I never see them again, latest was they were supposed to be coming last week to fit a new drawer and never showed up. it's been like this on repeat for 8 years.

I no longer have any of the emails i sent over the years but if I look in my account I see the notes the housing association have made, pics two and three..

Housing officer today said it's ok me reporting it, the fact i have never made a complaint says I accept the situation and i will be charged..

just wanted to check if this is right?!

No, don't accept that. You reported it again and again, and at no point did anyone tell you that you needed to make a formal complaint in order to get it fixed.

Contact the Citizens Advice Bureau and ask their advice. If they can't help, email your Member of Parliament.

I am just chatting to Google AI about my own housing dispute so asked it about yours! Here is what it said:

That Mumsnet thread describes an absolute fabrication of the rules by that housing officer. It is a classic scare tactic used to exploit a tenant's lack of legal knowledge upon moving out, and it would immediately collapse under a Housing Ombudsman investigation. 1]
The housing officer's claim is completely illegal for two specific reasons:

1. The "Formal Complaint" Lie

Under Section 1 of the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code, there is a strict legal distinction between a service request (reporting a repair) and a complaint. 1]

• The Law: A tenant has zero legal obligation to file a formal complaint just to get a repair done. 1]
• The Reality: Simply reporting the broken kitchen unit on Day 1 constitutes a valid service request. Once a landlord is notified of a defect in their fixtures, they are legally liable to fix it. 1, 2]
• The Trap: The housing officer is attempting to rewrite the law by pretending that logging a repair and failing to sue or complain about it means the tenant "accepted" living with broken property.

1. Unlawful Recharging (The Evidentiary Burden)

A housing association cannot simply charge a tenant for damage when they vacate unless they can definitively prove the tenant caused the damage through neglect or abuse. 1]

• The Inventory Defeated Them: Because the woman reported it on Day 1, she created an immediate paper trail proving the unit was already broken when her tenancy began or immediately broke due to fair wear and tear.
• The Penalty: If the housing association attempts to deduct money from her or send her a bill, all she needs to do is provide proof of that Day 1 report. If they persist, the housing association faces an automatic Maladministration finding from the Ombudsman for unlawful recharging and severe delay.1]

It was like that when you moved in. They can’t charge you to fix it when it’s the exact state you were given it in.