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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the housing officer was unprofessional

80 replies

meltingmum · 29/05/2015 20:09

if the living room the kitchen the garden are immaculate- no sign of anything broken do you as a housing officer need to go into bedrooms- waking up someone asleep? Telling a teenager off and asking him to pick up his socks from the floor in a patronising voice, in an otherwise clean room?

OP posts:

Littlemonstersrule · 29/05/2015 20:12

Presumably it was within working hours so unless the teen was ill or works nights then why shouldn't they be woken.

If it's an inspection that's part of a tenancy agreement, it should be for all rooms not just the ones you want.

gabsdot45 · 29/05/2015 20:21

I think it's unprofessional and rude of him to tell the teenager to pick up his socks. As for waking someone up, if the house is being inspected then ideally no one would be in bed.

fortunately · 29/05/2015 20:24

If the housing officer was coming my teenager wouldn't be in bed...

LaurieFairyCake · 29/05/2015 20:27

Did you tell your son to get up before the housing officer came?

They need to inspect all the rooms don't they?

AnyRailway · 29/05/2015 20:27

Going into the teenagers bedroom is okay. Asking him to pick up his socks is not.

His socks should not be on the floor, we all know that, but I have yet to meet a teenager that didn't do this kind of thing.

The housing officer's remit is the fabric of the building, not the socks on the floor. They do not affect the state of the house post -tenancy. She was rude and overstepping her boundaries.

SurlyCue · 29/05/2015 20:27

(Illness/nught shifts aside) Teenager should have been up and room inspection ready.

But yes, inspector shouldnt have said that. None of their business at all.

Original poster

meltingmum · 29/05/2015 20:41

He had come home from work and is working tonite- she had arranged to one at 10.30 but came 2 hours after- my son waited until11 the went to bed as he is working again tonite. She stood there for about 5 minutes talking about the socks and lazy teenagers although I had told her in advance. He apologised got up and picked his socks. I would like to think that inspection does not involve this but I could be wrong

OP posts:

Vancar · 29/05/2015 20:44

Yanbu at all, she was late and rude

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 29/05/2015 20:44

Coming 2 hours late is unprofessional.

Waking him up after you've told her he works nights is either arrogance or a lack of sense.

The sock thing is bazaar.

She's an oddball. YANBU.

YsabellStoHelit · 29/05/2015 20:47

2 hours late is very bad form. Asking him to pick up his socks? wtf? Definately she is the one bu.

thehumanjam · 29/05/2015 20:49

I would complain that's very unprofessional. Why was she inspecting your house?

Ijustworemytrenchcoat · 29/05/2015 20:50

I think she had no right and has ideas above her station. A tenancy inspection doesn't require an immaculate show house. I would think it is looking for signs you are wilfully wrecking or neglecting a property and if is in a generally good state of repair and looks well looked after. A normal level of mess and a 'lived in' feel should be fine, it is a home. Some socks on the floor or a couple of dishes in the sink wouldn't be a problem.

If she was late and your son did wait for her then she is in the wrong.

TwinkieTwinkle · 29/05/2015 20:55

I think the sock thing is unprofessional, unless she was trying to lighten the mood when she found your son in bed when trying to do an inspection. Being late could have been for some reason or another, potentially unavoidable. What I am interested in is why you thought inspecting a couple of rooms was enough and don't expect her to inspect the rest of the house? Surely that is her job?

KillmeNow · 29/05/2015 20:55

The way this visit was dealt with was totally unprofessional.

Surely the sole purpose is to make sure the tenancy agreement is being adhered to. Nowhere in any agreement is it written that a person working nights is not allowed to sleep during the day nor leave their socks wherever they please. They may need to see each room but if the rest of the house is within normal boundaries it would be bizarre to have one pigsty room .A quick glance round the door where a person is sleeping should suffice to confirm that it is not a pigsty ( although I do admit my teenagers room often smells like it) .

I would complain in writing and send a copy to the housing office and ask for a response by return of post. You simply rent the house and deserve to be treated as human beings.

Heyho111 · 29/05/2015 21:05

If it was an arranged time everyone should have been up.
However this is an inspection to make sure the building is being kept maintained not damaged. It is not a tidy inspection. As long as the house is maintained - kitchen etc not damaged it can be as messy as you like. Which it wasn't.
It is extremely unprofessional to comment on your sons tidiness. Thank god my house doesn't have an inspection. You can't see my teens bedroom floors ! Your inspectors head may have imploded at the sight!

HelenaDove · 29/05/2015 22:58

A lack of respect for a night worker (how would she like to go to hospital tonight and be treated by a tired nurse who has been forced to wait up or wake up by someone like her, there is a real lack of respect in society for people who work nights) coupled with a lack of respect for HA tenants assuming they are all on benefits and/or lie in bed all day is where her attitude is coming from!!!!!!!!!!

MrsNextDoor · 29/05/2015 23:00

What sort of rental is this OP? Local Authority or other?

HelenaDove · 29/05/2015 23:02

Heyho HA pre arranged times doesnt always mean they actually turn up. Tenants experience loads of no shows How long should a night worker have to stay up and wait exactly.

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 29/05/2015 23:12

Is position of the entire household's socks specified in your tenancy agreement? Surely that would be the only reason for a housing officer to comment upon their placement in a professional capacity? Blimey, did she go through your bins as well?!

notmyusualMNname123 · 29/05/2015 23:28

Have NC'd.

Since Victoria C and Baby P (you remember all of those, right?) those of us in professions like housing, schools, health. None of us are just allowed to do that job any more. We have (by statue) to look out for signs and signals and report.

It wasn't right she was late. But there might have been a good reason for it.

She was right to look into every room, and whilst the sock comment may have been inappropriate, she was checking he was ok. And (I suspect) lightening an uncomfortable situation.

The next time (and, sadly, there prob will be a next time) there is a dead child, anyone who is objecting to this housing officer on this thread should check themselves before they scream "why wasn't this picked up?" or "why didn't the professionals act".

What culture do you want?

It's fucking hard. It's fucking horrible. I ring parents ALL THE TIME and say "your dd/ds says they haven't had breakfast, is that right?"

And, incidentally, my job is about meeting parents. They stand me up EVERY FUCKING TIME. They are beyond rude. I'm never thanked (although I help them a LOT).

It's about protecting children.

Nothing tops that.

Does it?

The5DayChicken · 29/05/2015 23:34

I think she was being a twat with the thing about the socks.

And it's unprofessional of her to be 2 hours late. However, you let her in. An inspection covers the full property, not just the convenient rooms. If her visit was no longer convenient due to her lateness, you should have said that at the door and gotten her to rearrange.

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 29/05/2015 23:36

It was a tenancy inspection though.

And the socks belonged to a working man.

Don't think Baby P is relevant.

lilbert08 · 29/05/2015 23:37

What's it got to do with a housing officer whether a teenager has left socks on the floor? Nosey bitch!

Original poster

meltingmum · 29/05/2015 23:40

Thanks for all your comments. we have been living here for over 6 years now and have had no issues, the first year we had inspections that were OK. Housing association has merged and they are updating their records and checking their properties. The appt letter indicated it was a quick call, but as stated earlier, this particular inspection felt intrusive on my son. She could clearly see from the doorway what she needed to see and I had explained the boy works nights.

OP posts:

HelenaDove · 29/05/2015 23:40

He was asleep after working nights. His wages are probably contributing to the rent.

They would soon moan if the rent was short if he lost wages by sleeping through due to having to wait up or being woken up.

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