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Original poster

To be upset and angry over this?

191 replies

householdprobs · 09/01/2019 20:19

I moved into my council home in 2011 so around 8 years ago. When I moved in I asked the council if there was an asbestos in the house ( it's a 1935 house) and I was given a survey from sample homes of the same time in my area. I looked at the report in my email and then just forgot about it. Then today i was trying to email the housing and find the address in my email as I was searching that email with report came up, I forgot about it over the years but referred back to it today. He report said that the asbestos is present in some tiles and on a sink pad. I was aware in my kitchen floor when I moved in there was some tiles of some sort so I just put ceramic tiles over them but the tiles that were in when I moved in were not in Great condition they were cracking on the edges. But I just left it. Then I checked under the sink thinking surely they wouldn't have left the sink in from decades ago with an asbestos sink pad on!!! I was told when I moved in this was a new kitchen because the last owner let the previous one go to a mess. Low and behind o check and that sink pad is still there !!! Asbestos was banned from 1984 so this kitchen has been in this house since before 1984 and they couldn't even Been bothered to change the sink in all that time!! I'm so angry and upset. This kitchen is disgusting ! All they do is screw cupboards back on. And also the tiles are worrying me now as well. They knew about these asbestos products but didn't inform me UNTILL I enquired yet they are aware of them ! Imagine I started to rip up the tiles to put my own on and didn't know, it's a good job I just out mine in top. I'm worried now because after pulling up the grip between living room and kitchen I could see the tiles some parts handing off.

OP posts:
Original poster
householdprobs · 09/01/2019 21:51

@bridgetreilly they only told me because I REQUESTED it if I wasn't pro active they would have never have told me that's the point

OP posts:
Boysandbuses · 09/01/2019 21:53

So they did tell you.

You were switched on enough to ask about asbestos, so you were concerned. But not sqitxjed on enough to understand the report or call them to explain it?

Why would they replace the sink if it didn't need it?

starzig · 09/01/2019 21:54

Could you maybe look at renting privately somewhere if you are unhappy with the home you have been given?

Ellisandra · 09/01/2019 21:58

They didn’t provide it before your request - but possibly because they didn’t need to. It doesn’t sound like you have friable material. Quite possibly a correct risk assessment was done and there was correctly deemed no risk.

SillyMoomin · 09/01/2019 21:59

Seems like you’re just stamping your feet to cause an argument and get a new kitchen op

If you were that bothered by the asbestos you’d had read the report and done something about it 8 years ago

Ellisandra · 09/01/2019 22:06

Alongside the report that you didn’t read properly... who’s to say that you weren’t also given paperwork with your contract (or even in your contract) that warned you not to disturb material in case of asbestos?

I’ve just done a quick google and Cambridgeshire website is very clear that any alteration should be discussed with them first as it would trigger an asbestos check on your specific property.

Of course, doesn’t mean your council provided info, or did 8 years ago. But given that you didn’t even read your own requested report properly, I’d want to know what else you were given before deciding YWBR to get angry now.

I’m with another poster - just sounds like you’re stamping your feet to get a new kitchen.

Original poster
householdprobs · 09/01/2019 22:16

I'm not exaggerating when I say the sink still has the asbestos mat as I've done my research. If that's the case the sink really is old. The wood is rotting and mouldy under the sink. We get a lot of wood louse due to it My point is I've asked them to change stuff and they do the odd little thing but it's poor quality. And I knew the guy was talking rubbish when he said this was a new kitchen!! But what could I do?

OP posts:
Original poster
householdprobs · 09/01/2019 22:17

@Ellisandra I want to put MY OWN in not them give me one but I would have to jump through hoops to even do that

OP posts:
Ellisandra · 09/01/2019 22:22

Jump through hoops?

What, contact the correct department and follow a standard procedure to request authorisation?

How is that jumping through hoops?

You’re a tenant, it’s their property. And whilst you get some benefit from that, it’s hardly unfair that you can’t just make changes to their property without permission.

Just make the request.

Ellisandra · 09/01/2019 22:25

My parent’s sink is older than me, and I’m in my 50s. It’s perfectly good. There may be no reason to replace your sink.

Original poster
householdprobs · 09/01/2019 22:27

@Ellisandra I've made the request I'm just waiting for someone to come out. But what I mean about jump through hoops is i suspect they would want certificates to say it was done right even though it's just the cupboards worktops and sink I could buy myself and get my family member to fit it ( he's fitted loads of kitchens he's not qualified but had the experience) and it will be cheaper for me that way. If they want certificates and all that it will be more expensive

OP posts:
elessar · 09/01/2019 22:33

But why shouldn't they want a proper job done with certificates?

You know your family member is legit but anyone could claim that and just get any old person to come and do a terrible job - and then the council would have to pay to fix it.

Ellisandra · 09/01/2019 22:33

You “suspect”, but you don’t know.
So no - you’re not having to jump through hoops.

I expect you’re paying nothing for them to come out to you.

Where certificates are required, it will be for a reason. This house is their asset and they need to protect that.

You can’t expect them to act like a landlord (by giving you asbestos info) but then not act like a landlord (by letting you do whatever you want.

You could replace something with lower quality material (although I hear you that the existing quality is low!). You could cause structural damage in the process. You could start chipping away at your asbestos materials that you’re so concerned about! You could move a hob and just decide you could extend a wire yourself... they don’t know!

That’s why they need to visit, that’s why they might need certificates. (only might)

You can’t have it both ways, expecting them to act like a landlord, and then not act like a landlord. It really isn’t you jumping through hoops at all.

Ngaio2 · 09/01/2019 22:33

@Elisandra the OP is making the point that the presence of the asbestos will make installing a new kitchen more difficult and expensive because regulations will need to be complied with.
Do council tenants not deserve the same health and safety provisions as other people in this country’s? Should Local Authorities not be bound by the same provisions as private landlords?. Are we to return to the pre social welfare ideas of the deserving and the undeserving poor?

GrandTheftWalrus · 09/01/2019 22:36

I knew my flat had asbestos in it as it's from the 70s at least. However it didn't affect us until they were putting a new kitchen in and they tested the whole house.

And the result is 1 little shelf in the hall is full of asbestos so we aren't allowed to remove it and if something happened and it broke we'd need to get the council out to it.

We were disappointed there wasn't any anywhere else as we'd have got a few nights in a hotel at their expense while they fixed it!

FortunesFave · 09/01/2019 22:36

Of course OP has to ask permission before changing kitchen fittings! Why are people telling her she doesn't?? Confused Councils don't allow changes like that without prior notification.

FortunesFave · 09/01/2019 22:38

All councils change kitchens etc on a timetable. Your house will be due one when they say so. There'll be a schedule. You need to phone them up and ask when it's due...then push and push for it to be done sooner. Call your local environmental health team and they will inspect it. If there's any danger they will order the council to make the changes.

Ellisandra · 09/01/2019 22:39

Of course they should.
But nothing here says that the OP is not.
She was aware of the asbestos 8 years ago.

If the kitchen needs to be replaced, then the OP won’t bear the cost of additional work or certification needed due to asbestos - the council will bear it.

If the OP chooses to to replace the kitchen, then why shouldn’t she bear the cost?

The council are already bearing the cost of the site visit to advise her. (although you can say that cost is part of her rent)

Nobody has forced her to pay anything yet!

slashlover · 09/01/2019 22:40

I'm not exaggerating when I say the sink still has the asbestos mat as I've done my research

OP if you're not drilling/cutting the sink pad or tiles then they wont cause you any harm as it's not releasing the dust and fibres into the air.

The rotting wood is a separate issue.

Thewifipasswordis · 09/01/2019 22:40

OP the asbestos is not a risk unless damaged. Get a grip.

You'd also have to inhale about 2 whole teaspoons of broken fibres to even have any risk at all and the risk from sealed tiles and kitchen units is even less. Educate yourself fgs 🙄

Thetigerwhocameto · 09/01/2019 22:44

If you can afford to buy a new kitchen why are you in a council house... just a thought, kitchens aren’t cheap!

mumsastudent · 09/01/2019 22:45

not only will they investigate it but tell how to get it removed or in some cases tell you how to remove it safely (we were advised on this - it might surprise you! - with our old shed roof)

m0therofdragons · 09/01/2019 22:47

My sink in my previous home had a pad under the sink like that. It was a newly built house in 2004 so obviously wasn't asbestos. Even if your is, it's fine. I work in a hospital that's full of asbestos. It's only an issue when we need to pull a wall down. You can't be this outraged when you have had the report from the start. Sounds like you're just kicking off in order to demand a new kitchen from the council. As long as yours is serviceable then they don't need to replace it until their schedule tells them to.

mumsastudent · 09/01/2019 22:47

ps we were told to keep it wet to keep dust down wear paper overall & get those dust masks (by the safety officer) because it was a form of cement (health & safety at council)

LuluJakey1 · 09/01/2019 22:52

Local authorities are bound by much tighter rules than private landlords. That's why the OP is cross- because they will insist she follows the rules and she wishes to have the work done herself.
The OP does not want to follow the rules.

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