To just walk out my council house.

[CoconutSky]

I hate despise this flat.
I’ve ended up in an adapted property with a wet room.
It’s riddled with damp because of the wet room, I’ve spent thousands on painting and decorating, carpeting when I moved in to make it nice. I fled DV, after less than 2 years it’s all had to come up and be replaced.
Wet room is being “repaired” but I don’t hold much hope.
I’ve no worktops, 4 kitchen cupboards and no space whatsoever and I’ve just had enough. I only realised the further adaptations when comparing my flat to my neighbours and I just feel like walking out. Communal hallway also stinks of cigarettes which comes into my home, HA are aware and have done nothing but send letters out. Despite it being a communal hallway an inspectors also said that the other tenants are okay to smoke cigarettes as it’s not illegal. It might not be illegal but I can’t open my windows cos it comes in all the bedrooms. DD’s stinks so bad of fags she’s in with me and that’s with the window closed.

Im so miserable, the wet room stinks, my shoes and bags have always got mould in. Im on the mutual exchange but no one wants flats and I can’t get a managed move, property is 2 beds and I’m “adequately housed”
I even asked if the housing association had a special register for adapted properties but they don’t.
I can’t afford private rented and wouldn’t pass a credit check due to my ex getting me in debt.

I don’t know what to do, I’m sick of phoning the housing association, sick of being upset and seeing plaster and paint just fall off the wall. I’m at my wits end and I feel like I’m trapped in this place.

I'm so sorry. Its absolutely disgraceful how you are being treated.

My parents were treated appalling by their housing association.

I feel really angry on your behalf. I feel HAs know their tenants can't vote with their feet, they have a captured market, no competition and therefore they are able to totally take the piss.

I have a council flat. My council have been good landlords overall but they won't deviate from the script when I suggest things they just won't do. I also work and I'm not on benefits.

OP - is downsizing an option? Could you go from a 2 bedroom flat to a large decent one bedroom in a nice area and you sleep on a sofa bed in the lounge? Then when you are qualified you could move into a decent 2 bedroom place that you can afford to rent.

There are some downsizing schemes where you could be on a high band when bidding for a council flat.

I know you shouldn't have to give up a two bedroom flat and the no win no fee solicitor sounds like a good option. I just wondered if downsizing would be a good temporary solution if all else fails.

Surely if you ring and explain that you had to sort something out for your parent at the last minute the housing team would understand and reschedule the check?

If not you would need to speak to the team manager about this.

Just be careful, don't leave. I'd love to be able to study but have to work two jobs to pay private rent

OP back to the shower, is kind of just placing a bath in the shower area an option? Recently I have seen the following:

1. A pop up bath - this was on a plinth, and then a pipe to empty down the drain.
2. An inflatable bath,
3. A proper full standing bath just placed on the floor, with the plug as close to the drain as possible, a mop head was then used to control the flow into the drain.

All were filled from the shower head. This wouldn't involve any major / permanent alterations to the bathroom and could easily be removed.

Is the shower curtain full length to the floor? or just a standard length that then leaves a massive gap at the bottom?

An alternative is something like a dog paddling pool (bear with me) - this could catch the water and then allow you to empty it down the drain at a slower rate.

https://www.diy.com/departments/pawhut-pet-paddling-pool-cat-dog-indoor-outdoor-foldable-80cm-diameter-blue/5055974801363_BQ.prd

This is literally untrue. If not, please explain where people can be on benefits and study.

There's the odd 'vocational / return to employment' or ESOL courses that are free to job seekers - that's because they're literally geared towards getting people into a job asap.

Many community colleges give discounts for their courses to people on benefits, my local adult education college for example will give up to 50% discount but bearing in mind this is for small short recreational or creative courses that are otherwise extremely expensive for the average person and are only for two hours a week or so.

The OU and Higher Education all costs many thousands of pounds per year - I believe some of it is free to prisoners but not even sure about that. There are Student Loans but you can't be on jobseekers or incapacity benefits and be also on student loans (or even well enough to do a higher 16hrs + per week higher education course).

Some universities offer bursaries to a tiny minority of students and this is on exceptional grounds or with specific intention.

What can a person on benefits study 'virtually for free please'? I am keen to know.

@LittleMissSunshiner Electric checks are are not actually mandatory in social housing which is why the threatening letter i was sent wasnt even signed, And yet its apparently a legal document. UNSIGNED.

@JenniferBooth but how is it related to the OP's issue?
You want some salt to go with that chip?

@Benibidibici there are others, but these are examples (and yes it is a minefield
https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/11-ways-university-degree-free/

Access to Higher Education (HE) courseStudent Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a higher education course. This means you do not have to repay it. The higher education course must be eligible for student finance.
accountancy example https://www.seperacollege.com/aat-courses-for-free-to-those-on-universal-credit-or-job-seekers-allowance/
Money to apply for https://freecoursesinengland.co.uk/aeb-adult-education-budget/

My unemployed 21 year old niece was funded for a nursing degree because she had no other income.
I did not see if CoconutSky was specific about what she was studying, but there are a number of FE and vocational courses too.

@stomachameleon Checking to see if it was you i tagged

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@JenniferBooth they normally only send them after a couple of missed appointments and not the first one ? Also legally have to check things

Again, not helping the OP.

@healthadvice123 so why not sign it then

what did the obusman say ? Normally as they are independent they look at the whole picture and if everything has been done as should be.
are you on an exchange list if adapted property there may be someone who it would suit? You just need that one person who wants it, don’t loose hope
In the meanfime keep reporting any damp or repairs so its all recorded.
have you spoken to your housing officer and explained the difficulties also and how its impacting you ?

@Topofthemountain was that aimed at me as i was answering another poster

@LittleMissSunshiner there are laws yes and hence why they would of had a letter to book an appt , there are also laws about what checks must be done and access to do them

@JenniferBooth no idea but its a safety check is that not a good thing ? Regulations and best practice advice changes all the time. If you have to cancel due to emergency they would have to accept that . My sil always used to complain about her gas safety check, I never got why as its their safety? I live in a HA house also but ours are quite ok to be fair

OP

Could you stay somewhere else for a while and in that time let the mould really build up plus do your best to rot the floor?

If the bathroom floor caves in they would have to rehouse you?

Sorry, no, the poster who insists on derailing every HA thread.

Every landlord has a legal duty to produce an EICR and certificate every 5 years for every property they rent out. That's been the law since 2021 and includes social housing. So your LA has a legal obligation to carry out the checks.

They aren't going to hand sign thousands of letters. Grow up.

If you are going to quote law its best to get your facts straight

These regulations require private sector landlords to inspect and test ('check') their electrical installations at least once every 5 years to ensure they are safe for use. These requirements do not extend to social landlords.8 Jun 2022

1. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into force in June 2020. These regulations require private sector landlords to inspect and test (‘check’) their electrical installations at least once every 5 years to ensure they are safe for use. These requirements do not extend to social landlords.

Its not the check. Its the fact that they threatened my tenancy over something which isnt even law yet

JFC are you still banging on about that electric check @JenniferBooth ? Give over will you.

FFS Its not the check itself. You cant threaten someone with something that ISNT LAW