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.

This is how people, myself included until fairly recently, have to live. In my case, it was a combination of the same wet/mould that OP is struggling with, I have also had times where I have had to do this to save money, or because i couldn't afford a plumber when very old and faulty pipes started leaking all over the house.

I’ve cut down showers. I’ve got dandruff, dry skin, sores behind my ears and intimate infections. I can’t not shower.

Awaabs Law is a great idea. But on paper HA’s are getting off left, right and centre. By putting in extractor fans in that’s classed as adequate ventilation. The mould has been that bad it’s took the plaster off the walls. I patched it up myself. There are holes and splits all over the ceilings which they won’t do piss all about.

People have been to the media about them before, they don’t give a shit

@CoconutSky IMO the new Social Housing Bill is just going to force tenants even more so than now to have incompetent contractors in their homes

This happened to a friend of ours, he was in an adapted property (which he needed), the wetroom hadn’t been done properly so water was entering the walls and the floor. The water entering the walls made the surrounding kitchen and bedroom very damp. The LA decided fitting an extractor fan and providing a dehumidifier was sufficient. They also spent almost 16 months gas lighting him and saying it was how he was using the property. It was only solved when the flooring under the lino stuff they used for the wetroom became so rotten it collapsed completely.

The HA weren’t interested despite social services and environmental health being involved, unfortunately HAs often ignore their own published policies as they are aware that a lot of tenants simply don’t have the means to have them enforced.

Do you/your child have a social worker due to DV, they may also be able to help?

Have you tried contacting the environmental health team at your local authority?

@SecretBanta Some social housing tenants do work and wouldnt have time to clean a whole bathroom every single morning.

How about a pop up bath? Or even using a kids paddling pool as as shower tray.
Not ideal i know but it may help

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-39602540

Can you join a local gym to be able to shower there a few times a week and then just strip wash on other days? For £20 a month you could use their facilities and just stop showering at your house altogether. Sounds extreme but if you have tried every other avenue then might be worth a shot. At least it would probably dry out the walls and mean that you don’t have damp in other rooms as well as the bathroom.

Pop up bath is pointless tbh as I’d have to fill it up using the shower, might as well just have a shower lol

Yeah I’d be taking that further and I say that as a smoker.

How much do you pay for it per month?

£432 a month. I’m a student so pay 3 months upfront when I get my student finance

Could you attach one of those hose shower kits to the washbasin and use a portable bath to contain the water when showering?

I can try it. Is it the old style tap ones? I can’t use anything too powerful as it will have to be a kids paddling pool. No room at all for a proper one off Amazon, I love them portable baths though they look fab

So it's been sometime since I worked in social care assessing for housing adaptations but the ones you describe make absolutely no sense whatsoever. A wet room shouldn't have skirting boards in it at all. Also I don't understand why they have put the gas and electric meters at eye height. Adaptations are to support an individual be able to undertake activities of daily living independently. Reading meters wouldn't be seen as a significant ADL. Counterspace is absolutely a requirement to support independent and safe meal prep.
As many others have suggested try escalating again. If the issues aren't resolved then the MP will listen and should try amd support. Also speak to shelter and CAB.
Finally ask the housing for clarification in the adaptations made and for what purpose. You may then be able to challenge further. I can't see how these would be adaptations that would support many people. They certainly don't sound standard.
Do you have a lifetime tenancy at this property?? If so not allowing you to make changes seems absolutely bizarre.

Are you tied to the location you're in now? Moving towns might seem drastic but the flat in in is about that and it's really decent!

I need within a few miles for DD’s nursery and childcare support. I’m at uni so.

My tenancy is assured it’s called, thank you, I will ask for clarification. I’m glad you don’t think they make any sense, cos I don’t either

Do you have a decent squeegee? The fin shaped ones are excellent, especially if you have curved or awkward surfaces.

The more of the water you can get down the plug hole the better.

In terms of skirting. We have the pvc stuff. You can but it in 1m lengths from Amazon. You could trim the bottom of door with it too if it's rotting. Inexpensive and non permanent as you just silicone it on. Might make it a bit more liveable.

I hated our wet room too. We put a cubicle in but appreciate you don't have that option. Our best solution before that was an extra long shower curtain so it touched the floor and contained more of the water. I went for cheap white so it was easily bleached..

Yes I would leave
You will get much nicer privately
Do you have kids? If you do you might get housing benefit towards it too.

Sorry missed the can't afford private bit.

Can you not get a plumber in to sort out the leaking wet room?

Even if you have to pay yourself, surely it would be worth it to solve all this upset

As the water is pooling in the wet room do you have a wet and dry vacuum? One like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/K%C3%A4rcher-Vacuum-Cleaner-blowing-function/dp/B09NMKVGNT/ref=sr_1_3?adgrpid=54355508838&hvadid=259032130026&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9045688&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=727058859114166422&hvtargid=kwd-320455781&hydadcr=28146_1724745&keywords=karcher%2Bvacuum&qid=1704317965&sr=8-3&th=1

If you dont have space for that the window vacs can be used on floors, you just need to empty them often as they arent designed for horizontal surfaces. Vacuuming the walls will get moisture out of the air.

You need a vertical diagram of the kitchen as I still cant get my head around not being able to rest a board across somewhere and use it as a worktop.

I can’t make any changes to adapted rooms, wet room or kitchen

That includes fablon or coverings. I sent in a permission form for me to have a bath put in. It got rejected, it’s a breach of tenancy

I’ll try make one. It’s fucking bizarre I know.