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.

That's not always the case - this is the story they published about the communal yard where I live!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-66512459.amp

Ours look like that’s as well! It’s disgusting isn’t it.

MP was a waste of time. They didn’t even tell me about contacting her back just said that I was “happy with the fans” and it got closed. After being bullshit constantly I’m just fucking sick and tired of dealing with them so I have slacked I will admit

Yes, it's heartbreaking.

I'd be tempted to do adaptation / repair work yourself (will cost you of course) because I do know of social housing tenants who've done that and there's been no consequence.

Part of how HAs operate is they refuse to spend a penny on anything. They do spend a lot of money on legally enforcing evictions but only if they're getting the vacant property back. They like evicting people but of course there has to be solid grounds.

Otherwise they'll never take a tenant to court because often the judge will rule that the tenant has to do x, y, z, remedial action and this doesn't 'pay' for the HA - they don't recoup their costs. The HA only want to seize back a flat back into their property stock.

Would they even know if you brought someone in to do the work?

I’d go to doctors anyway .
Build up a case it’s not fair .

So they haven’t treated them problem they have “painted” over the cracks so to speak . Nee flooring and a fan.
These HA just don’t want to spend money and they know fine well what’s wrong with it.

They’d know. They do checks every 12 months and take pictures. Plus, because the adaptations are fitted by adult services after an assessment it’s a whole different ball game. Say it’s a normal house and I hate the bath they’ve put in, I’d be able to change that because it’s not an aid and adaptation. They told me an adapted property can never ever go back as standard

You’re not wrong. Jigsaw are notorious for patching and botching jobs. I mean I’ve got tiles missing that just dropped off the wall and all they did was put concrete on 🙃 then more dropped off, they put more concrete on. I’m mortified at this house. It looks like an addict lives here.

I used to love those “do up council house” videos, because my old house was rented and I couldn’t really do anything aside from some paint. I can’t even watch them videos anymore. They make me cry. Obviously I wouldn’t get any joy from seeing people live in horrible homes but I just watch them and think, why me, why can’t I be doing up my kitchen, putting some nice shelves up etc.

How incredibly annoying.

You'd imagine there's someone severely disabled desperate for an adapted flat that they would be obliged to rehouse and they could get you moved out, do the work, and help the right person too.

Unfortunately, as I said before, when I took my case to court it became horribly clear that they fought me tooth and nail using an exceptionally cut throat expensive lawyers firm. They never ever did the court ordered work even though I took them back to court twice and was awarded back my costs (I had to pay a barrister) and the judge ripped into them but they still didn't do it.

In the end my case got 'settled' by force really - my barrister appointed me a solicitor to follow up the court order. They didn't do the work. My solicitor negotiated back and forth with their legal team as to why the work wasn't done and the HA solicitor then offered me the tenancy on the 'decant' flat and found some legal argument that I was 'legally unreasonable' not to take the far higher standard decant flat that they'd moved me to (for 8 weeks two years prior). That flat was out of area and the neighbours were deranged, ie the stalking and harassment, so I didn't want to stay in it. The HA solicitors said they would argue me being 'legally unreasonable' in court and my solicitor said he'd not be sure he could win that and strongly advised me to take the other flat.

They also tried every single angle possible to 'have me' for breach of tenancy or being improper in my own conduct, they were having me watched and surveilled in the decant property for two years (I am not even joking, it makes it sound like I'm insane but it's the gods honest truth) and on one court hearing they tried to slide the disrepair hearing and requested the judge for an eviction order on the grounds that I was two months in rent arrears when in fact I was two months in credit and this was very easily and quickly proven. The level of dirty tricks they played was mind blowing.

That’s so awful and it doesn’t surprise me whatsoever.
I think with mine what had happened was it’d been empty for months and 5 people turned it down, it’s a desirable area so in theory it should’ve been snapped up quickly. Was void for around 4 months then I was in a position where I had no choice but to take it. I remember the day I viewed it I got the keys and signed the tenancy, they didn’t even take references or any ID. It was so rushed so I think they were desperate for rent. I remember that day just going to my mums and crying my eyes out.

No one should ever have to live like this or put up with what you have

@CoconutSky the only way you're going to get anything done is to either go to the press or look at moving. The flat isn't going to change and you've said multiple times that you can't change anything so you need to either make plans to get out or force their hand by publicly shaming them.

I don’t want it sorting. I want moving. I hate it. But they won’t transfer me and no one with a working brain cell would swap this skanky dump.
I was never told it was adapted. I had no choice but to take it.
I knew the bathroom was but I didn’t have a clue about all its other issues.

The problem is I don’t know how to move, I can’t go private, I’m bankrupt so I’d fail a credit check. I’m just stuck.

I'm so sorry for how you're having to live.

Little else to suggest that hasn't already been suggested. Shelter? CAB if they're good in your area. Press - really what have you got to lose?

Also, re looking for an exchange, are you on lists for your Council and other HAs in the area, not just your current (shitty) landlord?

I’m on Homeswapper, house exchange all the Facebook pages. I check them every day since March. Not one person has even messaged me about swapping and any time I have enquired I just get ignored or straight up NO. I don’t blame them, I’d say no too

Sorry if this has already been asked but are you able to afford to rent privately? Even a small place? I know it's not an ideal solution; we both work ft and are long-term renters ourselves but if it gets you out of where you. are now? 😞

Keep chipping away at the coal face and hold your ground.

Some days we can't fight the fight any longer and feel hopeless. Those are the days to rest, try to distract, practice self care, eat well and try to find something nice in life such as nature or enjoy a movie or meet with a friend etc.

It's like doing a job you don't like. I would direct my next effort to ringing around housing disrepair solicitors in your area and wider area. Most of them will speak over the phone for a short chat and description of the issue, some of them will even give a good solid half hour or 45 mins conversation and a little bit of advice or some will give one free consultation. Unless you actually contract to a solicitor, then you're free to keep ringing around many more even if they say let us think and we'll get back to you.

Try to sound out a way forward from what little bits of guidance or suggestion they offer up.

Your local authority does not have an Environmental Health dept ?

So who inspects restaurants ? who visits the schools to check their kitchens etc. That's just 2 reasons to have an Environmental Health department.

Well this is very true.

The local council must uphold the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and all that it entails as well as Fire Health and Safety and Food Health & Hygiene legislation.

Can you say your general location? Have you been applying with other housing associations or the council? (guessing you're Manchester way from the location of the company!)

Your uni might have family housing that would give you a spot for a few months at least. This says international students but I bet if you explained the situation they'd be willing to help.

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/accommodation/students-with-families/

No so, that’s environmental health. When it comes to housing it’s housing standards. Environmental health don’t deal with housing stuff here anymore

I’m in an area of Greater Manchester, but not Manchester City council and I’m not at uni here. My uni is a university centre

There shouldn’t be any skirting boards in a wet room, the vinyl should be installed cap and cove so that it wraps up the walls, without any skirting. Skirting won’t be water tight so will rot and let water through to the floor below.

It might also be possible to install a temporary shower tray that plumbs into the floor drain and can be removed at any time, therefore you don’t need to tell them or ask permission and if someone comes to inspect the property you can just remove it.

I would most definitely do the repairs myself in your shoes and when finished studying look into mid market rentals. These are ha properties same terms as social but you have to be working to access. You would have to replace when leaving back to what was there. I’d either store all the crap that comes out at mums or anywhere if I had space and literally leave that in the rooms on exit but believe me, they won’t bother as they will be able to relet quicker. For your own sanity, make it your home and be done with the fight.

good luck op.

Are your infections, dry skin and other health conditions severe enough that you need a bath to soak in, mould eliminated because it could be linked to that etc? It sounds like you need different adaptations for your home than what they've provided. It might be easier if they moved you!

If you're really unhappy and you have a job, I'd save up as much as you can to leave. If you don't have a job, I'd retrain and get one. It's not worth feeling unhappy.

She is at uni. I assume retraining.
I know I have said it before but I would approach the university and see if they can help.

I’ve spoke to this morning as one of the kitchen cupboard doors has come off in my hand for the 4th time since moving here. Told them again about the damp, I won’t be having another inspection now and they won’t put a new cupboard door on they’ll just refit the one that’s fell off again.

Asked to speak to my housing officer. She’s supposed to be phoning me back but we shall see

You cant change anything but you can buy the barrier someone posted earlier https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Bathroom-Waterproof-Self-Adhesive-Separation/dp/B07WSV9B8K/ref=asc_df_B07WSV9B8K/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=375429108360&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12062552512017069471&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9180678&hvtargid=pla-1015870637752&mcid=599d5a49f2ba37e38862107e7fc0c56c&ref=&adgrpid=76297946305&th=1 or something similar from elsewhere. Silicone is easy to remove, that's not a tenancy breach. The floor is coming up anyway.

Get a wet and dry vacuum and use after every shower.

Get a professional in to look at what actually needs to be done to make the wet room work, including removing skirting boards.

Get IKEA or other chopping boards to rest on top of the fridge, sink and any other useable surface.

Go back to the Ombudsman about the fans not making a difference and with a professional report about what really needs to be done.

Go back to MP as with the Ombudsman.

Go back to Housing Standards with a report saying their plans wont work.