Housing association saying I’m unreasonable I don’t think I am !!!

[HAunreasonable]

The HA need to do planned repair/upgrade work. The appt slots are 830-1230 or 130-530.
I asked them to book mine around school runs but twice they’ve turned up when I’m out ? Now saying that if they are ‘refused entry’ a third time it will lead to further action???

Surely they have to be fair about this and come at a time that works for everyone

Arrange childcare with who though? It doesn’t sound like the OP gas much of a support network.

This is a really good letter. Well done Winter.

Sorry you're having such difficulty OP and sorry you're being sneered at by some clueless Mumsnetters. Xx Hope it gets sorted.

I had this years ago with HA for a gas boiler check and I didn't let it lie, in the end they gave me an evening appointment.
They are being unreasonable. Don't give in with them

The repairs are paid for by the housing association, so yes they are “free” in the sense that OP is not having to lay out £500 on top of her rent to fix a broken shower etc. Rent is separate and significantly cheaper than market rate.

I don’t think anyone should “accept less” where on earth have you got that from? I made the point we have to work our schedules around tradesmen we pay for as well.

Yes I think people should be grateful to be in receipt of subsidised housing funded in part by the tax payer, is that really a controversial opinion?

Yes I was going to suggest that - get someone to wait in your house if you genuinely can’t get anyone else to do the school run.

But seriously if you want the repairs done then you have to suck up the school attendance thing and stop saying you can’t do it. Loads of kids miss school regularly. Unless someone’s literally off all the time with unauthorised absences, there’s no real consequences - what is the school realistically going to do? Prioritise getting your house sorted out.

I live in a housing association property and also have to do school runs. My childs school is 10 minutes up the road though so I just leave a note on my front door saying on the school run, back in 10 or something and might come back to a workman waiting at the door. But it is literally 20 minutes for me to get to school and back.

I have also left workmen in my property before to go and pick my child up from school which I wasn't 100% comfortable with but had to be done.

i think people think that everyone in HA property is getting it for free ? I work and I pay rent I do get UC but because I work evening and weekend and my mum does my childcare I’m not even claiming childcare costs . It’s not like I’m ungrateful for my home and for UC I just have to try and fit things around school. I won’t lie I don’t really want the dc off school it’s the only break I get !!

Can your mum not assist at all with this issue then? Either by being in your house when they call round or doing the school run for you?

Landlords are always responsible for repairs - it’s totally normal. I don’t know why people are making an issue of that.

My friends in a council house and has to stay in the duration of any work being done so this wouldnt work unless its a short job. Can't even pop out to the shop. Guessing it's so the contractors can't be accused of theft.

Why are you refusing to answer what the repair is for?

Id ignore the comments about free housing: free repairs etc… pointless, unnecessary and frankly pathetic.

Unfortunately we all have to make arrangements from time to time. I rent privately and work so I always request the first appointment of the day if something needs doing. The landlord has a key as do the letting agent so, same as you if I were to miss two appointments they would take further action, in this case be here in the house to let the person in. It's never happened tho because we work it out. I generally ask for and get a Saturday appointment or in the evening after 6pm at a push. We needed a new shower recently and they came at 7.30 am to assess and returned on the Saturday to fit it.

This is the same thing someone who rents privately has to deal with, it's the same thing someone who owns have to deal with if they want work done. Slots are set like this because it helps them manage their day. The customer is expected to bend to accomodate the service provider, not the other way around.

I would also add that you can’t take your children to school Breakfast Club earlier as your DC has special needs and needs 1:1 support which is currently unavailable at the club. They probably won't want to be seen to be being unreasonable when there’s a SN child in the equation.

Do you know the elderly neighbour (or anyone) well enough to ask if they could sit at yours while you do the school run?

Although your neighbour wouldn't be able to do the school run could they sit in your house while you do it?

put it in writing to your housing officer that you need a slot that works round school run times copy and send to your local mp they are being obtuse I am also in a HA property and they have always work with me over these type of situations its not hard they just need to put your slot towards the end of the morning. Just because you live in a HA property doesnt mean you need to tolerate this type of behaviour. Just so people are aware HA properties are usually let at 80% of the private market not really subsidised as we all know the private market is over priced and not really a usefull bench mark for the cost of housing

Would your mum take the kids to school and back one day? Perhaps if you take annual leave that day so she isn't required to then look after them from 6pm when you would usually work.

I know, because it happened to me! Mine gave me an asbo for "refusing access" when they'd agreed to come before 3 on the 3rd occasion but turned up after that anyway!

At the end of the day they need access so you need to find a way to do it whether that be dropping your child early or late to school or what not. You are being unreasonable because all your finding is excuses. You soon wouldn’t be behaving like this If you’d need them to do some work for you or see something.

I'm reading this thread and wondering how different it would be if the OP hadn't said it was a housing association, but just a landlord.

"My landlord wants to come into my house to do maintenance work but won't accommodate the school run and keeps turning up when I've said I won't be there. He's now threatening to take further action".

I'm damn sure that people wouldn't be recommending keeping the kids off school, they'd be citing 'quiet enjoyment' and recommending the OP change the locks. (I'm not recommending that btw, that's just the way those threads go!)

But what's the difference? Is the OP less deserving of people meeting her in the middle when she's made every effort to compromise than someone paying private rent? If not, why not. Gosh there's some judgemental folk out there.

OP, the letter a previous poster added further up is great. You've made every effort to accommodate them. They can shove their vague threats of 'further action' because there is no further action they could legally take. If they want the work done they can wait 10 minutes for you to get back from the school run.

I would just hope they turn up after school drop off this time. Give them a heads up that you know they can't specify the time, but that you'll be out of the house for school runs and in waiting the rest of the time.

If they turn up at drop off time again then just phone them again and explain you've told them 3 times that you're available any time other than the school run, and it's a legal requirement for them to attend school so there's not anything you can do about it and that you hope the fourth time is not also the school drop off time as you're waiting in the rest of the time slot for them.

How long does the school run take? When my daughter was young, I'd stick a note on the door advising I was taking a child to school and I'd be back in 15 minutes. If they came to do the work whilst I was out, the workman would either wait in the van or go on to do another repair and return later.

She works so isn’t able to she literally comes from work each day to mine to look after the dc.

You say your mum helps with child care, could she be there while you are doing the school run?

It is a nuisance but it's not your HA being awkward. Most other services - gas, electric, phone etc - will give a window and you have to be there.