Temp accommodation unsafe - baby overheating - what can I do

[yoghurttops]

I’ve been renting for years, but after my landlord decided to sell a year ago, I was evicted and just can’t afford anything on the private market.

We have a baby, and so received help from the council. Me and my partner do work, but we have been looking for better paying jobs for almost 2 years now.

The council have put us in temp housing, it’s on the 20th floor and the heat is absolutely awful! The aircon/heating system is controlled centrally and so I have zero control over it. The flat feels like an oven and the windows all have a plastic barrier with about 3mm gaps which let air in, but it’s just not enough. We get zero fresh air.

My baby has overheated about 3 times in this hot weather - once he was sick and threw everything up - the other times he is drowsy. In the past we have had to take him to A&E for not waking up without a prick from the nurse.

I don’t know what to do - who to complain to. My housing officer won’t help and doesn’t answer my emails and I am on stage 2 of a formal complaint via the housing ombudsman but the responses take weeks!

The building has negative reviews on Google and Housing websites - the lifts never work, it’s too hot and I am so so scared for my babies health. I can’t believe people are housed here.

Why can I do - I so wish I could afford to privately rent.

I saw that it is illegal to not live in the council flat - I want to stay with a friend for a while, at least until the weather cools down.

AIBU to leave the flat for a while - what do I need to do? Get council permission first? Can I ask them to move me on health grounds?

Are you working during the day? If a friend had this issue I would happily let them hang out in my house while I was at work

If you’re on over £30k each which you just be, as teachers start on £31k so your partner will be on more than that, then you really don’t need to be in temporary housing. You have a decent joint income and your partner will be in demand in many areas so you’re in a good position. Move somewhere else and private rent.

Rent privately outside of London …I know someone who is renting a 3 bed house near Newcastle for £650 …your problem is being in London …it’s now v crazy prices to live in London. Social housing is nigh in impossible to get to …it’s a mess

How are you even qualifying for extra support if you're each on £30k+? I thought this post was entitled enough before, but now I just can't see what you're complaining for. Live somewhere within your means. Do what everyone else is doing to keep cool (ie. use common sense). Look after your own child.

Air con units on Amazon for around £100 - I would say this is an emergency and warrants the spend

Just went through temp accommodation myself 2 years ago, if you have somewhere else to stay even briefly (during a heatwave) the council will see it as you have somewhere else to go to and do not require temp accommodation. Check your contract cause it was in mine that I signed when I got my keys.

We are considering moving North as have family elsewhere too - does anyone know how that would work with the council? Do we just tell them our preferred location. Then again we’ve looked at rents and we would be able to afford it - only thing is partner doesn’t have the luxury of working from home.

Just do it - you DP can work anywhere as a teacher so prioritise getting him a job in a much more affordable place up north then privately rent there. The homeless/temp accommodation system you're looking to house you isn't really meant for teachers and senior managers who've come briefly unstuck because of bad timing (presumably landlord selling/mat leave clash). If you were almost anywhere else but London, you could afford and get a private rental on your salaries, and even in London, there's more affordable places in outer zones where you could get a place now to get you out of that flat, which can be used for people in a much bigger pickle without the means to get out of it themselves.

You've got the summer holidays coming up so perfect timing for your DP to suss out other locations and opportunities and get the ball rolling on the move. You can of course investigate the council system and see if there's properties going in less desirable spots up north where there's more of a housing surplus, but you're unlikely to end up with somewhere as nice as you can afford outside the system, so if you want to have some control over your next steps, take the lead.

Edited to say: I've assumed it goes without saying that of course it's bad times when a teacher/manager/baby end up in this situation due to landlords, CoL etc. but this is how it is and every other young family in London who isn't lucky enough to be landed gentry faces similar big decisions about what's affordable.

Having heard you're on 30k each so household income of 60k plus child benefit you would be able to afford to rent privately. MIght not be any great shakes, probably only a one bed and have to share the bedroom but it would be affordable for you if you pick the right location. Obviously you'll have commuting costs on top but you'll have to balance that with location and availability of accommodation.

If the windows only open a few millimeters, then how are they going to vent a portable air conditioner?

We are considering moving North as have family elsewhere too - does anyone know how that would work with the council? Do we just tell them our preferred location.

No you can't just tell the council where you'd like to live and they give you a house there. Only your local council has a duty to house you, no council anywhere else will they've got their own local people needing housing. You get this temporary flat where you are, probably for 10 years or more, or you find a private rent or somewhere you can afford a mortgage yourself.

On 60k a year you can afford to rent privately outside London. Your partner needs to find a job somewhere you want to live and you move there. It doesn't solve your heat problems this week but you've got more options open to you than most people in temporary council housing so you should really take them.

Couple of weeks? Where i am in North Essex we have had many heatwaves over the last few weeks compared with one week of snow in December 2022. Our housing is built for what the weather was like in 1965 instead of what its like in 2025

And ppl need to make their minds up and stop the gaslighting. one minute we are told its climate change and to get used to hotter summers. Next we are told that "its only for a couple of weeks" usually the minute we dare to complain about it.

The council can help support their move through. My council has a scheme called fresh start. They can help op secure private rent in another part of the country.

Generally you have to have ties to an area or have lived there for 5 years before you can access social housing there.

I must have hallucinated this then.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/06/depressed-poor-housing-costs-nhs-14bn-year

The residents of a block of flats owned by Guiness Homes put up signs in their windows. "Dont Buy These Flats Too Hot"

@yoghurttops check out https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/

we have window restrictors Top of a two storey block NO KIDS

Presumably it wasn't @ExpertArchFormat who also said it was climate change so she's not gaslighting and doesn't need to make up her mind. You just need to take on board other ppl having a variety of takes and make up your own mind.

Not the fault of the tenants but stairways are supossed to be kept clear. The fact it isnt is their fault for not fixing the lift. Which is probably why they arent enforcing it. Because the new fire safety rules only seem to count when its the tenants breaking them!!

I said And PPL need to make up their minds So i was talking generally. Nice try though

That's exactly what I was getting at. That by definition 'PPL' have a variety of views that will often be conflicting, so making their mind up doesn't make sense. It's just different views rather than some nefarious mass attempt to gaslight you.

Shut the blinds and curtains when the son is on the windows. Fans. Take bsbybout to somewhere air-conditioned when possible? Lots of baths, water play etc. Don't worry about going to your friends. It will be fine. Its just like a holiday.

I mostly agree but you do pay rent on temporary accommodation, less than private obviously but it does still require payment. I doubt they're entitled to housing benefit as both earning 30k

@yoghurttops how are the electrics Are the plugs or light switches getting hot

It will be raining soon enough for ten months….

Temporary accommodation is usually more than private rent.