to wonder how Awaabs Law is going to work in practice ATTEMPT NUMBER TWO AT POSTING

[JenniferBooth]

Im currently reading Middle Ground by Joe Carpenter. Its written anonymously by a housing association operative. There are many examples of how tenants have lost money and employment through waiting in for contractors who dont show up or taking five visits to complete one job. Re Awaabs Law emergency repairs have to be COMPLETED in twenty four hours, Leak on Saturday They will have to send an operative on Sunday. Problem with electrics on Christmas Eve? Someone will have to come out on Christmas Day.

My HA insists on works being done eight to six Monday to Friday. My neighbours ceiling had water leaking through the electrics on a Saturday night and they wouldnt come out till Monday. It reads to me that Awaabs Law says they wont be able to refuse to come out on weekends and BHs any more. But how will this work in practice. Wont contractors have to be paid more.

I am pretty sure all HAs operate emergency repairs as they are already legally obliged for some services ie gas.

but make safe does mean- turn off gas/ water, board up window/ door etc… it doesn’t mean resolve it as an emergency because (we all, including the government know) that isn’t always possible.

and yes they have Xmas day repairs service. It’s really not needed often though, so maybe not a great example.

I said up thread about people who have medical devices/disabilities etc, but they should already have a plan in place.

For things like baby formula - if you don't want to ask a neighbour to boil you some water in an emergency you can keep a tiny gas stove, ~£20 including the gas bottle. People in the Highlands do this (if they are halfway sensible) since we get hours/days of power cuts most years. It's normal human behaviour to consider contingencies when services are cut off. And if it's only your own house that's affected it's much easier than a power cut in a wide area - just ask a friend or neighbour to boil you some water for the baby milk.
People are becoming pathetically helpless. (Disabilities excepted, as I said).

But presumably them sorting it was just turning the water and electricity off? What else could they do?

Google these words Tenancy agreement flats and gas canisters

How are you going to get a contractor, any contractor, to turn out on Xmas Day?

I googled "Tenancy agreement flats and gas canisters".

The responses were all about the legality (or not) of storing them in rented property.

I am sorry, I am missing your point.

At the end of the day, you are not going to get repairs done in short order - especially at Xmas - any more than I am as a home owner with a DW suffering from MS who uses hoists and a wheelchair.

Shit happens and we have to live with it.

They’re not phoning some self employed bloke eating his turkey. They have multi million pound contracts or their own directly employed trades.

Emergency related services work on Xmas day. How would an emergency repair to a hospital happen in Xmas day? It’s just the same as that.

You need people on call but the reality is, it’s rare for someone to need an emergency repair on Xmas day. But they’re there if needed.

Okay, no good in flats (although I suspect they do not mean the tiny ones). But that does not stop someone asking a neighbour to boil water does it. My point is there are solutions to being without electricity for a couple of days for most people and you just need to have a think about it.

However I do agree with this law, which seems to say that dangers should be made safe within 24 hours, assuming it's something the resident cannot easily make safe themselves, like turning off power/water.

You arent MY HA WONT COME OUT ON A WEEKEND EVEN FOR EMERGENCIES You cant even get through on the phone Join any tenant group on fb and its there in plain sight. Follow Kwajo Tenoboa on Twitter and its there in plain sight. This simply wont happen.

You really really need to read the book i mentioned in the OP

All HAs have an emergency service, unless you are some tiny HA that’s decided it can do without (I have never heard of this though)

they have their own definitions of emergency though that may not align with yours

I've read the book, it’s written by someone very junior with little understanding of the sector, but absolutely makes some excellent but already widely acknowledged points. These things aren’t secrets it’s just that the public aren’t interested

So someone who WORKS in the sector has little understanding of the sector

Cant imagine that going down well on here if i said the same about social work or said it to someone who works in the NHS

You are really shouty and aggressive, but you have a low level of knowledge. If you want to just come on and shout into the abyss a internet forum really isn’t the place.

of course many people who work in jobs (in all sectors) have little experience or knowledge- sector experts are people who have been making decisions for decades. It’s not something that comes with signing a contract and a few years of day to day working.

Ok if you have read the book can you tell me about Lindsey who ive mentioned upthread.

Yes im sure the pen pushers know more than the people actually on the frontline. Like i said try saying that when its the NHS

24 hr repair timescales for everything to be completed is a completely unreasonable expectation, for a owner occupier or an private/HA tenant.

Landlords, should of course make safe electrical, gas and water issues as emergencies but that may well be switching the gas/electric off, or isolating something.

Other repairs need to be planned, materials ordered, skills made available, they may be weather dependant, or have issues with access, scaffolding, etc etc. there may be remedial plastering required.

no-one in their right mind expects things to happen instantaneously.

@ThisCanFuckOffToo Exactly It just wont happen.

Plenty of HAs don't use contractors.

why, do you think that will somehow demonstrate something?! Lindsay was a resident he knew a little and was present for her eviction.

now, you’ve started a thread of mistruths, you keep arguing HAs can’t do something that they are not required to do, and seem to have based all your housing knowledge on a book, twitter and the way you perceive your HA repairs service. Not exactly a nuanced housing discussion is it?

i wish more people would have serious conversations about housing. The reason no one interested is because by the conversation always goes like this- a big weird, a bit shouty, a bit uninformed.

I’ve worked in housing for almost 20 and can tell you it happens 100% of the time where I work. We take emergency situations incredibly seriously and have an on call team that works round the clock 24/7 365 days a year. If you reported an emergency situation to us we’d be on your doorstep within a couple of hours - even on Christmas Day. We’ve also spent the last 3 years planning any changes we need to make to comply with Awaabs Law.

(BTW, no-where does it say that repairs have to be completed within 24 hours, it says that the property must be made safe and if it can’t then you should be decanted)

Eh, of course they’d come out Christmas Day. If it needed to be made safe. Nowhere does it say works need to be completed in 24 hours.

What do you get out of posting lies on the internet? Very odd

The poster is obsessed with HAs I think.

They are also required to complete all emergency repairs including those unrelated to damp and mould within twenty four hours.

From the last paragraph on page seventy nine of Middle Ground.

They are not required to COMPLETE repairs within 24 hours

from THE LAW

They refused to come out for my neighbour on a Saturday night in July He had to call the fire brigade.