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 suggest you read the actual legislation.

Ask ChatGPT to do it for you, if it’s a challenge. In fact - I’ll do it for you.

What does the 24-hour rule actually mean under Awaab’s Law?

1. Emergency hazards
2. Social landlords must investigate and make safe emergency hazards within 24 hours of becoming aware of them.
3. “Emergency hazards” are things that pose a serious and imminent risk to health or safety — e.g. gas leaks, major leaks, dangerous electrical faults, broken windows/doors, etc.
4. The 24-hour period applies both to investigating the hazard and to completing relevant safety work.
5. If the landlord can’t make the property safe in 24 hours, they must offer you alternative accommodation until it’s safe.
7. Other (non-emergency) hazards – damp and mould
8. For “significant” damp or mould hazards, landlords must investigate within 10 working days of being notified.
9. Once the investigation is done, they have 5 working days to make the property safe (this can include temporary measures).
10. If more work is needed (to stop the problem returning), preventative work should begin within 5 working days of the investigation finishing, and the full work should physically start no later than 12 weeks after the investigation.
11. Landlords must give you a written summary of the investigation findings within 3 working days of finishing the investigation.
13. Record-keeping & accountability
14. Landlords must keep clear records of all their attempts to meet these deadlines.
15. If they genuinely can’t meet the 24-hour (or other) timeframes for reasons outside their control, they need to document why.

Why 24 hours?

• The 24-hour rule is specifically for “emergency” repairs — it’s not a blanket rule for all types of repairs.
• This is a legal requirement for social landlords (housing associations, council housing) — Awaab’s Law currently applies to the social rented sector.
• These timeframes are now statutory — rather than just “what’s reasonable” — so landlords can be legally challenged if they fail.

The 24-hour period applies both to investigating the hazard and to completing relevant safety work.

As above

Lindsey lost wages because of waiting in several times for contractors that never turned up and she never caught up.

This means making the property safe, as mentioned at least 15 times above.

This means that if your gas boiler becomes unsafe their immediate obligation is to fix it if possible, or isolate if not. They do not have to get you a new boiler within 24 hours.

i never said they did.

And this is what they have to deal with from tenants. Ridiculous.

Haha, must be joking now 🤣 embarrassed for you

That was a direct copy and paste from the legislation posted by @ThisCanFuckOffToo at the top of the page so NOT MY WORDS.

Dearie me wheres the laughing emoji when you need it. Go back to the top of the page and read the legislation that she posted. You obvs didnt such was your eagerness to have a pop at me.

I can't wait for a discussion about damp, so much of which is condensation caused by lifestyle. Retired repairs clerk/housing officer here.

Blocking up vents, never opening windows, cold surfaces, not mopping up collected moisture, drying washing indoors are major causes of condensation. 6 flats in a block, 5 are ok, no leaks, roof and guttering are fine, but still the occupant of the 6th can be very reluctant to take any responsibility, expecting the landlord to have a miracle cure.

You may be interested in the government’s damp and mould guidance for landlords:
Working with tenants
We are absolutely clear that it is totally unreasonable to blame damp and mould in the home on ‘lifestyle choices’. It is unavoidable that everyday tasks, such as cooking, bathing, washing and drying laundry will contribute to the production of indoor moisture. With this in mind, the fundamental cause of damp and mould will be due to building deficiencies, inadequate ventilation, inadequate heating and/or poor energy efficiency, not tenants’ normal domestic activities (see above ‘Understanding damp and mould’ under the section ‘Identifying and addressing damp and mould in your property’).

98% of the homes fitted with external wall insulation and 29% of the homes fitted with internal wall insulation under the government’s schemes, now require repairs to solve damp and mould problems. The schemes have been a total disaster for many families

Pay for a contractor to come out yourself?

It breaches tenancy agreements to do this. Funny how the SH haters want tenants to breach tenancy agreements when it suits their side of the argument but the same haters want tenants evicted when they breach it for any other reason.

It doesn’t say anywhere they need to complete the repairs in 24 hours. Only a fucking idiot would put that in legislation or believe it to be the case

Its a direct copy and paste from the legislation posted above.

https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/insulation-scheme-failings-leave-thousands-with-botched-homes?utm_source=X&utm_medium=Organic+social&utm_campaign=LZsocials141025&utm_content=2

Tell me what you think “completing the relevant safety work” means

SH tenants should have to deal with life events like the rest of us do. Emergency problem? Pay for an OOH contractor. Contractor coming round? You'll need to stay in to meet them.

I bet the home owners who have had that insulation done dont get told its the way they are breathing

What's the point of this thread? Genuine question

I can't work it out either.

OP "the problem has to be fully repaired within 24 hours"
Everyone else "the problem has to be made non-dangerous within 24 hours, and then fixed later"
OP "You're all wrong. Even the poster who is specifically knowledgeable about this. Wrong wrong wrong. I'm just going to keep quoting the same line and telling you all it means something it clearly doesn't mean."

@TheRolyPolyByrdyeah I'm struggling to see a purpose except to yell into the ether about a book

And everytime there is an opportunity to link to something irrelevant, doing so without engaging in the main topic.

Once more with feeling. Tenants arent allowed to book their own.
It breaches tenancy agreements to do this. Funny how the SH haters want tenants to breach tenancy agreements when it suits their side of the argument but the same haters want tenants evicted when they breach it for any other reason.

And i doubt you would put up with waiting in several times like Lindsey did for contractors that didnt show losing her wages and eventually her home.

What I will say though, is that yes it is outdated and patriarchal to blame residents for damp and mould.

The problem, in my view, is that damp and mould is so hard to deal with from both a repairs and maintenance point of view that the narrative has been allowed to build over the years that the way tenants live is to blame. When you have children dying this just can’t happen.

quoted wrong post