Flat upstairs flooded me, twice!

[mjhx]

Hope this is the right place to post. It's my first time posting.

I am ground floor in a council tower block.
Back last year the flat above me, their child set of the sprinkler system that flooded my flat. We was put in emergency accommodation by the council for 1 week with a big dehumidifier and returned to a smelling dirty mouldy flat. The council only did one repair which was the extractor fan as it was knocked off due to the pressure. My flat since then has been very damp and moldy.

Begining of November the children (7&3) and I were making biscuits when water starting pouring and cracks were appearing causing my flat to flood again. This time they had left the oven on with a plate on top and it exploded causing a fire.
The amount of water was much worse than before. The water was up to my ankles and it lasted a lot longer than the last time.
My children were sobbing and very scared.

The council again put us in emergency accommodation and they are carrying out works like filling cracks, re doing the ceiling etc.

I have raised concerns in regards to the mould. It was a damp and mouldy flat before this flood I can't imagine the state of the walls inside. I said this to my housing person and she said the structure is fine they checked. But I don't believe this. The bottom of my bathroom and bedroom walls were cramping. I have bubbling and peeling paint with water marks so I really don't believe this is fine as then this flood happened.
They gave me a list of repairs and they should be done by next week. We are due to move back in on the 19th. A few days before Christmas to a home with a lot of personal damage and loss. Such as my sofa, TV, kids mattresses and mine. My rugs (these are needed as it's cold) I'm a single full time working parent. I do not have content insurance. I then looked in to content insurance and it's sky high as I declared my previous 2 floods.

The tenants upstairs have returned already.
I don't feel safe living under people so neglectful. The council confirmed each time my properly has come off worse. It's very lucky we was awake and I was able to turn off the electric as a fire could have been caused in my home. Twice these tenants have ruined my home. I'm going to have to replace all furniture and clothes and some toys. Along with sentimental pictures that were damaged.

I have emailed the council for a complaint but not heard anything back. I'm due to move back, my daughter (7yr) has made comments about going home. She's not happy. All her things are ruined and last time it was smelly and she doesn't want to go back. I just think it's totally unfair I have to live this way.

Across from the tower block, there are new builds just being offered out to the people in the block. I want one of these. Alone my flooring will cost me a fortune and these new builds come with carpet AND underfloor heating! Am I selfish to want one of these?
Has anyone else experienced anything like this before?

I emailed the council and several other people earlier this week but not had any acknowledgement. What can I do?

I don't want a cold damp mouldy flat. I want

I don’t think your being unreasonable wanting to move. Ithink lots of councils do emergency grants following emergencies which might be worth looking up.

Thank you for replying. I'm glad I'm not sounding unreasonable. The flat upstairs are also saying they can't live there and I feel it could have been intentional. It's not fair my kids things are ruined.
My local council have said there are no grants available and UC has said the same. I can't apply for any loans etc.
Just gave me a list of charities to contact.
Very frustrated, my children don't deserve this. And who's to say it won't happen a 3rd time! Shouldn't have happened at all let alone twice.

You are none unreasonable to want to move however it’s no excuse not having contents insurance

Get your local MP and councillors involved, and visit CAB about your rights. Read everything you can about your rights and their responsibilities to provide a safe property.

You need to learn about the system and know who to ask and how. No one will do you a favour and move you because you ask nicely!

Oh, and Shelter or other similar charities can give advice.

You need to fight this , involve your mps , threaten to go to the papers , imagine the story of your little girl holding her water damaged toys … this isn’t fair and you shouldn’t have to live like this. Your home is being ruined . Why are you being forced to pay money for contents insurance when you don’t need it for your own reasons , but other peoples !!

Fight this , go to CAB , get mps involved and the papers as a last resort,

If you can, buy a damp meter like this. https://amzn.eu/d/9AFHT0y

every time you visit the flat, record the level of damp in the walls and write it down. Refuse to move back until the council have got the damp down to the right level.

our house had a flood and it took 4 weeks of industrial dehumidification to get the damp levels down on the meter. And having the numbers is v useful to prove it really is bad.

Something you should ask is have they got an industrial dehumidifier in there to dry out the water in the walls/ceiling? Had an awful experience with a leak in our house and didn’t realise we should have done this until too late.

Get contents insurance. There’s no reason why a quote would be affected by the two previous floods as an insurer only cares about claims you’ve made, so something isn’t right there,

I know that doesn’t help with the actual living situation which is awful, but at least you’d be able to replace your things

The council aren’t liable to replace her belongings. They were not responsible for the leak. They should however repair the flat back to how it was.

Anwab’s law is in force now for social housing landlords so it is not acceptable and illegal to leave you with a damp and mouldly flat. However and I speak from experience it’s unlikely they’ll permanently rehouse you. Unfortunately the council aren’t liable your contents

Understandably the council are not responsible for replacing my items. But do they not have a duty of care for my family? To live in a safe home.
They are doing repairs.

Content insurance, I'll be honest I had no idea this existed. And since it's happened.. we look I've in a 13 floor tower block and I've asked many and recommended content insurance as no one else has it. My family members don't have it. It's not something I would assume I would need. It's my mistake on that part.

My problem is I should have this happen twice due to negligence of upstairs. So I just have to take accept this could be something that happens every time? The child upstairs has SEN. So this is the reason they say it happened. Does that mean it's a risk to happen again?

With the insurance two people gave me a quote of £50 a month due to high risk and I declared my flat has flooded twice.

I'm a single mum with no financial help from the children's dad. I'm all by myself with no support or family. It's just very very frustrating.

I've emailed MP, housing chancellor, head of the borough council. I've had no acknowledgement.

Op the same thing happened to me about 12 years ago. I wasn’t in a tower block but they caused a fault in my house (well bungalow) and broke something and it flooded my house. I lost most of my possessions. I made the council cover the cost of my lost items on their insurance due to their own negligence which they did

Are the neighbours upstairs equally skint/ uninsured? You could take them to a small claims court over the value of your belongings. There’s little point though if they have no money.

I would keep pushing with the council. I used to work for the LA and they hated FOI requests and being contacted by MPs.

I wouldn’t just email your MP, I’d write a letter and call and make an appointment. Put in a FOI how many downstairs properties suffer repeated damage from upstairs neighbours.

I’d also contact elected council officials, just keep pushing

Thank you for your reply. Upstairs is a couple and as far as I'm aware they do not work.
Council recommended court but I did think it's absolutely pointless and tbh I wouldn't want to do that to anyone. I just don't want to live under them.
What is a FOI?
I have contacted quite a few people and only had a response from one and she said she would log and urgent enquiry on the 6th November. I contacted her several times and heard back on Wednesday that she still hasn't heard back.

I'm not an confrontational person, I'm quite the door mat. I'm not one for putting up a fight but it's my daughter that's breaking my heart.

I have learnt that lesson now.
Content insurance is not something I even considered. I've spoken to lots of people in the block and they don't have it. Lots of people I know don't have it either.

It's obviously something I'll keep looking in too. But even with insurance.. it's still not okay to be continuously flooded. Insurance makes it a bit easier but it's the risks. It's the emotional effect it's had on my children. It's the moving the change of routine.
Completely irrelevant but my sister who is only 34 was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She's very unwell the family is in a mess my children are effected by both the home and the family troubles. Now moving back to a home we don't feel so safe in.

Which is your local authority & is it a unitary or two tier?

The Government has GIVEN them money for situations like this

https://www.gov.uk/cost-living-help-local-council

I would also suggest that as you have been flooded out twice by the upstairs neighbours then The Council needs to take steps to prevent it happening again

I declared I have 2 previous floods due to water escape. And because I was 'high risk' the insurance was high. I looked at 2 and they was both fairly high. I'm not saying my stuff is rubbish.. but it's not brand new, it's not worth much but it's our stuff.

Tell the council that you will go to the local government ombudsman and your local TV newsroom.

Ibdont understand what you mean by unitary or two tear, can you please explain?

In my hefty email I did say how can you prevent this from happening again? How can you safeguard my family.

We was very lucky I was awake both times. The first one was at roughly 9pm at night. Both times I ran to switch off the electricity supply but if I didn't it could have caused fire or electrocution (I think).

I looked on our local council at any help available. They are always so quiet with the household fund and no one ever knows it's available. It's only available at certain times and when I looked, it's closed and not taking anymore applicants.
Just charities I've been put forward to and even then I'm still having to pay although discounted rate. I do work, I work full time as a Teaching assistant. But everything is so expensive. I've had my daughter's birthday, we have christmad and a few days after we have my son's birthday. On top of having to buy my children new clothes and things it's a very difficult time.

Just googled, it's a unitary council.

Well, I would get on to the Household Support Fund and of you cant get through get on to your Councillor & MP about it.

If you were in a two tier authority then you would rent from the district but the County would administer the HSF

I have emailed the council Tuesday and also asked the tenant liason officer if there is any help or grants available and she said no.

Having a little look online, do you think I could claim negligence from the council?
These two incidents could count as anti social behavior and they are doing nothing to prevent it? It's effecting me living in a safe home. The first time this happened there was no reason for the sprinklers to go off. The council said it did not malfunction and I heard a lot of motion beforehand. The second time was negligence and leaving the oven on. Both times could have been avoided.

Not sure how you could prove the council acting negligently by the tenant upstairs leaving their oven on ? They are not responsible for the tenants actions. The council absolutely must make your home safe but that would be by completing repairs to your current home. As I said the law is now in effect so if they are not making the necessary repairs make a complaint. You won’t get them move you. You could ask for a management move - check their policy they should have one. However you would need to prove it’s not safe that you live in your current home and you are at risk. Or you have medical conditions/ disabilities impacted by your housing conditions.

Surly the flat above is considered anti social behavior? It was neglect that caused the second one and it was the child the first time setting it off?
The fire didn't start by mistake. It was left on. It could have been avoided. Both times.
Why do I have to live under riskful people?
The council putting tenants back in.
My question for the council is how will they stop this happening again?
Or do I just need to get use to the fact upstairs can do it again.
As I mentioned in a earlier comment it seems intentional.
The first time was around when ye new development was supposed to be ready but it got delayed.
The second time was when they was offering out the new homes.

I have no medical conditions neither do my children. We just don't deserve to live under people who are a risk.