Getting my front door replaced by housing association

[flowjoh]

Hi,

I've recently bought a leasehold apartment. The front door of the apartment falls under the landlord's responsibilities and is really substandard. There is a very visible gap all around it that let's daylight through and in the cold weather it is a massive heat sink.

The housing association maintains it is fit for purpose but I would strongly suspect it would fail a fire assessment check. Is there an easy way to get such a check done independently in order to force them into action? Or is there any other way to approach getting them to replace it?

Many thanks,
John.

Perhaps you could call your local fire station and ask if an inspection could be done - and their findings to be put in writing?

Thought I'd give an update on this in case others are interested: I requested a check from the Fire Brigade but have yet to hear back. I imagine it might take a while.

Together with a few of the affected residents we have out some pressure on the building management company to replace the doors. This seems to be getting somewhere, hopefully it will work out. If not I think the next step will be to contact the MP / Councillor.

Thanks for your suggestions above 🙏

Is it the front door to the stairwell or your actual flat? If you mean flat it seems strange it would be their responsibility, if you mean stairwell then it isn't and doesn't need to be a fire door.

Good luck to you.

A friend moved into a flat where someone had put a car flap in the door.. every time it rained, her hall carpet got soaked. She sealed the cat flap up. It still got soaked. She called out the housing who put sealant around it. He hall still got soaked. She called the head guy and demanded a new door or a proper solution as she was on her third new carpet that year because it ended up getting smelly and horrible.

The head customer services chap, a real arse of a man, told her in no uncertain terms that he would not be getting her a new door because "I've not replaced a door in this job in fifteen years and not about to start now!" As if he were proud of the fact. I think her DH boarded the bottom of the door up, inside and out. It looks like shit but at least inside of their house is dry.

I don't know if the landlord is obliged to repair a draughty or leaky door.

but if the door opens onto a stairwell or walkway, that occupants of other homes might have to go along if escaping from a fire, I understand that the door has to be fire-rated so that (if it was your flat on fire) they would not have to walk through some and flames billowing from your entrance.

I know a person who was obliged to do this a couple of years ago, and had a new door fitted. The owners, not the tenants, had to pay.

Fire safety went through a brief period of official interest after the Grenfell scandal.

I think enforcement was by the local council so the Building Control office might advise.

But fire safety rules change from time to time and I am no expert.

@PigletJohn I would have thought that the leaky door into communal property owned and maintained by a HA would come under the "wind and watertight" responsibilities of most landlord/property owner agreements?

don't know.

It might be worth putting up a door curtain the meantime, OP. I have one for my front door and it does help with heat loss.

I would have thought that if they do replace the door, they will recoup the cost via service charges?

There's a bit of info here: www.devonshires.com/replacing-front-doors-of-leasehold-properties/

It will depend on the precise wording if your lease.

Good luck 🤞

When you close the door, do you pull the door handle up?