HA Refuses to carry repairs!! WHY?? Somebody help here please

[mtamu]

Hello good people

My cousin is currently housed with a Housing association, she is married with 3 kids and depressed at the moment due to debt problems. Anyway, having read thru posts in this forum, I came across threads touching on Land Lord issues

This is her current state of affairs

• She told me they have rent arrears up to 4 weeks
• They regularly pay their rent on a weekly basis - at a slightly higher rate since some of the money goes into paying off the arrears

About a year ago, she raised a repair issue with her Housing Association, to carry out kitchen floor repairs since her wooden kitchen floor has been rotting and the wood popping out all over the floor base. She also had part of her fence blown off by heavy wind, and had requested the HA to come and repair It

Housing Associations Response

They phoned her and told her that since she had rent arrears, It is the Association's policy not to carry out repairs for tenants who have fallen into arrears with their rent account

My questions

1. Is the Association right to refuse to carry out the repairs
2. Is there a template I could use to try and force them to atleast do something, because surely her kitchen floor is a mess

Note: She has been a tenant with them for over 3 yrs, and during that time, they have never done any repairs to the property: So most of the time, my cousin foots the bill because every time she asks for repair, she is either told Its not an urgent case, or basically told Its not the Associations obligation. But I have looked at her tenancy agreement and It clearly says the HA is responsible for those very repairs she has requested

Thanks alot you all, hope somebody will come up with something good to cheer my cousin up .. lol

[kieran3032]

I believe that they are not correct, to be sure, ask your cousin to write them with the request, and for them to respond in writing.

[Joa]

mtamu, have a look at the following:http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...tml#post641938
Find out what the contract says. Remember that some landlord's duties are statutory and cannot be changed by your tenancy agreement.
Next, find out if the HA is a registered social landlord because as such, it may have better provisions for repairs then private landlords.
For example, tenants of local authorities and registered social landlords (including housing associations) can use ‘right to repair’ schemes to claim compensation for repairs which the landlord does not carry out within a set timescale. If you are a tenant of a registered social landlord you should get compensation if you report a repair or maintenance problem which affects your health, safety or security and your landlord fails twice to make the repair within the set timescale. There is a flat rate award which is currently £10, plus £2 a day up to a total of £50, for each day the repair remains outstanding. A maximum cost for an eligible repair may be set by the individual landlord. You should contact your landlord for more details about the scheme. All registered social landlords are members of the Independent Housing Ombudsman scheme, including housing associations and local housing companies. You can complain to the Independent Housing Ombudsman about any aspect of the way in which a landlord has handled a request for a repair. You cannot complain to the Independent Housing Ombudsman until you have gone through your landlord’s own complaints procedure.
(source: Disrepair in rented accommodation)

[mtamu]

Thanks alot Joa and Kieran

I have just spoken to my cousin, she has given me some very good lead

Now, I have checked the Association's web pages - listed below

Repairs [ Westway Housing Association ]

From what I can see, her repairs fall under 'ROUTINE' Paragraph, and It clearly says Its the associations responsibilty:

My cousin states that she emailed them about It, but nothing has been done - its now over 3 months.

To answer your question Joa, The Land lord is a Housing Association land lord and such, I beleive should automatically fall within the registered social landlord criteria, but I'll have to confirm this with her though.

Thanks alot you two, from what I can see, I think a quick tough letter addressed to them (HA) would kick start something hopefully, so can anyone word for me a letter quoting any relevant Acts: Many thanks once again

[kelly!]

Hi, your cousin needs to put every thing into writing (letters).
She needs to phone/go to the office and get a customer complaints form, it will then be investigated by some one 'higher' up. Would also tell her to make sure that she adds to the complaint why she has been told that the repairs are not being done and that the arrears are being paid off!!
They have to do the repairs!

Things tend to get lost with ha's so if she can tell her to take letters in by hand and always get a receipt plus to keep a copy of any letters.
which ha is she with?
keep me posted