I Live In Council Accommodation

[nailit]

Does that make me less worthy of getting a job done?


Took my living room carpet up 2 weeks ago to find that my concrete floor had perished.
The council, who receive rent to maintain the property, have fobed me off since and have had the balls to blame it on Covid (backlog etc)
Just made an online complaint.
Am I justified?
heres what I wrote on their complaint form


Mon 24th Aug
Reported that chunks of concrete had perished in my living room floor (after lifting my carpet for for decorating). Job booked on for Friday 28th Aug (A.M)

Fri 28th Aug P.M.
Rang council (After waiting 40 mins on phone and taking a day of work) to enquire as to why no-one turned up. Told that someone from Unitas would call me.

Tue 1st Sept.
Rang council to enquire as to why no-one turned up or rang me back. Was told that job had been booked for the end of September. Asked why I had no knowledge of this and made the point that waiting 4 weeks (from the time of reporting the job) was unnacceptable as I am virtually living in a death trap. My living room furniture consists of two upended setees next to my cooker and I have been living in my bedroom surrounded by other living room furniture for the past two weeks. Im on medication which makes me drowsy at night and should a fire break out I probably wouldnt make it out of my bedroom alive. (A point made to my local housing officer who was doing a 'check' just a few weeks ago)
Was told, that appointment would be taken off and to ring in the job again on Friday 4th Sept and a note would be on my records stating that it would be requested as urgent.

Fri 4th Aug.
Re-booked job
Told that it would be done today and its down as urgent.
Rang again at 3PM
Told that its been put through to out of hours.
Rang again at 8.30PM to be told its nothing to do with out of hours.

If this job is not fixed by Monday morning, I will get radio Stoke involved. Ive had 2 days off work (After working all through the lockdown) and cancelled a night out. For nothing.
Im living in a tiny bedroom, thats a fire trap, (not to mention my setees next to my cooker because I have nowhere else to put them) and still no hope of getting a simple job fixed that you get rent for.

[Baldric]

Do you actually mean 'off' his trolly?

[Mamyalynne]

'off his trolley' sounds right.

I doubt your floor will go to the High Court Nailit - good luck.

[nailit]

//I doubt your floor will go to the High Court Nailit - good luck.//
Thanks mamy, its only the 3rd floor anyway....

[Mamyalynne]

You're high enough then ;-)

[Baldric]

I do apologise for not knowing the difference between of and off, but maybe that's the difference between a landlord and a tenant.

[nailit]

//You're high enough then ;-)//
Guess so lol

[Mamyalynne]

You're just making yourself look daft now Baldric, trying to pick a fight for no good reason.

[nailit]

//You're just making yourself look daft now Baldric, trying to pick a fight for no good reason//
The AB joke, who logs on to his lovers lappy by 'mistake'
ignore him, most others do...

[johnny.5]

wow this took a surprising turn or should that be tern

Nailit I hope you get it sorted before your area gets put back into local lock down

[fiction-factory]

It is frustrating but, although it's probably no consolation , many people in council, privately rented or owned properties have had delays for work. I know someone who started to have a kitchen replaced in March and the work had to be suspended for over 3 months after it was removed so they had to go through Spring & summer.
I hope it gets done soon but if I was waiting that long I'd look to put something temporary in place- for example a wooden board down on the floor.
Fortunately things are back to normal now regarding accessing building suppliers and allowing access to homes , and furloughed staff are returning to work, but councils and small traders/builders/repair workers have big backlogs and lots of people wanting to jump the queue.

[rowanwitch]

I sympathise , but have to say Birmingham are pretty good with anything urgent. Just one thing, if the old carpets were glued down that would probably be a breach of your tenancy. I know we aren't allowed to.
If it's concrete fatigue you will be in a cycle of damage and repairs might be worth putting in a transfer request ask the council to check this
Put a detailed complaint in writing , send a copy to your local councillor and the Secretary to the housing committee. If you can get a support letter from you GP practice saying it is affecting your mental health.
Send photos with the letter but make the place safe, a board over the hole as
previously mentioned is a good idea.

[Spicerack]

I wrote a lovely song for this thread but when I tried to post it the thread was closed.

[barry1010]

You being a council tenant doesn't make you any different from private tenants and homeowners.
Getting a job done is often very difficult, whether you are asking your landlord to do it or employing a tradesman.

[ummmm]

Barry - the council have their own tradesmen.

[Spicerack]

^Doesn't make a difference to what Barry said, ummmm.

[ummmm]

To a certain extent. As homeowners we have to find our own tradesmen though.

[Spicerack]

The council is Nailit's landlord.
I'm surprised they haven't sent an inspector. Could be dangerous.

[ummmm]

Most landlords don't have thousands of properties to deal with.

But I said homeowners....not tenants.