I was curious what a Housing Association flat was? Is that like a council house thing?
We rent from a housing association as well, and they are great. Have never had to wait more than 1 day for any repair/issue. Compared to 11 WEEKS when the ceiling fell down in the (private let) flat in Partick!!
I think this is the norm here. Moved three times in six years and there has always been issues. Light in bedroom flickered and had issues from day one, went out completely after the first year (on year three here now). Fell twice with two dislocations because of lighting issues. Gas leaks for 3 weeks, we were crybabies about it apparently cause we got tired of breathing gas stank. No working smoke alarm in 3 years, no CO2 monitor - this is illegal btw since Oct 2015. Apt people control gas so you have to get it through them, had nothing but problems. Lived without heating nor hot water for over a year, boiling a pot of water and washing in the sink, now pay 200-400% more for heating because we pissed them off questioning a bill they were trying to charge us that we payed already (heating issue never solved btw) - queue 4 months of emails back and forth where they just wouldn't say that we paid it, danced around the issue but didn't want to see proof but still wanted payment. Entry into our flat whenever they want without notice and not in the lease they will be doing so every month plus whenever they want. Leaks ruining the floor for years etc. Could get a decent apartment back in San Diego for these prices and get things fixed asap.
Main gripe is it seems like it's the norm for things not to be fixed or within a timely manner -weeks, months, years even or never! This current place we're in it took over 9 months searching daily for an opening. It's so hard to find a place that landlords know you kind of have to put up with it. What are you going to do? Go elsewhere? Highly unlikely without a lot of time/looking/luck. If you piss them off you could get kicked out so people are afraid of making a stink. The general attitude irritates me as well, you can spend months in emails getting the run around or straight up being ignored or them saying ludicrous things. For example our bathtub needed caulking when we moved in three years ago. Like the gap between the caulk is half an inch to 3/4 inch. We can't caulk it, they told us this already - no repairs by ourselves even a simple one like this. We had to stop showering and go to baths the first year because the adjoining room was smelling like mold/earthy smell everytime we showered (it was the closet that was adjoining so our clothes began to stink like mold) in injected bleach water into the cracks because I was unsure of what else to do (did't see visible mold though) and stopped using the shower. Asked for them to caulk, no, but don't you dare caulk. They are always going to send out someone...and don't we dare use the shower in those 3 years and get water in the cracks, also we have to supply pictures to see if we have molded up, still no repair man last time asking 2 months ago. Like if you caulk it you're in trouble, if you use the shower you're doing wrong, but wait... and one day it might get fixed. So many stories about the places I've lived, this is like 25% of them. Yet, housing is expensive so a lot of people have to rent. There are laws that landlords must fix things but complaining does nothing, it's like there are rights but just to sound good on paper they aren't enforced. The apathetic attitude really kills me here.
