Window condition survey - can it be done externally or must surveyor enter home?

[AnnO'Neemus]

The housing association freeholder of my leasehold flat are being intimidating bully-boy harassing bastarding cunts again.

They've sent me an email, which I only saw very late last night, telling me they are coming to my flat on Wednesday and that under clause blah blah blah of my lease they have a right to enter and they will 'make good any damage caused' by exercising that right, which I am presuming to mean that they plan to break into my flat.

They've technically given me a week's notice, but that week includes a four day weekend including two bank holidays, which severely restricts my ability to take advice about it. Which only adds to my concerns about the levels of their cuntery. I mean, why time it thus, if not to make things the most difficult and awkward for me to get help and advice? A cynic might think it was deliberately timed to prevent me from obtaining advice and support.

They have previously sent a surveyor up a ladder to do a condition survey of my flat,* so I don't see why they are now insisting that they must enter my flat - other than for the purposes of harassing, bullying and intimidating me, putting me in my place and letting me know who's boss, ie them and not me.

[* I had to lodge a complaint when they sent a surveyor up a ladder to inspect my windows, because they didn't forewarn me or make an appointment, first I knew was hearing a man's voice outside my second floor bedroom window while I was lying naked in bed. I'm a woman. That freaked me the fuck out. Their dickheadery and fuckwittery knows no bounds.]

I also suspect that they might have been prompted by complaints from my Nasty Neighbour. (There's a track record of Nasty Neighbour complaining and telling the housing to jump and them effectively replying 'how high' and harassing me by proxy. The housing have twice tried to gain entry to my flat, effectively at the behest of my Nasty Neighbour.)

My windows do need replacing. I declined to have uPVC windows installed in the last round of major works.

Ironically, if they would just fuck off and leave me alone and stop making me mental, which has had an impact of my career/job prospects and earning capacity, I would've been able to afford to replace the windows before now.

Can anyone who knows anything about surveying explain why they can't just inspect the condition of the windows externally? Anyone can see my windows are fucked and need replacing from the outside, they don't need to enter my property to ascertain that. Why would they want to insist on gaining entry to my flat to inspect the windows, other than to throw their weight around and put me in my place?

I've actually recently had a quote for some windows, and also a friend told me I might be entitled to an energy efficiency grant for replacement windows and a man came to visit my flat to talk about that.

I've only just managed to get round to it, because I haven't been able to do it sooner because I was actually quite ill, mentally, didn't have the capacity, because previous bouts of bullying and harassment resulted in me suffering from Complex PTSD.

Ironically, they were typing up and sending their email to me last Tuesday (which I only saw late Friday, because I was, ironically checking that email account for an update from the window grants man), at around the time I was having my last EMDR/psychotherapy session for Complex PTSD, caused by their staff bullying, harassing and intimidating me, and also my Nasty Neighbour's campaign of harassment and antisocial behaviour against me.

Literally, the time I was having therapy to try to help me get over all their previous fuckwittery they were opening up a new battlefront. Unfuckingbelievable.

So do they really need to enter my flat? Why can't they just look at my windows from the outside and say, 'Yep, fucked.' I mean, they clearly are.

 

[WouldBe]

They should be able to check them from the outside. If they are wooden they are going to rot from the outside where they are exposed to the elements.

Unless they are wanting to check they haven't rotted all the way through and letting water in which could damage the inside of the flat.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

They should be able to check them from the outside. If they are wooden they are going to rot from the outside where they are exposed to the elements.

Unless they are wanting to check they haven't rotted all the way through and letting water in which could damage the inside of the flat.

When it rains in a certain direction, with wind coming from a north? North westerly direction, it does rain in a bit, I get a bit of spitting on the sitting room windowsill. But that's only in driving rain from a particular direction, rain/wind doesn't usual come that way.

But it doesn't cause any mould or anything. Not like it's pouring in or causing big problems.

I haven't actually complained and asked them to fix it. I don't want their cowboy bodge builders in my flat. I'm planning to get them done myself. The inside of the flat isn't damaged. And even if it was, as a leaseholder the inside of the flat is my responsibility, because I'm not a tenant.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

hmm

i can't offer detailed advice, but the idea of them having right of entry seems unusual in a lease (i'm not questioning you, just it seems unusual) - even landlords of tenants generally don't have the right just to turn up and enter when they feel like it.

and the idea of someone claiming the right to break in to your property, in anything other than a pretty dire emergency like a suspected gas leak or something, seems very unusual and contrary to the usual 'right to quiet enjoyment'

may be worth (if you haven't already) checking your lease to see if it actually does say that or whether they are bullshitting.

i'm a council leaseholder, and they do sometimes get in a tangle and forget i'm a leaseholder not a tenant. (the saga of my windows is that they gave me about 2 days notice they wanted to come and replace mine, which i couldn't do because i was working all hours that week, and they couldn't work out how much it was going to cost me before they did it, so i said no and that was the end of it - with a bit more notice, and time to contemplate whether the price was silly, i'd probably have said yes)

doors and windows can be complicated with leasehold places - think in my case the council technically own the doorframe, i own the front door, and not sure quite what the deal is as regards the windows.

if you're not already aware of them, may be worth contacting leasehold advisory service for a chat, or possible local citizens advice (although worth finding out whether it's appointments or drop in, especially for something like this that would probably need to go to a housing specialist.)

or do you have a support worker or some such that could get involved?

i'd be inclined to make contact monday and say you can't do wednesday, which would at least kick it down the road a bit.

have you made formal complaints about neighbour's harassment, their harassment / uselessness? (neighbour disputes can get difficult, as it can end up as one person's word against another's) think there is an ombudsman for housing associations, but i'm not expert in this.

don't know if local councillor / MP would want to get involved where it's housing association (the former is perhaps more likely if council have transferred places to housing association) but may also at least be worth a try.

hope it gets sorted out.

 

[Teaboy]

Unless they are wanting to check they haven't rotted all the way through and letting water in which could damage the inside of the flat.

Its this. Its not the windows, they know they are fucked. They are checking to see what (if any damage) is being done to the internal fabric of the building. As they are the freeholder they obviously have a vested interest in the fabric of the building it will also form part of your lease agreement with them.

I do get their point but their tactics and approach seem very unpleasant and counter productive.

 

[Epona]

Ugh I just want to say I understand how you feel.

Some folks would think nothing of letting someone in to check the windows but for me it would be a big thing and I'd want a lot of notice.

I am also in a situation where my double glazing was not replaced in the last round of works but part of my bill as a leaseholder was £3k for window replacement in other flats, if anyone tells me they want to look at my windows I'll probably give them an earful tbh, I don't think I've been treated at all fairly.

Also I get the issue about letting someone in at short notice - I'm autistic and I would need a lot of notice and still feel very upset/anxious/panicky about letting someone in, this is my private space and that is sacred iykwim and I shouldn't be pestered to let people in, or if people do need to come in for a valid reason I need to be treated with some fucking respect to my schedule - plenty of notice, let me be in control of when and how it takes place in my home.