Do SAR's apply to housing associations?

[JustAboutMad]

Bit of a random question but I'm having issues with some outstanding repairs and was just wondering

1. Can you SAR a housing association the same way you can a bank?
2. If so, would repair requests, maintenance visits be included in the request?
3. If no to both of the above how else could I get this info?

I've been going round in circles for about a month without result now and it's getting boring....

TIA

[The Tech Clerk]

Dear them and anybody who has your details

[The Tech Clerk]

DSAR should read

[JustAboutMad]

Thanks, it's been a while since I did any of this....

Can you post link please

[Joanna Connolly Solicitors]

I'm having issues with some outstanding repairs and was just wondering

1. Can you SAR a housing association the same way you can a bank?
2. If so, would repair requests, maintenance visits be included in the request?
3. If no to both of the above how else could I get this info?

I've been going round in circles for about a month without result now and it's getting boring....

Yes you can send a Subject Access Request to a housing association if you are a tenant.

What are the outstanding repair issues?

What does your lease/tenancy agreement say about who is liable for repairs (and maintenance)?

Di

[Joanna Connolly Solicitors]

having issues with some outstanding repairs . . .

. . . I've been going round in circles for about a month without result

If you're getting nowhere with this you can make a complaint to your local council's Environmental Health Team, and they should step in.

Have you kept your own record of visits (or absence of visits) by the Housing Association even if they're not willing to show you their stored information?

Depending on the nature of the repairs needed, the EHO can serve your Landlord (the housing association) with an Improvement Notice etc. There's a template letter on Shelter's website which may help you to get the ball rolling >

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housi...rented_housing

Di

[JustAboutMad]

Yes you can send a Subject Access Request to a housing association if you are a tenant.

What are the outstanding repair issues?

What does your lease/tenancy agreement say about who is liable for repairs (and maintenance)?

Di

If you're getting nowhere with this you can make a complaint to your local council's Environmental Health Team, and they should step in.

Have you kept your own record of visits (or absence of visits) by the Housing Association even if they're not willing to show you their stored information?

Depending on the nature of the repairs needed, the EHO can serve your Landlord (the housing association) with an Improvement Notice etc. There's a template letter on Shelter's website which may help you to get the ball rolling >

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housi...rented_housing

Di

They're all their responsibility, external doors, wiring fault in kitchen, damp issue currently being caused by external door and gutter problems.

There's a list, basically, I haven't kept a record of what I've reported and when, so that's my fault & I was trying to get this information from them so I can follow it through properly.

The main reason being, they served me a NOSP (S8, Ground 10) and whacked court fees on my account on top of arrears. Fair play to them if they were sticking to their side of the tenancy agreement, but they're not!

We almost always end up paying for repairs to be done ourselves because the ALMO is useless! I ended up replacing the full living room ceiling last year due to a leaking boiler above, and being due a baby within a couple of weeks of it happening, I wasn't being messed about by them. So not small issues and not inexpensive!

I was thinking they couldn't serve the NOSP with the outstanding stuff that's gone on, or at least I would have grounds to argue it and/or make a counter claim for the repairs. Just I can't prove the timeline without access to the actual dates, so hence asking the SAR question.

I might try a data request to both the HA and the ALMO see where there gets me.

[JustAboutMad]

Update, just found this in their documents regarding SAR's

'

The data provided to you will be a copy of the information we hold that relates to you, this will not generally include information about your property, for example, repairs logs or contractor visits, as this is unlikely to constitute your ‘personal data’. However, should you wish to receive this, please clearly state this in your request.'

So basically I need to specifically request repairs or contractor information because they don't think that my communications to them requesting works constitutes processing my personal data.... I'm assuming they don't like giving people repair log history. Which is hardly surprising considering my experience over the past few years!

[Joanna Connolly Solicitors]

Have you already been issue with possession proceedings on the basis of Ground 8? Do you have rent arrears?

Contact Shelter a.s.a.p. for help if you are at risk of losing your home >

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housi...ction_8_notice

I would encourage you to contact your Environmental Health Team as a matter of urgency if this is the case. While 'Revenge Eviction' relates to s21 Notice to Quit, I would like to think you would have a legal argument if the timing of the possession proceedings coincides with your complaints about repairs to you property.

Di

[JustAboutMad]

Have you already been issue with possession proceedings on the basis of Ground 8? Do you have rent arrears?

Contact Shelter a.s.a.p. for help if you are at risk of losing your home >

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housi...ction_8_notice

I would encourage you to contact your Environmental Health Team as a matter of urgency if this is the case. While 'Revenge Eviction' relates to s21 Notice to Quit, I would like to think you would have a legal argument if the timing of the possession proceedings coincides with your complaints about repairs to you property.

Di

Thanks Di, but proceedings are Ground 8, Section 10, 'some lawful rent due'. Landlord is a housing association so they don't issue S21 notices, this is where I have confused the situation. 'Some lawful rent due' can be trivial. Section 21 doesn't apply..