Information & advice

Anonymised examples of real life situations where AIMS has provided information and advice to help resolve a housing related problem:

1. Tenant complaint

2. Relief Warden Request

3. Warden Services

4. Repairs problem

 

1. Tenant complaint

A group of tenants living on an estate, which was partly fenced to prevent access from the road, contacted AIMS with a problem because their bungalows had open front gardens and children were running over their gardens, peering in their windows and knocking on their doors. Some tenants found this very intimidating. AIMS contacted the landlord and explained the problem.  The landlord agreed to look at its budgets to see if they could provide some form of barrier. We heard later that they had provided low post and rail fencing on the pavement side of the estate which had helped considerably.
Top

2. Relief Warden Request

Tenants were having difficulty with access to their building.  When the warden was on site they were able to buzz the warden and ask to be let in.  However outside the wardens working hours access into the building was difficult.  The tenants asked their Housing Association to provide a relief warden, but the Housing Association refused.

AIMS looked into the matter and found that the reason the residents were asking for a relief warden was due to the access problems.   The main doors were electronically operated and were malfunctioning.  Additionally, the lighting around the entranceway was manual, not automatic.   After reporting this to the landlord, the landlord agreed to install a more efficient system and obtain estimates for an automatic lighting system.  The residents were then fully consulted and involved in the process.   They agreed that this was a better option than a relief warden.
Top

3. Warden Services

A relative contacted AIMS to complain that  the warden in their elderly mother’s retirement housing development was not doing enough and hardly ever left the office.  The warden was refusing to carry out simple tasks such as posting letters, collecting prescriptions etc.  The previous warden, who had been in post more than five years, had been happy to carry out these types of duties.

Warden’s duties depend on their job description.  AIMS advised the relative to write to Housing Association and ask for a copy of the job description.  Once they had the document and discussed it with AIMS, it was clear the wardens duties were primarily to check on residents welfare once per day and ensure that the alarm system was functioning correctly.  AIMS then suggested that the relative contact the local age concern, which would be able to help arrange the services required.
Top

4. Repairs problem

A resident of a private leasehold retirement housing development contacted AIMS to say his water heater had broken down and the managers of the development were refusing to help.   The leaseholder was the first purchaser of the flat, which was less than 3 years old.   He thought either the freeholder or the developer should replace the water heater free of charge.  The situation had created a lot of acrimony between the leaseholder and the managers

AIMS explained that the lease made it the responsibility of residents to order and pay for all repairs and replacements inside their own property.  Regarding the NHBC, the warranty only covered fittings such as water heaters for the first two years of the policy, so neither the freeholder nor the developer were liable.  The resident was advised that his best course of action would be to pursue a claim against the manufacturer under the Sale of Goods Act.  AIMS agreed to assist the leaseholder with this.   Following up on the case two months later (standard practice for all AIMS cases), AIMS was pleased to find the relationship between the resident and the management company had much improved, and the water heater had been replaced by the manufacturer. 
Top

To contact AIMS:

Address:
AIMS
Age Concern England
Astral House
1268 London Road
London SW16  4ER

Telephone:
0845 600 2001
(lo-call helpline,
open 9.30am-4.30pm
Mon-Fri)

Email:
AIMS