It’s a whole family that lives with coats, fur-lined shoes, gloves, multiple layers and hats. At Louisa, we almost got used to the situation… by now. “This is our third winter without heating,” she explains from her living room, which now has no radiators. Married, mother of five children, Louisa arrived with her family in Ribécourt-Dreslincourt in the winter of 2022. “We were in the Paris region, we wanted an individual house, in the countryside, with a garden and a different living environment, that’s why we came,” she says. She still works in Île-de-France.
Upon installation: the boiler breaks down
But the family’s installation in this housing of the social landlord Clésence, located chemin des Bleuets, a little away from the town center of Ribécourt, got off to a very bad start: “When we arrived, the circuit was re-watered heating caused a serious breakdown: we obviously don’t blame Clésence on this point, these are things that happen,” she says, magnanimously. What happens next, on the other hand, provokes annoyed reactions from this tenant, although always measured. “They told us that they would look into the problem quickly, and moreover, as promised, they carried out a series of works: in particular changing the old doors and windows, some of which no longer closed.”
The gain from these improvements on indoor temperature is difficult to measure. And for good reason, the heating never came back on. “To alleviate the situation, Clésence provided us with two radiators, except that it is a five-room radiator, which is quite insufficient.” Living room and bathroom? Or Rooms? At Louisa, you have to choose. Living conditions are delicate. “When you have to go to the shower, you have to prepare yourself mentally,” she laughs, it must be said, a little yellow. “We always think about when we’re going to go out, we never hang around, that’s for sure.” Louisa talks about how we also sometimes have to “push the children to go wash: no one wants to, it’s normal”. In the bathroom, the walls bead with humidity all day long, “even if no one takes a shower in the morning,” she emphasizes.
Cold and humidity obviously generate mold. “I recommend products from Action,” she says without losing her humor. “We have to wash the walls, I would say every 15 days, to get rid of the mold that keeps coming back, to try to get rid of the musty smell too,” says the mother. Fungi getting everywhere. “I had to throw away a mattress. Here, I still have some,” she shows, lifting a mattress and revealing a box spring and the legs of a bed already covered in gray hairs despite “regular cleaning.” regularly, she discovers clothes that are “eaten up with mold”. “Good to throw away,” she whispers.
“We were patient, but…”
For these living conditions, the tenant blames her social landlord. “We were patient. At first, they were given time to resolve the problem, even if the radiators offered were not sufficient. We tried to be understanding,” says Louisa. Problem: “They sent several people, sometimes a whole team, to come to the conclusion that the problem was not repairable.” The solution chosen by the social landlord: “Replace the oil system with electric radiators”. Which promises a more painful bill when everything is installed. Except that the family is currently spending its third winter with two poor wall-mounted convectors placed on the floor. “Last winter, I had to go through the town hall who took our case very seriously and contacted Clésence who was not moving,” continues Louisa, “as soon as they came back. However, the situation is still not resolved.”
In the meantime, the family is patient and continues to live in their igloo. But without a thermometer: “I don’t have one, and I prefer not to know how much it is,” notes Louisa. And anyway: “What would be the point? It’s cold, very cold, and sometimes, even in winter, colder inside than outside.
Clésence promises heating for the end of the month
When questioned, the lessor Clésence confirms the chronology developed by Louisa. “In January 2024, Clésence was alerted by the municipality of Ribécourt-Dreslincourt about the living conditions of the tenant, following a breakdown that occurred shortly after her move in 2022. Clésence attaches great importance to the comfort and satisfaction of its tenants”, assures the social landlord who says “sincerely regrets the situation”.
Clésence recalls the developments carried out since:
- Additional electric convectors and a hot water tank were installed as soon as the initial boiler broke down.
- The exterior joinery was replaced to improve thermal insulation.
- The garden fence has been renovated.
- A new Controlled Mechanical Ventilation (VMC) has been installed
- Electric roller shutters have been installed
- The entrance and cellar doors have been replaced
But the real news awaited by the family is the following: “An order is in progress to replace the heating method and switch to efficient electric convectors. A service order was sent on Wednesday January 15, 2025 and the intervention date is set for January 27,” assures the social landlord.
The end of the ordeal at the end of the month?
Impossible to replace the oil boiler
In any case, Clésence justifies not having been able to repair the old system, as well as the delays caused, as follows: “This pavilion is basically equipped with an oil heating system. Today, the parts of the oil boiler are no longer available, we must, in accordance with the regulations, change the heating and domestic hot water system which requires going through different stages, such as the thermal study , the appointment of a project management team and the preliminary project study.”
The lessor, however, recalls having wanted to rehouse the family: “Aware of the inconvenience that this breakdown has caused, Clésence offered personalized support to find suitable new accommodation. However, this solution was not adopted by the tenant. Louisa specifies that her family did not want to go to public housing, having chosen a certain living environment in an individual house.
Questioned by us concerning possible commercial gestures, the social landlord does not rule it out: “Concerning commercial gestures or the revision of the rent, we will examine the requests made in this regard and will provide a response as soon as possible” to the family, concludes Clésense.
