May, 2024
Resolving the Tower Block Water Crisis
This case study details Rapid Relocate’s effective alternative accommodation (AA) management when a major water crisis impacted a 17-storey tower block in June 2023. Tenants, already enduring prolonged inconvenience from remedial cladding work, faced significant disruption when a water escape caused a major flood. This blog covers our swift intervention, collaboration with loss adjusters, and the comprehensive support provided to residents, including the challenges faced and the solutions implemented.
In June 2023, tenants of a 17-storey tower block, already dealing with prolonged inconvenience from remedial cladding work, faced another significant challenge—a major flood caused by a water escape. This unforeseen incident required immediate intervention to provide alternative accommodation for the affected residents. Rapid Relocate was brought in by loss adjusters (LAs) on behalf of an insurer client to manage this critical situation.
Although this incident represents a single insurance claim, Rapid Relocate treats each ‘front door’ as an individual case for AA relocation. With the support of our in-house IT team, we efficiently created multiple AA instructions in bulk, saving valuable time in confirming booking extensions for the displaced tenants.
As the initial one-week bookings neared checkout, the LA requested another one-week extension. Media reports indicated that the managing agent believed the flood resulted from deliberate damage to external communal pipework. Over the following two months, we managed a mix of one- and two-week extension requests, extending stays into October while the damage and its cause were investigated.
The LA then asked Rapid Relocate to source long-term accommodation for approximately 20 flats on the lower floors. Flats on higher floors, while not directly damaged, lacked facilities, so short-term AA remained sufficient. Our rental searches identified numerous options, but finding about 20 rentals with matching dates, duration, and requirements within the same area was challenging.
Through regular communication and collaboration with the LA, we actively followed up on a lead they identified with a local supplier. Rapid Relocate successfully negotiated a discounted rate for approximately 15 apartments in the same building. After confirming satisfactory due diligence, we arranged six-month lets for these tenants, who moved in just 15 days after the original request for long-term AA.
Unfortunately, in December 2023, another water leak on a higher floor caused damage to the six floors below. Consequently, in January 2024, the LA requested additional long-term AA for more residents. The same local supplier from the first arrangement had more available apartments, which we secured immediately. The second cohort of approximately 15 tenants moved into long-term AA the very next day.
While these local flats were suitable for about 30 residents, they were not ideal for everyone. We managed AA for another approximately 10 flats in self-catering accommodations on a long-term basis. The claim is ongoing, with current AA bookings running into October 2024. To date, we’ve made and managed over 1500 bookings for the tower’s tenants.
Throughout this challenging period, the Rapid Relocate team has demonstrated patience, understanding, and empathy in handling the high volume of calls and emails generated by this claim. As expected, some tenants opted to stay with friends and family or arrange their own accommodation. We remain committed to supporting the tenants we have arranged AA for and are open to assisting any other tenants whose arrangements may prove unsuitable while the claim continues.
Compliments from Tenants
The following tenant testimonials highlight our commitment and the positive impact of our efforts:
- ”You’ve helped amazingly”
- “I would really like to thank the whole Rapid Relocate team. I have always got the help from the team whenever required and my queries were answered as soon as possible. It was really tough time, but it went smoothly with the Rapid Relocate team :)”
- “I am the leaseholder of flat XXXXX, recently there was a flood and the whole block was evacuated, the accommodation for the owners and or tenants has been handed over to your company, my tenant messaged me Saturday night to say she had been told she had to leave the temporary accommodation in the XXXX hotel the next day, this had been booked by the freeholder, of course the tenant and I were very concerned about the situation but I called your out of hours first thing the next morning and spoke with Emma who very quickly sorted the situation, I can’t thank her enough for dealing with the situation swiftly and professionally.”
- “I have secured a flat to move into shortly … thank you to and your team for all your work looking after us the past seven months.”
- “Thank you so much for helping me, thank you for giving me your time to explain to me. Have a good day”
- “”Thank you …for finding me a place for tonight. Otherwise, I’d have been on the streets. I’m so thankful to you, God bless you Ma’am”
Our commitment to supporting tenants through every step of their relocation process remains unwavering. To learn more about our alternative accommodation services and how we can assist in times of crisis, explore our website today.
