Housing association ‘failed in duty’ to residents at Highgate block of flats after years of complaints
Tor House, an L&Q property in Highgate. Picture: Google - Credit: Archant
A housing association has been attacked for “fundamentally failing in its duty” by taking more than two years to deal with systematic damp issues in a Highgate apartment block.
The L&Q housing association owns Tor House in Shepherd’s Hill, where residents in a number of flats have complained of problems for “at least the last two or three years”.
Sev Aksi who lives in one of the flats, explained she had suffered issues including damp, problems with her central heating and most recently a complete lack of lighting in communal areas.
When she spoke to the Ham&High about continual issues, there had been no lighting in the hallway for around three weeks.
She said: “We have just been completely left. I have been complaining for three years. Nothing gets done and we are left to sit in the damp.”
READ MORE: Phoenix Cinema chair of trustees eyes reopening dateShe even complained to the housing ombudsman, and despite a ruling in her favour, the problems have continued.
Cllr Luke Cawley-Harrison (Lib Dem, Crouch End) has taken up the case on behalf of Sev and a number of her neighbours in the past three years.
He told this newspaper: “L&Q have fundamentally failed in their duty to keep the place up to scratch. There are maybe eight or nine residents I have spoken to about complaints with damp within their flats.
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“This is going back two or three years.”
A spokesperson for L&Q said: “We apologise that we have fallen below our usual high standards in this instance.
“We have recently carried out emergency repairs to the communal electricity supply at Tor House however know that another issue has now been reported. We will be completing a temporary repair today and carrying out investigations to enable us to put a long-term solution in place.”
“We have also carried out multiple repairs to the communal plumbing in this building and will be carrying out redecoration works in the next month.”
The spokesperson also apologised to residents who were still experiencing issues and said its property management team would be “reaching out to households” in Tor House to investigate.
