A rental housing operator has been ordered to pay £18 million towards building safety works at the former Olympic Village due to flammable-style cladding.
Serious fire safety defects were first discovered at five blocks at the site, now known as the East Village, in Stratford in November 2020, court documents show.
Homeowners have been plunged into a "state of terrible uncertainty" since, property management company Triathlon Homes said, with a dispute erupting over who should cover the costs of fixing the safety defects.
But a legal ruling on Friday ordered developers and freeholders to cover the costs, as well as the cost of watch patrols and fire evacuation officers.
The verdict means Get Living must contribute £18 million towards the building safety works needed on the blocks, which is expected to be finished by August 2025.
Kath King, managing director at Triathlon Homes, said the verdict means the housing association "can bring an end to the delays that have caused such misery for our residents".
The East Village was turned into 2,818 homes following the 2012 games.
In November 2020 "combustible insulation" was found inside cladding at five blocks known as Plot N26 at the site.
"Combustible timber decking" was also found on balconies at the homes and fire safety watches had to be set up immediately.
Triathlon Homes launched a court case against Stratford Village Development Partnership (SVDP) and its parent company Get Living in 2022.
An independent investigation has since found the five buildings need more than £24.5 million worth of work, as structures were not built to the appropriate standards.
Works to fix the cladding began on the first blocks in April 2023, with works to replace the exterior cladding expected to start at all five blocks by February 2024.
The issue is expected to be fixed by August 2025.
Ms King said: "Our priority remains the safety of all Triathlon residents. We are therefore delighted by the tribunal’s decision and the certainty that all the required remediation in these five buildings will be funded.
"The decision recognises the state of terrible uncertainty into which leaseholders throughout East Village have been plunged by the discovery of building defects and creates a clear precedent.
"We hope Get Living will now fund the remediation needed in the other East Village buildings and we can bring an end to the delays that have caused such misery for our residents.
"Although it will be some time before the work is complete, we hope that the certainty of funding will unlock the barriers that have prevented leaseholders from moving on in their lives."
Get Living told the Standard it continues "to work hard to fix this problem we did not create, given the overriding importance of getting the works done".
A spokesperson for Get Living said: "Our driving force remains to complete the remediation works in East Village, which are well underway, for the sake of all residents, be they Triathlon or Get Living.
"The decision from the First-Tier Tribunal has no bearing on our commitment to continue this important work.
"We are, of course, disappointed that the Tribunal has deemed it 'just and equitable' that we be held responsible for remediation costs, given that Get Living did not build the development and was not responsible for the retrofit of the Athletes’ accommodation into homes after the 2012 Olympic Games."
The company highlighted that the court judgement recognised that Get Living was not involved in any decisions around the design or construction of the buildings.
All homes at East Village are safe to live in, an independent fire assessor found.
