Leaseholders in north London said they have been “blindsided” after being asked to pay “life-changing” amounts of money for roof repairs - up to £35,000.
The residents of Stamford Hill Estate are in a row with Southern Housing, which has said the roof needs to be replaced.
But those who live on the estate blame the provider for what they claim has been historic neglect and mismanagement of the property.
A resident from Malvern House told the Hackney Citizen: “We’ve had issues with the roof for ages – leaks, gutters not being cleaned, and flooding on the pavements.
“Southern Housing never responds to our complaints, and now it feels like they’re doing one big fix to cover up for historic negligence.”
Locals have also accused Southern of a lack of communication, saying they were meant to be part of a month-long consultation.
They claim only one online meeting was held, in which they asked more than 30 questions which allegedly went unanswered.
Several leaseholders said they struggled to get hold of Southern representatives after the meeting, with requests for another one ignored.
They said the next time they heard from Southern was when they received their roof repair bills – of up to £35,000 each – on March 8.
Southern said their meeting with leaseholders “included a detailed presentation of the proposals”.
Residents are distressed about the huge costs, with one saying: “I was thinking of starting a small business – that won’t be happening now.
“And my neighbours were thinking of getting married but said they can’t afford a wedding now.”
Leaseholders also said they do not understand why it has taken so long for the repairs to start, as the cost was calculated seven years ago.
MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington Diane Abbott has been in touch with Southern to “challenge the quotation” and is in touch with leaseholders.
Southern said: "We've kept our Stamford Hill residents fully informed about our investigation into the roof of their building.
"Our thorough investigation confirmed the roof needed to be replaced and we shared this news with residents in November 2023."
