Stamford Hill: Leaseholders 'blindsided' by £35,000 roof bill

Stamford Hill Estate leaseholders say the bill is a "life-changing" amount of money

Leaseholders on a north London estate say they have been "blindsided" by a housing association after being given a bill of up to £35,000 each for repairs.

Residents of Stamford Hill Estate say they believe the brunt of the costs are due to neglect of the roof by Southern Housing.

Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said she had challenged Southern over the issue.

Southern Housing said the cost was because the roof needed to be replaced.

Leaseholders from flats in the Malvern, Quantock, and Wicklow blocks said the bill was a "life-changing" amount of money.

They said they were told about the repairs on 8 March and there would be a month-long consultation process.

"We've not even been told exactly what they're fixing," said one leaseholder.

'Historic negligence'

A resident from Malvern House added: "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."

Leaseholders are also concerned about the final costs.

• 'We can't sell our flat and can't afford to live in it'

"The figures they've given us are 'provisional', and [Southern Housing] has said that we'd be liable if the costs go up," said another leaseholder.

"I'm a contractor - I know that these costs won't be the final amount, but we've got no idea how much money we could be parting with."

'Seven-year wait'

The costs for the repairs were calculated in 2017, after Southern conducted its initial assessment of the roof.

"None of it makes any sense, but why they've waited seven years to start something they secured a contractor and a quote for is very bizarre," a leaseholder said.

Ms Abbott said she had contacted Southern Housing to "challenge the quotation", and was in touch with the leaseholders.

• Leaseholders face refurbishment bills in thousands

In a statement, the housing association 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."

However, the leaseholders maintained that they had no communication from Southern, and no indication about the proposed repairs, until they received the letter notifying them of the costs on 8 March.

'Inflated costs'

They said: "Southern Housing's recent media statement on this issue is further evidence of their refusal to listen to residents and properly engage with and respond to our concerns.

"We have serious concerns about inflated costs, historic lack of maintenance, opaque procurement procedures, and unnecessary scale of works.

"Southern Housing's claims of transparency bear no relation to our experience, and our repeated requests for specific pieces of information have been ignored."

One leaseholder said: "When I read the letter, I just laughed. That amount of money is just ridiculous. How else are you meant to react when you're blindsided by that?"

"I was thinking of starting a small business - that won't be happening now," he said.

"My neighbours were thinking of getting married but said they can't afford a wedding now."

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