By Chris Sayudo, Chair of Canada Court and Clifton Lodge Tenants and Residents Association
We have demanded PA pay us back our service charge contributions for the last three years relating to cleaning and security services. This equates to about £500 for each home for every year.
PA Housing has more than 23,000 homes, mainly clustered in the Midlands, London and the South East. It claims to be “an award winning provider of affordable, quality homes, but our business is about more than property – it’s about people.”
PA Housing makes grand claims, but fails to deliver to its people. This rosy picture does not match our experience.
We are the tenants and residents of Canada Court and Clifton Court in Woolwich, London. We have had long-standing problems with sub-contractor Pinnacle which is supposed to be providing cleaning and security services.
Pinnacle Out
For years, the company has been failing to deliver. All of the staff are supposed to be Security Industry Authority (SIA) accredited, but many haven’t got their badges. They have never provided security and as we tenants and leaseholders all know, the buildings are filthy.
In November 2019, PA Housing served the sub-contractor with a notice saying that they needed to improve. The tenant group has just sent our landlord a 70-page document on the 21st February, outlining all the reports, emails and minutes of meetings with PA Housing managers. What the bundle shows is that our landlord has repeatedly failed to make sure that the contractor delivers.
The contract with the cleaning and security company is now up for renewal. We are saying that it is time to find a new supplier who can deliver to a proper standard. But that’s not all – we want our money back.
The Clock is Ticking
If PA Housing refuse to refund us what we are owed, tenants and leaseholders will withhold future service charge payments until we have recouped the money, and we will do this with SHAC’s support.
We are allowing PA Housing until April 1st 2022 to confirm a new contractor will be sought and that each householder will receive around £1500 for services we’ve paid for but never received. Watch this space!
1 March 2022
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The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.