Carl, Carl Davis, Carl Davis blog, Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Davis, Disability, Disability Charter, Equality Act, Fire Safety & Cladding, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Neurodiversity, Service Cuts, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Housing Ombudsman on Good KIM

By SHAC with additional commentary by Carl Davis KIM in this context stands for knowledge and information management, and is the subject of a new Spotlight report by the Housing Ombudsman. The report is a combination of casework data and fresh, specially commissioned research. The report is well-evidenced and reaches 21 logical recommendations for social… Continue reading Housing Ombudsman on Good KIM

Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Fire Safety & Cladding, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Housing protest, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Action on Disrepairs Protest

Rohana* has contacted SHAC. She tells us about the appalling conditions that her sister and her severely disabled nephew are having to endure. Her landlord is Peabody and they are refusing to repair the leak causing the damp and mould. The photos show the kitchen ceiling before and after it collapsed. The kitchen is no… Continue reading Action on Disrepairs Protest

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, OHG, Rent Strike, Riverside, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Newham One Housing Group Residents Join Service Charge Strike Wave

Almost 30 households from an estate in the London Borough of Newham have begun a partial service charge strike, and are withholding payment of retrospective charges. The strike is in protest at the actions of their landlord One Housing Group, and managing agents Haus Block Management. Simon*, who lives on the estate explained that the… Continue reading Newham One Housing Group Residents Join Service Charge Strike Wave

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, L&Q, Optivo, Peabody Trust, Service charge fraud, Southern Housing, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Service Charge Strike Notice Served on Peabody

A ‘Notice of Service Charge Strike’ has been sent to the Peabody executive, signed by the residents of 42 flats on an estate in central London. The residents are withholding all or part of their service charge payments over concerns that: Some of the charges appear to be opaque, completely unjustified [and] plucked out of… Continue reading Service Charge Strike Notice Served on Peabody

Autism, Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Trapped, Stressed and Impoverished: SHAC Research on Service Charge Abuse

In August 2022, SHAC began to survey members to capture the range of problems they experience with service charges, and the impact on their physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Our aim is to show the extent of service charge abuse by housing associations, and we have now published an initial report based on the first… Continue reading Trapped, Stressed and Impoverished: SHAC Research on Service Charge Abuse

Clarion, Clarion Housing, Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Fire Safety & Cladding, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Housing protest, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Clarion Board and Management Need Serious Repairs

It’s become a familiar story, but no less devastating for the victims. When Selma was offered a home exchange by her landlord Clarion, she went to visit their prospective new home in Wimbledon, south London. What she saw was a nice property, albeit cluttered and overfull as the sitting tenant clearly had a hoarding problem.… Continue reading Clarion Board and Management Need Serious Repairs

Complaints Procedures, Electricity Charges, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, OHG, Riverside, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

One Housing Tenant’s Non-Payment Forces Service Charge Freeze

A tenant’s refusal to pay a 60% increase in service charges has forced One Housing Group (OHG, now part of Riverside) to freeze its service charges for 2022/23 on her estate. When Angela* opened a service charge leaflet from her landlord in February 2022, she was angered to find a demand for a payment increase of 60%. The service charge hike did… Continue reading One Housing Tenant’s Non-Payment Forces Service Charge Freeze

Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Disability, Fire Safety & Cladding, Gas, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Regeneration, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Social Cleansing, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Damp and Mould: Gove’s Double Standards

Awaab Ishak died in 2017 in a home infested with mould which had a catastrophic effect on his breathing. His parents complained to their housing association landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), but the landlord repeatedly failed to address the causes. No-one in authority seemed able to force them to make the necessary fixes. Michael Gove… Continue reading Damp and Mould: Gove’s Double Standards

Auctions and Sales, Fire Safety & Cladding, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Rent Strike, Rents

Shared Ownership Mis-sold, Watchdog Rules

The Advertising Standards Agency has ruled that adverts for shared ownership properties misled prospective buyers by leaving out essential information on costs, and failing to alert them to the greater risks associated with this product. We … understood that there were potential risks that existed with Shared Ownership which would not exist for those buying… Continue reading Shared Ownership Mis-sold, Watchdog Rules

Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Fire Safety & Cladding, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, L&Q, Service charge fraud, Service Cuts, Tenant & Resident Democracy

L&Q Capworth Court Strike

By guest writers Matt and Kate On Sunday 1st May, residents of Capworth Court in Leyton began a service charge strike against our landlord, L&Q, over eleven unmet demands. Overall, our protest is about L&Q’s inability to demonstrate a commitment to its overall mission. It is failing on its promises to tenants and residents, and… Continue reading L&Q Capworth Court Strike