Complaints Procedures, Damp and mould, Fire Safety & Cladding, Health and Safety, Housing Law, Housing protest, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, 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, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Regeneration, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts

Challenging Service Charges: Following The Money

Challenging service charge inaccuracies is a long, bitter annual struggle for housing association tenants and residents. The process appears to be designed to confuse, wear down, and frustrate any attempt at scrutiny, even though the service charge bills are often for hefty payments that households are obliged to make, even when they know they are… Continue reading Challenging Service Charges: Following The Money

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 Charges, 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, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, L&Q, Peabody Trust, Rents, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Southern Housing, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy, Utilities

Hexagon Households Start Service Charge Strike

The service charge strike wave continues. A significant number of households from the same Hexagon estate in London are the latest group of housing association residents to inform their landlord that they are withholding payment in a dispute over service charges. The residents describe being forced to take this step as a last resort “in… Continue reading Hexagon Households Start Service Charge Strike

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

Complaints Procedures, Gas Charges, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Hyde Housing, OHG, Optivo, Peabody Trust, Riverside, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Southern Housing, Staff Concerns, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Whistleblower: Housing Association Overcharging is Deliberate

REGISTER DONATE rents pledge Service charge survey Shocking evidence from a whistleblower has confirmed the suspicions of tenants and residents, namely that housing associations (HAs) are not just overcharging them for services, but that the overcharging is deliberate. For almost as long as SHAC has been operating, HA tenants and residents have been reporting problems… Continue reading Whistleblower: Housing Association Overcharging is Deliberate

Complaints Procedures, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, Housing protest, Optivo, Rent Strike, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Service Cuts, Southern Housing, Tenant & Resident Democracy

Southern (Optivo) Tenants Declare Service Charge Strike

Residents of an Optivo (now Southern Housing) estate in Putney have written to chief executive Paul Hackett explaining that as of April, they will be withholding their service charge payments. They join a growing group of housing association tenants and residents to resort to this tactic after attempts at resolving issues with their landlord fail.… Continue reading Southern (Optivo) Tenants Declare Service Charge Strike

Complaints Procedures, HA Service Charges, Housing Law, L&Q, Service charge fraud, Service Charges

Another Service Charge Strike at L&Q

When we meet Sonya*, the first thing she says is: There is no transparency, actual spend is ending up between 55% and 197% higher than estimates. We’ve experienced on average 109% increase in service charge over the past eight years, and we no clarification why. We have many questions but no answers.” Despite all our… Continue reading Another Service Charge Strike at L&Q

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

Alternative housing awards, Clarion Housing, HA Service Charges, Health and Safety, Housing protest, Hyde Housing, Rent Strike, Rents, Sanctuary Housing, Service charge fraud, Service Charges, Tenant & Resident Democracy, UK Housing Awards

Protests Force Cancellation of Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza

We won, and it's worthy of a celebration. It took 54,000 signatures on a petition, and a threatened mass mobilisation to picket & protest at the event. It also took an increased media focus on the failings of the social housing sector which was triggered by a coroner confirming that a two year-old boy had… Continue reading Protests Force Cancellation of Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza