The TRA is campaigning for our landlords to properly deal with damp in residents’ flats. If you’re affected please report it to your landlord and tell us you’ve done it.
Almost two thirds of the tenants who complained about damp have had work done that they are happy with. This work is making a real difference . We’ve also heard of successes at Harbin House and Saunders House. But this still leaves at least 29 people who are unhappy. Cllr Kay, the cabinet member for housing talked about this at our 2022 Annual General Meeting
Very few leaseholders are happy.
- At the meeting with the Leaseholder Advisory Service we were told to get action we’d need to show it is penetrative damp, for which we need a survey. If you’re an affected leasehold please book your free survey
- Bell, our MP, has said action on damp is a major work and should be billed to leaseholders as such. It should not be left to individual leaseholders to fix it. She’s campaigning to make this happen. More details here
We’ve known this was a problem since we held a public meeting in May 2016. The council, which regular landlords like ours, has been aware of the problem since 2020. A council commissioned report said our landlords “have been aware for a number of years, that there are significant structural defects to the fabric of buildings” but rather than fix the issue they ‘routinely assume that the “lifestyle” and “behaviour” of residents is the primary factor for the presence of condensation damp and mould in fiats. No objective or quantifiable evidence has been produced to support these assertions’. As a result of our campaigning the council threatened to sue our three landlords.
We’ve received coverage from My London News, the Brixton Blog (twice), the South London Press, Inside Housing, and the BBC. And we’ve worked with Community Organisers who’ve given this really inspiring write up on the campaign
In 2017 and 2018 some people tried involving lawyers as individuals with variable success. If you’re thinking of involving lawyers please contact us so we can put you in touch with others who have tried it.
St Martins TRA 