UN experts accuse one of England’s biggest social landlords of habitability failings | Social housing
One of Britain’s biggest social landlords appears to be systematically failing to ensure the liveability of its rental properties, UN experts have said.
A letter to the UK government cites the case of 55-year-old disabled tenant Sanjay Ramburn, who he and his family of five say lived without electricity for several years at a property owned by the L&Q group in Forest Gate, east London. They experienced four ceiling collapses, as well as severe dampness and mold, which affected their health.
The children developed breathing problems, tinnitus and skin problems. The letter states that Ramburn, who reported racist abuse and antisocial behavior from his upstairs neighbour, which he said was not addressed by L&Q, had serious mental health problems.
The letter from Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the special rapporteur on adequate housing, and two other UN experts states: “L&Q and some other housing developers and housing associations that manage social housing in England appear to have systematically failed to ensure or restore the liveability of their tenancies… L&Q’s delay, inadequacy or failure to act to address the issues raised by Mr S Ramburn and other tenants, as documented by the housing ombudsman, is undeniable.” “We would like to express our serious concern that it may have been documented by Its impact on the enjoyment of their human rights, in particular the right to an adequate standard of living, including housing.”
L&Q, London’s largest housing association, in 2023. Ordered to pay £142,000 Following an investigation by the Ombudsman, a “prolonged period of decline” in service to residents was found.
Ramburn, who moved to the flat in December 2013, said: “I started getting water from my kitchen and half of the ceiling collapsed. I was waiting in the kitchen for about 4 years without half of the ceiling, then in 2017 the other half collapsed. Then they came and repaired the ceiling, but when they repaired it at the same time, the bathroom ceiling also collapsed.
“I always have to email them, begging them to do something. I’ve been through hell with L&Q here, I had concerns, I hope they do something about it now.”
The letter states that, according to the information received, the ceiling in the living room collapsed in November 2023, injuring Ramburn, her son and her youngest daughter. L&Q offered Ramburn compensation of £2,271 but he rejected the offer as “wholly inadequate”.
The report said Ramburn and his family were offered temporary re-housing in another L&Q-owned building in September, while the previous flat would undergo repairs, which Ramburn reluctantly accepted, even though it “only had a small bedroom for five people and may have had the same poor maintenance issues as the other flat”.
L&Q executive group manager of customer service Matt Foreman said he was sorry for Ramburn’s difficulties, adding: “We are working closely with him to resolve the situation and have made a number of offers of temporary accommodation in the area to enable us to complete the necessary repairs. We have a dedicated antisocial behavior team investigating Mr Ramburn’s case and will support him if any future incidents occur.”
He said the organization had responded to the letter, stating that it operates under the UK’s social housing regulatory and complaints framework, which “provides clear pathways for residents to access support if they are unhappy with their landlord’s response”.
NEWA Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “These allegations are shocking and we extend our condolences to Mr Ramburn and his family.
“We are clear that housing providers must provide safe and decent homes for residents and that racism of any kind is inexcusable.
“Through the Awaab law, we are taking decisive action to eliminate unsafe conditions such as damp and mold and make people’s homes safe.”
