Leaseholder satisfaction with Camden Council repairs falls to 10 year low

Flat owners and other leasehold dwellers across the London Borough of Camden are unhappy with most repairs and maintenance services, the latest data reveals.

A survey of Camden Council leaseholders by Housemark showed that overall satisfaction with the upkeep of flat blocks has hit a nadir of 30 per cent — its lowest level in over a decade.

Services provided by the Town Hall were given short shrift, with 43 percent of respondents dissatisfied.

Nearly half of those surveyed said they were either “very” or “fairly” dissatisfied with council repairs and maintenance.

The lowest scoring measure in the survey was whether major works provided “value for money”, with just 10 percent agreeing.

The figures were pored over by councillors at a meeting of the leaseholders’ forum on Wednesday 18 September, where the major works working group report acknowledged the need for improvement.

There are 9,517 leasehold properties where Camden Council owns the freehold: 22 percent are street properties and 78 percent on estates; 56 percent are the owner’s main residence, 44 percent are second homes, and 25 percent are registered sub-let. Street properties are slightly more likely to be an owner’s main residence, the survey found.

In May, a Town Hall report found that leaseholders of properties purchased from council housing stock were facing steep bills as a result of botched repairs.

At the time, Cllr James Slater (Lab) said he had received “dozens of examples” where “incomplete jobs had resulted in repeat visits by contractors”.

Slater also said other leaseholders told him they had been treated as “second class” compared to council tenants.

To boost satisfaction among leaseholders, Housemark recommended that the council create an action plan and potentially use focus groups for a a “co-creative” approach that takes leaseholder, council staff and contractor’s views on board.

Camden Council, Leaseholders’ Forum – Wednesday, 18 September 2024.