Leaseholders' £21K roofing bills 'are a nightmare'

"I paid my mortgage off 10 years ago, I thought I was debt free and now this has been landed on me - it's a nightmare," says leaseholder Diane Cleveland.

She is one of nearly 100 homeowners on a south-east London estate facing a £21,000 bill from their freeholder, Greenwich Council, over the replacement of roofs.

Some leaseholders believe the work is unnecessary, while others say they are having to pay excessive amounts to help cover maintenance works being carried out on neighbouring council properties.

A council spokesperson said they want all residents to have safe homes and that their costs include extra factors, such as management and insurance, which may explain higher quotes.

The council says the £430m refurbishment programme is needed to meet their responsibilities as a landlord to its tenants on the Middle Park Estate in Eltham.

But leaseholders told BBC London they want to see more evidence of how the price of the work has been set as they feel they are paying far too much for repairs to council properties.

The properties consist of houses divided into two to four maisonettes, with leaseholders and council tenants sometimes sharing one roof.

Karolis Arlauskas, a building specialist and leaseholder on the estate, says his roof is in good condition and only requires some maintenance.

Despite this, he has been told by Greenwich Council that it needs to be entirely replaced.

"The condition is pretty good for the age of the roof. It needs to have a bit of TLC, maintenance work to be done but it will survive for several decades," Mr Arlauskas says.

There are two other leaseholders on the ground floor where he lives and two council tenants above.

He says he has received quotes for the work that are half the price being charged by the council, which has set the cost at £71,000.

"I have no idea how they got to that," he said "You can't be charging that much for this type of roof."

Mr Arlauskas claims the £21,000 leaseholder share he is liable for is double the market rate.

The homeowners have been given some options as to how they can pay for the repairs, including an interest free re-payment plan over the next eight years.

Ms Cleveland says this option would put a significant burden on her.

"I don't know if I can do it. To [have] to spend another £200 out of a pension is almost impossible," she says.

Other homeowners are also concerned that they are being overcharged for the council repairs.

Ashlin Green, another leaseholder, says the costs for the roof repairs seem to be funding other projects within the council's capital repair programme.

She is also liable for more than £21,000 for a share of the work.

Ms Green says the whole project is "humungous" with new windows being installed on another estate, and kitchen and bathroom refurbishments for council tenants.

"I think it looks like money for the roofs, which is an overcharge of £11,000 per leaseholder, is going to fund other projects that form part of this massive contract," she adds.

Residents have sought legal advice but have been told they would need to a specialist solicitor to fight the charges, costing upwards of £50,000.

The leaseholders who spoke to the BBC say they were also unhappy that they were issued with a standard template letter which appeared to show no personalisation of whether their roofs needed repair work or not.

It is understood the council has since told residents each roof will be assessed again before work starts.

The works are being carried out under a Section 20 notice using an approved list of suppliers and contractors.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, says when they queried the charges with the council they were met with an unhelpful response, only being told "this is value for money" and not being given access to the tender

They say they feel "bullied and robbed" by Greenwich Council.

Councillor Charlie Davis, the deputy leader of the opposition at Greenwich Council, says the authority "needs to explain" the cost of the proposed works.

"Residents have a right to scrutinise charges that have been given to them by the council and I think the council should have an open approach to that," he adds.

The Greenwich Council spokesperson says: "We want all residents to have access to a safe and secure home that meets their needs.

"Our contractors' costs include important factors like management, welfare, insurance, and other expenses, so residents' quotes may not be directly comparable to the council's.

"Until any new legislation is passed, the council must ensure it meets its responsibilities as a landlord to ensure the work is done well and with minimal disruption to all residents, whilst also following health and safety guidelines."

Sebastian O'Kelly, director of the Leasehold Knowlege Partnership, which provides advice to leaseholders, says the residents should fight back against the council.

He suggests residents need a quantity surveyor to estimate the works and provide a professional witness statement.

"It was probably never a good idea to mix social and private ownership in the same block but it has happened and leaseholders must be treated fairly," Mr O'Kelly adds.

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