Anchor Flat Repair Delays Sparks Petition

Anchor Housing Association residents sign a petition over delayed and insufficient repairs.

Residents of 30 flats in Bolton have petitioned the Chief Executive of Anchor Housing Association over extensive delays and inadequate "patch-up jobs" on repairs, including one case in which a steel acrow prop had been holding up the ceiling of one 80-year-old resident's flat since October 2024. Around 20 residents have signed the petition, citing frustrations with persisting issues that pose risks to their health and safety.

Disrepair and delays

For residents in 30 Anchor managed flats across Bolton, delayed and poor repairs have resulted in ongoing distress, with some disrepair cases posing significant health and safety risks. Residents report poor repairs, described as "patch-up jobs", that never seem to truly fix anything.

One 80-year-old resident whose ceiling is being held up by a steel acrow prop, has been waiting for a repair since October 2024. Similarly, Susan Mulcahey, 72, of Pollard House, has been waiting for the housing association to address "brown gunge" in her shower since 2024 due to an unrepaired pipe issue. These aren't isolated incidents; around 20 residents have joined a petition to Anchor Housing Association's Chief Executive demanding proper action.

Serious mould and damp

Serious health risks due to damp and mould have also been flagged to Anchor Housing Association, with one Pollard House resident living with black mould, worsening her existing COPD and asthma conditions. Another resident battles with damp patches in her living room, believed to be from years of uncleaned gutters, and a damp kitchen ceiling, yet to be inspected.

Awaab’s Law 

The tragic yet preventable set of circumstances that led to two-year-old Awaab Ishak’s death due to mould exposure in a social housing flat has sparked a new piece of legislation known as Awaab’s law.

From October 2025, Awaab’s Law will set strict timeframes for mould and damp repairs to be carried out. Once the law takes effect, social landlords will need to act on emergency repairs within 24 hours and will be required to address a report of mould and damp within 10 days.

Know your rights as a tenant 

It's hard to know when to escalate your complaint. However, your landlord's legal responsibility under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 is to address any disrepair reported to them. This includes issues with:

• Damp and mould
• Leaks
• Structural issues
• Heating and hot water issues

What can the Housing Ombudsman do? 

The Housing Ombudsman (HOS) is an independent public body aiming to improve residents' lives and landlords' services through investigating housing complaints. The service is independent and impartial and can decide on long-overdue complaints.

HOS upholds a significant number of complaints, with 73% of decisions resulting in a finding of maladministration, indicating the landlord’s failure of legal, policy or process requirements. 

Typically, HOS will investigate a claim in three steps:

1. A reviewing the claim, this process is known as jurisdiction.
2. Exploring the possibility of resolution without a full investigation. Terms of the agreed resolution will be set out in writing, known as a determination.
3. A full investigation of the complaint for more complex cases, or if early resolution has failed.

Premier Legal Assist can help

If you live in a property affected by disrepair, such as mould, leaks, broken heating, or structural issues, and your landlord has failed to take action, you may be entitled to take your claim further.

Premier Legal Assist works with a team of specialist 'no-win, no-fee' housing disrepair lawyers experienced in dealing with local councils and housing associations across the UK, as well as submitting claims on behalf of tenants to the Housing Ombudsman.

To find out if you are eligible to make a ‘no-win, no-fee’ claim, complete our claim form, and a member of our team will be in touch.