“It’s a Constant Issue”: Clarion Housing Tenants Dealing with Ongoing Issues in Newbuild Flats

Accessibility issues, inefficient repairs, and poor communication have prompted residents to contact their local MP to push for a resolution.

Tenants of 133 Kingsway, Hove, have been forced to contact their local MP following ongoing issues in their block of flats that have been left unresolved or made worse by their housing association, Clarion Housing Group.

Ongoing issues

Local Labour MP Peter Kyle was contacted by residents following a period of 5 days during which a raw sewage leak (not the first) and the subsequent repairs caused issues with running water, hot water, and the building’s lifts, forcing disabled tenants to rely on neighbours to help them to and from their flats, or even seek accommodation elsewhere.

This is not the first issue in the property; a number of Kingsway tenants report making multiple complaints to Clarion about issues including:

Lifts being out of order
Accessibility issues
Doors not locking, leading to theft
Repeated sewage leaks
Hot water not working
Leaking windows

One resident who uses a wheelchair claims that he has had a number of issues relating to accessibility to his flat which have either not been addressed or been addressed in a way that has made his flat less accessible. Another resident with young children said he had been unable to give them a bath while the problems with the hot and running water were ongoing and even contacted the fire brigade to ensure the building’s fire safety system was working.

Poor communication from the housing association

While a spokesperson for Clarion Housing said that they “apologised” to residents for the disruption caused by these issues and that they were “reviewing what went wrong to prevent this happening in the future”, residents expressed frustration at having to get an MP involved for problems to be addressed.

One resident, who has tried to complain directly to Clarion in the past said that the company was “so hard to deal with” and that “you can’t speak to anyone apart from a call centre”. Residents pay a service charge to Clarion and its appointed building manager to keep the building in a good state of repair, but many indicated that they did not believe they were getting what they pay for.

Social housing landlords’ responsibilities

Housing associations like Clarion have a legal responsibility to ensure that the properties they manage are safe, secure, and maintained to a reasonable standard. This includes making timely repairs to essential services such as heating, hot water, and electricity, as well as addressing structural issues, damp, leaks, and anything that affects a tenant’s ability to live safely and comfortably in their home.

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, tenants have the right to live in a property that is fit for human habitation. If Clarion, or any housing association, fails to carry out necessary repairs within a reasonable timeframe after being notified, tenants may be entitled to take further action. This could include making a formal complaint, contacting the Housing Ombudsman, or seeking legal advice to bring a housing disrepair claim.

Tenants may also be able to claim compensation for inconvenience, stress, and any damage to their belongings caused by unresolved repairs. Seeking early legal advice can help clarify what rights and remedies are available.

The range of housing disrepair complaints commonly include:

Premier Legal Assist can help

Premier Legal Assist works with a panel of specialist ‘no-win, no-fee’ solicitors who have extensive experience in housing disrepair law in cases involving a wide range of Housing Associations and Local Authorities across the UK.

To find out if you may be eligible to make a housing disrepair claim, get in touch by completing our short claims form, and a member of the team will contact you.

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Important Information

Premier Legal Assist is a claims management company. You do not need to use a claims management company to make your complaint, you can complain to the organisation you are complaining about directly. If the issue is not resolved, you can refer it to the relevant independent Ombudsman service for free.