Residents despair at mouldy 'luxury' homes
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceMouldy homes that flood when it rains have turned the lives of families sold the dream of “luxury” apartments into a nightmare.
Residents of the Earhart Apartments in Addlestone, Surrey, said they have been forced to live under the leaking roof for five years despite their pleas with developer Redrow to fix it.
The most recent effort to make the building watertight began in January 2024 but residents said the problems are still occurring.
Redrow said it understands their frustrations and apologised for the time it has taken to carry out repairs.
Resident Rüdiger Dikty-Daudiyan said: “They haven’t been able to solve the issue here for five years. We’ve had similar emails and promises before. It’s just not good enough.
“We have a mother raising a newborn in a home full of mould.
"It’s our first home and it’s just been a nightmare since the beginning. It’s a living hell.
“The top flat has been completely flooded two times and the people there have left.
“Whenever there is rain it comes from the top down and even comes down the staircases. It is just the smell of mould.”
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceAccording to the Redrow website the block, which was built in 2019, is an opportunity to buy a “luxury apartment in Addlestone.”
The flats are split between social housing and leaseholders.
A spokesperson for Redrow said: “We understand the frustration of residents and apologise for the time it’s taken to reach this stage.
"As soon as we were made aware of this complex issue, we took action against the original sub-contractor responsible.
"We have made the decision to undertake the works directly through an independent specialist to minimise inconvenience to residents.
“Initial works at Locklear Apartments are planned to commence shortly, with Earhart Apartments to follow. We anticipate all works to be completed over the coming months and will be in close communication with residents as timescales are confirmed.”
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