We have been living in a property for the last two years in East Ham, which has been in complete disrepair throughout our tenancy and the landlord and estate agent (Elliot Davis of Green Street) has resisted doing any of the necessary repairs.

The house is full of damp, with a bed bug infestation, and the substandard condition of wallpapers and paint has been causing health hazards to my family. I have two children under the age of two living in this property who have continuously been bitten by bugs, and our GP has provided us with multiple medical letters regarding these, which we have sent to the estate agents with no results. The conditions have also had a major impact on the mental health of my family, which we have letters to prove

At the start of 2015 the landlord increased the rent without undertaking any of the repairs, and at this point the estate agent (Elliot Davis) came to visit our property for the first time since we had moved in. He witnessed the poor conditions and promised to get the repair works started instantly. On this promise, we signed the new tenancy agreement with increased rent, but all that was done was the kitchen and front door was repainted.

We contacted the estate agents (Elloit Davis) about this but were told that, as usual, the landlord was on holiday in Spain and wouldn’t be available for two months. At this point, we decided to withhold our rent to pressure the estate agents into carrying out the necessary repairs and that we would inform the council. They responded by sending us an eviction notice.

In July the estate agent (Elliot Davis) sent over builders without informing us beforehand, who started to pain over the damp to cover it, who also damaged some of our clothes and possessions with paint.

Since we have informed the council, they arranged a visit to inspect the conditions of the property and invited the landlord and estate agents (Elliot Davis) to attend, but they were not present. The estate agents have been given a week to respond, but we have heard nothing.

We are demanding the following:

A refund on some of our rent over the last two years as we are not prepared to pay to live in sub-standard conditions

The landlord and/ or estate agents (Elliot Davis) to pay the legal costs we have incurred in hiring a solicitor to handle our case

That our home is made livable and suitable for a family with young children

Syed, Syeda and the Focus E15 Campaign