Residents battling repeated break-ins by drug users and rough sleepers have been asked to pay £500 to cover ‘inadequate’ repairs, reports Marco Marcelline

Nexus Court in Kirkdale Road, Leytonstone, Credit: Google Streetview, Inset: Tampered doors

Residents of a Leytonstone apartment block have complained about being charged “extortionate” repair fees for security measures that have failed to properly deter drug users from camping in their stairwells.

Piers Pereira, a resident in Nexus Court, which is close to Leytonstone Station, said the building’s management, RMG UK, slapped tenants with a bill of over £500 per flat after carrying out communal repairs, installing CCTV and putting up new signage to address anti-social behaviour.

The “cosmetic” fixes were only carried out some months after Nexus Court residents first appealed to RMG UK to take action on the constant break-ins, Piers says.

And despite the repairs, intrusions continue, residents say, with doors being wedged open, and drug users still sleeping in stairwells.

Over the past year, those living in Nexus Court say they have regularly encountered drug users smoking Class A drugs in the stairwell, as well as paraphernalia and human waste in the building’s hallways. Those living in Nexus Court told the Echo they have also seen knives being carried, causing some to feel too scared to leave their flat at night.

Detailing his “despair” at the situation, Piers said: “There’s a simple expectation we all have when buying or renting a flat, that it would be a home where you can feel secure and sleep safely. Instead, we’re finding ourselves living with anxiety, fear, and now, an unexpected bill of £500.”

Residents repeatedly reached out to the management company RMG about the break-ins but were “stone-walled”.

Doors at Nexus Court have repeatedly been tampered with, leaving them easy to open by intruders, Inset: Stripped carpets in stairwells

Piers said the “slow, disorganised, and often non-existent” response to their complaints meant residents “took it upon themselves” to temporarily fix broken doors, and secure locks, often at their own expense.

He adds: “We understand that housing rough sleepers is a complex, borough-wide issue. But the residents of Nexus Court are not social workers or security guards. We don’t have the power to arrest intruders or provide emergency accommodation. In fact, residents have spoken with the police, the local council, and tried to direct the rough sleepers to local homeless charities.

“All have been incredibly helpful, but RMG has seemed to have found our pleas for help annoying, rather than customers desperately asking for help. What we expect is a basic standard of security in the building we pay to live in, and for our management company to act quickly and responsibly when we raise safety concerns. Instead, we’ve been left to foot the bill for delayed action.”

A spokesperson for RMG UK said the company carried out internal decoration, and fire door safety checks, which contributed towards a larger than expected repair bill. They said: “We understand unexpected costs can be frustrating, but sometimes unforeseeable issues with the building require investment and on this occasion it’s been to help keep people safe. We remain committed to being transparent about any spend… for those who may find the additional costs difficult, we will also offer flexible payment plans.

“Our priority remains ensuring that Nexus Court is a safe, secure and well-maintained place to call home.”

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