House cannot be left unoccupied because of security fears

A Kilburn man claims a housing group has not fixed faulty windows in his home for more than a year.

Kuldip Nandola, 22, who lives in Hampton Close with his parents, grandmother, two brothers and two-year-old niece, claims safety brackets on his kitchen and upstairs windows have broken.

He says he is unable to leave the property unoccupied and he fears for his family’s safety.

Despite complaining to Brent Housing Partnership (BHP), the owners of the property, more than a year ago and filing numerous complaints since, Mr Nandola claims nothing has been done.

He told the Times: “We can’t live like this – we have to have someone in the house at all times and there are massive safety concerns.”

He has now taken his complaint to the Ombudsman, the local government complaint service, which launched an investigation into the matter last week.

“We keep getting told our house will be redeveloped under the South Kilburn Regeneration Scheme but now they say that won’t happen yet,” he said.

In a letter, seen by the Times, from BHP to Mr Nandola earlier this year, the company says it had assessed the cost of repairs to the whole property but that “funding was not currently available”.

It added that a representative would come to assess the windows again, but nothing has been done since.

“We want them to come and fix the problem so we can live properly; this has gone on long enough,” said Mr Nandola.

He added: “I don’t know what else to do now, but something has to be done.”

A spokesman for BHP said: “Mr Nandola’s property is on a major works contract which includes the replacement of all windows and external decorations. This is due to be completed by the end of the financial year.

“However BHP will, of course, continue to meet our obligations in maintaining the windows until they are replaced.”