A hole-y unacceptable problem with the ceiling has lasted two years for one mum

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A mum has been left for two years with a hole big enough to jump through in her living room.

The front room ceiling in Sacha Berko’s home in Gipsy Hill collapsed in June 2022 due to a leak.

Ms Berko alerted her landlord, Lambeth council, to the crater in her ceiling following the leak, but more than two years later she is still waiting for the hole to be repaired.

Despite local authority’s surveyors visiting nine times over this period, Ms Berko said she was no closer to getting the problem fixed.

Ms Berko, who has an autistic son who has previously tried to jump through the hole, said: “It’s overwhelming. My son is autistic. He will put his leg through the hole. He tried to squeeze his body through once. I’m just trying to get this out there to put pressure on them [the council]. I’m fed-up, honestly.

“You can’t keep treating people like this. I’m paying rent. I’m not withholding rent. It’s tiring living like this.”

Ms Berko attributes the hole to severe damp in the three-bed house caused by a leaky boiler which has since been fixed.

Water from the boiler previously damaged another part of the living room ceiling, as well as the landing floor upstairs.

Ms Berko is unable to have lighting in the front room and kitchen of the property due to water getting into the electrics.

She believes it has been clear to Lambeth that the property has been uninhabitable for years due to disrepair and water damage and doesn’t understand why it is taking the council so long to rehouse her and complete the repairs.

Ms Berko and her son were briefly rehoused in a bedsit without a bathroom for one night by the council after presenting at their offices in Brixton, at the end of September.

But the accommodation was not appropriate and the council said they had to leave the next day.

Ms Berko explained: “They [the council] said it was a two-bed apartment but what they meant is it had two beds. It was completely unsuitable and we had to leave it the next day. We need extended temporary accommodation so they can get in here properly and do the works.”

Lambeth council apologised to Ms Berko, saying: “We are aware of the repairs needed at this property. We apologise for the inconvenience Ms Berko has experienced as a result of the delay.

“We do everything we can to find homes for everyone coming to us in housing need. But, in recent years the demand for our services has risen to unprecedented levels.

“The shortage of affordable housing means we are now providing temporary accommodation for over 4,600 homeless households every night– and more than 40,000 households are currently on our waiting list for social housing.”

Pictured top: Sacha Berko in her house in Gipsy Hill (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)