A pensioner living in a retirement housing block in north Norfolk says his life has become a “nightmare” after waiting more than ten weeks for his landlord to repair a leak in his home.
David Ryall, 68, has lived at Saxon Court in North Walsham for the last five years.
But the past two-and-a-half months have been his worst, as it’s the length of time he’s had to wait for his housing provider Victory Homes, which is part of Flagship Group, to repair a leak in his bathroom ceiling.
And despite contractors coming to his home on eight separate occasions in the last ten weeks, the leak is still yet to be fixed.
“It’s a nightmare,” Mr Ryall, whose rent at Saxon Court went up by £123 this year, said.
“They’re not doing anything about it.
“They told the lady upstairs not to use her shower. How can someone not shower for ten weeks? It’s ridiculous.”
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Earlier this year, elderly residents at Saxon Court – all over the age of 65 – were left stranded in their upper-floor homes after the building’s lift broke down and wasn’t repaired for a week.
“I find it strange the way they treat people old people here,” Mr Ryall said.
“It’s like they’ve given up on us. I think it’s ageism.”
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A Victory Homes spokesperson said: “Due to the complexity of this issue, which involves both Mr Ryall and a neighbouring flat, we have had to attend multiple times to fully investigate the source of the leak.
“We would like to assure Mr Ryall that this will be dealt with as quickly as possible, and to extend our sincere apologies for any inconvenience or distress caused by this.
“We have scheduled a follow-up visit later this week to ensure this issue is fully resolved.
“We appreciate that any rent increase can present challenges. Our annual rent adjustments are made in line with government rent standards, and service charges covering on-site utilities are based on the provision cost of these services.
“We have information and support available for our tenants who may be experiencing financial hardship and would urge any tenants to reach out to us should they need assistance.”
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