Key Points
- Syed Alam, 52, and his wife Sahela purchased a new-build property at Brooklime House development in Homerton, Hackney, east London, for £350,000 in 2015.
- The couple, along with their two sons (now three children mentioned in some reports), have endured damp, mould, and water ingress issues for over 10 years.
- Syed raised concerns about water ingress and defects during his first viewing in 2015 with regeneration consultants Source Partnership, but Hackney Council assured rectification before move-in, with Sahela six months pregnant at the time.
- As leaseholder, Syed is liable for internal repairs unless structural; Hackney Council, as freeholder, organises works that have worsened conditions, including holes in living room walls covered by cereal boxes.
- Syed stated to BBC: “Due to the heavy rainfall over the rainy seasons, the situation gets severely worse. I can’t sell this house – we absolutely are trapped.”
- Mould exacerbates children’s asthma, a concern raised with Hackney Council and their doctor; Syed’s mental health is deteriorating due to living conditions.
- The family contacted local MP Dame Meg Hiller (noted as Dame Hiller in some reports) and Citizens Advice, but see no solution.
- Only standard surveys were conducted on the new-build property.
- Housing Ombudsman Service report in September 2024 identified service failings in council’s response to water ingress, damp, mould, and complaint handling; landlord complied at the time but issues persist, advising re-complaint.
- Syed accused Hackney Council of misleading him into buying a defective property and failing promises.
- Big Issue visited the home with housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa, noting family avoids living room due to damp, paying £860 monthly mortgage; council responsible for structural repairs like roof and external walls.
- Several residents at Brooklime House believe a structural issue causes the problems.
Homerton, Hackney (East London Time) February 3, 2026 – Syed Alam and his wife Sahela, residents of Brooklime House development, continue to battle severe damp, mould, and water ingress in their £350,000 new-build home purchased over a decade ago, leaving them unable to sell or escape the deteriorating conditions.
- Key Points
- What Triggered the Couple’s Home Purchase and Initial Concerns?
- How Have Repair Attempts Worsened the Situation?
- What Health Impacts Are the Family Facing?
- Who Has the Couple Sought Help From?
- What Did the Housing Ombudsman Find?
- Is Hackney Council Addressing Damp and Mould Broader Issues?
- What Role Did External Campaigners Play?
- Why Can’t the Family Sell or Leave?
- What Broader Context Surrounds New-Build Defects in Hackney?
- What Steps Are Recommended Next?
What Triggered the Couple’s Home Purchase and Initial Concerns?
Syed Alam, 52, first viewed the property at Brooklime House in Homerton, Hackney, with regeneration consultants Source Partnership in 2015. As reported by BBC News, Syed raised concerns about water ingress and other defects directly to Hackney Council during this visit.
Hackney Council assured him these issues would be rectified before he and his six-months-pregnant wife Sahela moved in with their two sons. More than 10 years later, the problems persist, trapping the family in a home they describe as uninhabitable.
The couple believes a structural flaw in the building affects multiple residents, exacerbating the defects despite being a new-build where only standard surveys were performed.
How Have Repair Attempts Worsened the Situation?
As leaseholder, Syed Alam is responsible for internal repairs unless proven structural, while Hackney Council, the freeholder, handles external works. Syed told the BBC that council-organised repairs have only aggravated conditions, leaving holes in his living room walls that make the space unbearably cold.
He demonstrated these holes to BBC journalists, covering them temporarily with cereal boxes from Rice Krispies. Big Issue reporters, visiting alongside housing campaigner and Big Issue ambassador Kwajo Tweneboa, observed Alam peeling off cardboard to reveal the damp seeping in, noting the family no longer uses the living room despite a £860 monthly mortgage.
Syed explained: “Due to the heavy rainfall over the rainy seasons, the situation gets severely worse.”
What Health Impacts Are the Family Facing?
The pervasive mould has worsened the couple’s children’s asthma, a concern they and their doctor have repeatedly communicated to Hackney Council. Syed Alam shared with BBC News that his own mental health is deteriorating amid the poor living conditions and ongoing fight.
The family worries about long-term effects from mould inhalation, linking it directly to respiratory issues in their children.
Despite these alerts, no effective resolution has materialised, leaving the health hazards unaddressed for over a decade.
Who Has the Couple Sought Help From?
Syed and Sahela Alam have reached out to numerous parties, including their local MP Dame Meg Hiller and Citizens Advice, in desperate hopes of remediation. However, they report still seeing no solution in sight.
Syed informed BBC that Hackney Council was offered access to the property but has yet to engage their repair team effectively. He is now pursuing legal counsel as a last resort, accusing the council of misleading him into buying a defective property and failing to honour rectification promises.
The family feels utterly trapped, with Syed declaring:
What Did the Housing Ombudsman Find?
A September 2024 report from the Housing Ombudsman Service pinpointed service failings by Hackney Council in responding to reports of water ingress, associated damp, and mould, as well as mishandling the Alams’ complaints.
The watchdog told BBC News that the landlord had complied with its orders at the time, expressing sadness that residents’ issues remain unresolved and advising them to restart the complaint process.
This fits a pattern of broader council issues; a Housing Ombudsman special investigation (October 2023-June 2024) examined 56 cases, finding 14 severe maladministration instances, including six on leaks, damp, and mould.
Is Hackney Council Addressing Damp and Mould Broader Issues?
Hackney Council stated to BBC it is prioritising investigations into leaks, damp, and mould reports under Awaab’s Law, which mandates swift action by landlords on such hazards in social housing (extending later to private renters).
Awaab’s Law stems from the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in 2020 from mould-related respiratory failure in Rochdale.
The council holds the freehold at Brooklime House, thus bearing structural repair responsibility like roofs and external walls, yet residents like the Alams report ongoing failures.
Earlier Ombudsman findings against Hackney include severe maladministration in a 2023 case of a three-year roof leak causing mould and distress to a family with vulnerable children, and 2022 delays on damp and leaks.
A 2025 special report highlighted systemic repair issues, with 79% of complaints showing poor practice and 33% repeat visits due to flawed systems.
What Role Did External Campaigners Play?
Housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa, Big Issue ambassador, joined Big Issue reporters at the Alam home, spotlighting the decade-long ordeal in a property bought from Hackney Council 10 years ago.
Tweneboa has gained prominence via social media aiding housing disrepair cases, now partnering with Big Issue to support affected residents.
Their visit underscored the unused living room and persistent damp, amplifying calls for accountability under new laws like Awaab’s.
Why Can’t the Family Sell or Leave?
Syed Alam’s stark declaration captures their plight: unable to sell due to defects devaluing the property and ongoing habitability issues. As leaseholders, they face service charge liabilities while structural faults remain council’s domain.
Over 10 years of failed remedies have eroded trust and finances, with mortgage payments continuing amid unlivable conditions.
Multiple residents share suspicions of building-wide structural problems at Brooklime House, complicating individual sales.
What Broader Context Surrounds New-Build Defects in Hackney?
Hackney faces scrutiny for new-build handling; a 2025 Ombudsman decision (case 202327062) noted council admissions of in-house responsibility issues for defects, compounded by a cyber-attack losing historical data and staffing changes.
Councillors, including Greens, criticised systemic “gaslighting” via misleading repair positivity metrics.
In September 2024, Regulator of Social Housing flagged 1,400 open damp/mould cases council-wide, over 500 overdue and 600 severe.
What Steps Are Recommended Next?
The Housing Ombudsman advises the Alams to re-engage the complaint process, given prior compliance but unresolved issues.
Syed is seeking legal advice, potentially escalating via courts.
Under Awaab’s Law, expedited action is mandated, though applicability to leasehold-freehold dynamics like this remains tested.
Residents urge full structural surveys at Brooklime House to confirm and fix root causes.
Hackney Council’s damp page outlines causes like penetrating damp from building faults, aligning with Alams’ claims, but action lags.
