Waterside Apartments in poor condition complain residents

Waterside Apartments in St James Street, Accrington, are managed by London-based Residential Management Group (RMG) and Manchester-based letting agents Ascend.

Now the building is in “abysmal condition” and the letting agents have been said to have quoted "astronomical fees" for repairs or not completing them at all according to people living there.

Broken door at Waterside Apartments (Image: Tom Moss) Tom Moss, a resident at Waterside Apartments, said: “It is a really nice apartment building, and they are advertised as luxury and I am friendly with a lot of the residents.

“The residents living at the building deserve a nice place to reside, as advertised also because it is a really nice, designed apartment complex which is being driven into the grounds because of RMG and Ascend.

“It is a constant chase with them, and it seems to keep going downhill and deteriorating but it doesn’t have to.”

Residents from Waterside Apartments (Image: Tom Moss) In 2021 the building had fallen into such disrepair that mushrooms began growing on the walls and one resident developed a hair loss disorder as a result.

Now radiators have fallen off the walls, piles of waste have been left outside the flats and the RMG is allegedly planning to cut the cleaner and the gardener, who Tom says rarely ever visit.

The state of the mould and mushrooms in Waterside Apartments in 2021 (Image: Tom Moss) Ascend is said to be charging a commission fee for carrying out maintenance work and Tom claims it quoted £250 to remove a trolley and £450 for bin removals.

Leaseholders pay an "extortionate" monthly service charge and residents held a meeting to begin working together to make the building ‘luxury’ again.

Mud from a fallen plant pot in the foyer (Image: Tom Moss)

Before Ascend took over as managing agents of the property, it was managed by a local agent, who residents say performed stricter background checks including financial, pet and criminal and made residents go through an interview process.

Since they moved on, Tom claims new tenants cause vandalism, and anti-social behaviour and some residents have left dog faeces in communal areas.

Dog poo found in the foyer at Waterside apartments (Image: Tom Moss) Tom continued: “The leaseholders feel trapped, as their investment has depreciated in value by tens of thousands as they are still waiting for RMG to conduct the remedial works.”

Issues have also been raised surrounding broken cladding which covers approximately 10 per cent of the building, which Tom says makes the property impossible to sell.

Tom added: “Due to the cladding residents are unable to sell their investment as mortgage lenders will not lend on this basis ultimately, making their investment unsellable or to cash buyers only.”

An RMG spokesperson said: “We acknowledge that there was a historical issue with the roof of the development, which caused water ingress and subsequent damage for some residents.

"This issue was inherited by RMG when we took over the management and was fully addressed by us, on behalf of the landlord, in 2021, and we are not aware of any ongoing concerns related to the roof.

“Regarding the current issues raised, we have acted promptly to resolve all matters as soon as they were brought to our attention.

"We agree that people leaving rubbish in the hallways and the damaging of a radiator are unacceptable. We are actively engaging with tenants and letting agents about this. It is important to note that the images circulated do not represent the typical condition of the development.

“The management and running of this building rely entirely on money paid by the residents in service charges. Unfortunately, a significant number of leaseholders have not yet paid their 2024 service charges, which are typically due in advance in January.

"These payments are essential to maintain services and pay suppliers and non-payments are requiring us to prioritise critical services such as fire safety, insurance, and electricity.

"While we have not yet reduced services, we have communicated with residents to stress that continued non-payment may impact the provision of some services.

“We remain committed to maintaining the safety and well-being of all residents and encourage all customers to contact us via our 24/7 Customer Service Centre with any concerns.”