Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) Housing Association

Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) is a prominent housing association in London, formed from a 2018 merger of Notting Hill Housing and Genesis. If you are an NHG tenant living with unresolved disrepair, you may have the right to make a claim for housing disrepair compensation. We lay out out NHG’s legal obligations to you, common disrepair issues that might occur in NHG homes, advice on complaints, and legal action. By knowing your rights, you can ensure NHG addresses your repair problems or faces consequences.

Notting Hill Genesis Legal Obligations to Maintain Your Home

NHG, like all social landlords, must keep your home in good repair and fit for habitation.

Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, NHG is responsible for repairing the structure and key installations of your home. This means NHG must fix issues with your walls, roof, foundations, windows, external doors, plumbing (sinks, baths, drains, toilets), electrical wiring, gas pipes, and heating systems.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 reinforces that properties must remain free from serious hazards throughout a tenancy. For NHG, this means conditions like extensive damp or mould, pest infestations, unsafe electrical installations, or severe disrepair that risks health are legally unacceptable. NHG must address problems that make a flat or house unfit to live in.

Your part is to report issues promptly and allow access for repairs. Make sure NHG knows about the problem – don’t assume they do. Once reported, the clock starts ticking for NHG. They must carry out the repair in a reasonable timeframe. “Reasonable” is faster for urgent issues (like a dangerous electrical fault or no heating in winter) and could be longer for minor nuisances, but if it drags on with no action, NHG may be breaching their obligations.

Common Housing Disrepair Issues That Could Occur in NHG Homes

Damp and Mould in Flats: A perennial issue, especially in older buildings or ground-floor flats. Mould can cause respiratory illnesses, so NHG is expected to not just wipe it away but fix the cause (roof leak, rising damp, etc.) if it is present.

Leaking Windows and Rotten Frames: Many NHG properties have aging windows. Some tenants experienced windows that leaked rain or could not properly close, leading to drafts and water ingress. In one notorious example, an NHG resident had a broken window that was boarded up for four years, causing ventilation issues and damp – a failure so extreme it was highlighted in an Ombudsman learning report.

Plumbing and Bathroom Disrepairs: If there are reports of leaks from upstairs flats, constantly damp bathrooms due to plumbing defects, or sewage backing up into sinks/toilets NHG would be responsible for fixing the drainage and plumbing systems. If a leak originates in your flat’s pipes, NHG must fix it; if it’s from a neighbour, NHG still must coordinate the repair as the landlord of the building. Prolonged plumbing issues can create nasty living conditions (odours, mould growth and unusable facilities), so these are high priority.

Heating System Failures: Some NHG blocks have communal heating/hot water systems, which, if they fail, affect many homes at once. NHG needs to respond quickly here in the event of heating failure – providing temporary heaters and restoring service. If you have an individual boiler, NHG should repair it when faulty. Extended periods without heat or hot water are not considered a “reasonable” repair time by any standard.

General Maintenance Lapses: Which would include things like broken lifts (in high-rise NHG buildings), malfunctioning door entry systems, or deteriorating communal areas (lighting or stairwell hazards). While these might not be inside your dwelling, they impact your use of the home and your safety. For example, a non-working lift is a critical issue for elderly or disabled tenants. NHG is obligated to maintain common areas as part of providing you a safe home environment.

Legal Action and Compensation Claims

If the housing disrepair situation is severely affecting you and/or you want significant compensation for losses, going to court might be appropriate.

A housing disrepair claim could get you an order forcing repairs and compensation. For example, if your health suffered or you had to throw away mouldy furniture, these can be quantified in a claim.

If you are considering taking your housing association to court, it’s wise to seek advice from a specialist housing disrepair solicitor. NHG would likely prefer to avoid court (costly, time-consuming and a reputational risk). You might find that after an Ombudsman determination (should you take your case to them) in your favour, NHG might be more willing to negotiate a compensation settlement to avoid further action.

Hold Notting Hill Genesis to Account

Do not tolerate substandard living conditions. If NHG drags its feet on repairs, use your knowledge and the system to push through the complaint stages, involve the Housing Ombudsman, and consider legal action if needed. By holding NHG accountable, you’re not only pursuing justice for yourself but also helping ensure no other family endures what you did. Be persistent, be informed, and don’t hesitate to assert your rights.