A father-of-two has slammed the local authority for failing to fix his rotten window frame, which he says he first reported more than three years ago.
Stan Maskell, 28, who lives in Petersfield Avenue, Harold Hill, claimed he first raised the issue to Havering Council in November 2020.
The council today (February 15) apologised for the delays to Stan's home and said it has asked contractors to prioritise repairs.
But Stan, who cares for daughter Billie, five, and son Cooper, two, refused to accept the council's apology and feared a permanent fix would not be provided.
"I hate it," he said. "It's making me feel uncomfortable - it should've been done ages ago.
"It's ridiculous - the only reason they are getting it sorted is because they are getting called out for it," he claimed. "They need to look into more than just this one. It's just not good enough."
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The council said its officers will carry out an investigation into why this request was not undertaken sooner to avoid repeat occurrences.
But Stan, who works between 12 and 13 hours a day, said after years of grappling with the problem he has little faith in the council's word.
"I just feel like they are dragging their feet," he said. "They keep sending people out to make it look like they are going something about it but they don't."
Stan claimed the council previously made minor repairs, but did not address the root of the problem.
He said this has caused a lot of stress for him, his children and ex-partner Leah, 27, whom he lives with.
"My energy usage is up because of how hard it is to heat this room," Stan claimed. "It has caused me a lot of stress - it makes me angry because I'm paying them [the council] money every month."
Stan added that he has had to take time off work to accommodate visits from council officers.
"I think it should be replaced," he said. "Otherwise we will be in the same position again in a couple of months."
A council spokesperson added: "We sincerely apologise for the delay to the repairs at Mr Maskell’s home."
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