For several years, residents of a residential block in west London have been grappling with wall cracks that reappear despite numerous attempts at plastering.

“The cracks have expanded, and as you can see, the wall has shifted at the base,” remarks Mick Brady, who has lived in his Ealing housing association flat for 12 years.

Their tolerance has worn thin, leading some residents to choose to withhold their rent payments.

Among them is Mick, who has a disability.

“I feel like this is the only option left for me,” he shared.

“The [housing association] has violated our agreement. I am prepared to take this to court, and I believe I would win. I’m confident that any judge would dismiss their position.”

I first visited Mick three years ago, motivated by his appeal to BBC London regarding the deteriorating state of his flat, which was then managed by Catalyst Housing.

He had been relocated from one apartment to another to facilitate repairs for severe cracks that had developed in his walls, which only worsened over time.

Similar fractures, following the same pattern, were also forming in neighboring units and those above.

Every time the housing association re-plastered and painted over the cracks, they would reemerge, prompting Mick and his neighbors to suspect subsidence issues.

He has since returned to his original flat, where, he claims, cracks have resurfaced once more, a troubling pattern that has persisted for over 20 years.

Mick showed me correspondence sent to another tenant on November 24, 2003, from a previous landlord regarding potential subsidence in the building.

The block comprises a mix of social housing and leasehold units, inhabited by both tenants and private landlords.

Currently owned by Peabody, the organization suggested that tree roots might be responsible for the cracks.

Although a tree was removed, the cracking persisted, and they indicated that in order to address the issue, the council would need to revoke a tree preservation order.

In Adam Hamden’s ground-floor unit, the bottom four rows of bricks on the outside wall are noticeably sticking out.

Adam can no longer close his patio doors securely.

“The shifting ground has warped the walls, making it impossible to close the door,” he explained.

He demonstrated how he uses a garden trowel to prop the door so he can lock it. He’s also facing issues with his kitchen window.

When I last visited him three years ago, he had a deep crack in his wall, large enough that he could insert a knife from the kitchen to the bedroom. Despite having undergone plastering and painting, that same crack is now reemerging.

“Hasn’t it been fixed in three years?” I inquired.

“That’s exactly the same crack in the same formation. They just decorated, replastered, and added some metal mesh,” he clarified.

In the common corridor between the residences, I met leaseholder Donna Shepherd, who had placed a blue bucket underneath leaks from the ceiling above.

A significant damp patch was visible on the ceiling, accompanied by black mold and bubbling paint, with flakes accumulating on the floor.

The housing association acknowledged the presence of some asbestos in the ceiling but classified it as low risk.

“The fact that water is seeping through the concrete shows how long this issue has persisted,” she remarked.

Donna purchased her flat five years ago and has taken great care in its decoration, yet she now questions whether it was the right choice.

“My service charge is quite high, and according to my deeds, Peabody, the housing association, is obligated to maintain the building. They are failing in that responsibility.”

She too is considering stopping her payments.

“I’m ready to halt my service charge payment.”

In response, Peabody stated: “We recognize that cracks can be alarming, and we have reached out to residents to assure them that their homes are safe. This was corroborated by structural engineers who inspected the building again today.”

They noted that they addressed the original subsidence issue a few years ago by removing the problematic tree and conducting repairs, but cracks began to reappear late last year.

“Our insurers have been keeping an eye on the situation, and we suspect that nearby trees may now be the cause,” the statement continued.

“In order to remove the trees, a Tree Preservation Order must be lifted by the council. We need to confirm that the trees are indeed the problem. We expect the final monitoring report from our insurers next month, after which we can petition the council for permission to remove the trees.”

Peabody has dispatched its surveyors to reevaluate both subsidence and other concerns reported by residents.

“We will promptly address all urgent repairs and will implement permanent solutions once the trees are eradicated.

“We acknowledge that our communication has not been as effective as it should be and are committed to rectifying that while working toward a long-term resolution. Our local team will be visiting Hanger View Way weekly to speak with residents.”