The organization is simply too large and lacks adequate staffing, with many employees seemingly having the right qualifications but fundamentally disliking tenants. The repair service has consistently been disorganized, leading to significant financial losses due to staff not listening or having comprehension issues. My newly constructed bathroom plumbing has had minor issues since the start, and three weeks after reporting it, I received a call asking when someone could check my LEAKING BATH! The bath wasn’t leaking, yet they let a brand new bath on the sixth floor remain unattended for three weeks! After several attempts to clarify, I was told to "clean the plug hole." There seems to be an underlying expectation that tenants are incompetent and often unclean. Many tenants have faced issues with a faulty hot water valve; my hot water was at 27C for three months before I had to raise my voice for it to be addressed. Tenants are forced to pay separately for communal heating and hot water with a daily fee (regardless of occupancy) of 70p, in addition to a separate charge for all other electricity from a different supplier: mine adds another 50p daily. That’s £1.20 per day just to be connected to electricity. The communal system is exorbitantly priced (I used to pay around £40 monthly for gas and electricity together in my previous residence, but now I pay around £200 monthly) and erratic. I take daily meter readings that show I can spend £5 one day and £1 the next without any significant change in usage. Underfloor heating may sound appealing, but it’s the most costly option available in the UK. Such expenses are literally unmanageable for the most vulnerable, elderly, or disabled tenants. Our service charge includes the use of two lifts. Since the building was completed, only one lift has been operational, yet we still pay for both. The organization relies on many tenants utilizing housing benefits—Council Tax payers are essentially covering the cost of two lifts when one has never functioned, exemplifying the dismal exploitation of both rent and housing benefits. While individual staff members are generally helpful in person and their intentions seem good, the practical execution of processes is unpredictable. The only way to achieve results is through constant escalation. Given the inefficiency of processes, tenants often distrust the staff, and unfortunately, many employees seem to openly dislike tenants. A significant amount of money is wasted because individual repair staff do not face repercussions for their poor record-keeping; the systems are overly complex and, fundamentally, too many employees harbor negative feelings towards tenants. Edit in response to the organization's reply:
Thank you for your response, but it feels like a standard reply to all reviews. From extensive experience, I can assure you, and anyone reading this, that this feels performative rather than genuine. I understand this is your job—one that AI may eventually take over—and that you have no real authority. That must be disheartening for you, but it does not help tenants and does not absolve the organization of its responsibilities.
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At Peabody, we look after 108,000 homes, with 220,000 residents across London and the Home Counties. We also provide care and support services for more than 26,000 customers.
Our mission is to provide quality homes and help build communities and neighbourhoods. We’re focused on getting the basic right - keeping homes safe, comfortable and well-maintained. But we also want our residents to feel our support when they need it most.
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