Camden Council has pledged to improve its services for leaseholders after data revealed that only 30 per cent of people who had bought a property from the council were happy with its upkeep.

A total of 43 per cent of respondents said they were ‘dissatisfied’ with the council's services, while nearly half said the same for repairs and maintenance.

Leaseholders who buy from the local authority follow different rules to social housing tenants - typically, a person who leases an entire property is responsible for maintenance inside it, but the council still serves as the landlord.

And problems such as broken-down lifts, poor quality work, lack of communication over delays, and even getting hold of the council in the first place were discussed at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday (October 9).

Cllr James Slater (Labour) put forward recommendations for rebuilding the council’s relationship with leaseholders.

He said residents did not feel their feedback was being considered, and that contractors were not held accountable for the standard of their work.

“There is a central issue around what leaseholder services is there to do. Communication should be focused on this, as some see it as a one-stop-shop for all issues.

“We have to ensure residents know who to contact first-time.

“While we are prioritising leaseholders right now, if we can get it right with one group, we can get it right with others,” he said.

A report put to the council by Cllr Sagal Abdi-Wali, cabinet member for better homes, stated that Camden “wants to be more proactive in advising residents of the status of projects and any delays”.

The report also recommended the council uses a customer relationship management system to track its communication with leaseholders.

Cllr Slater said he would “continue to meet regularly with leaseholders’ forums, who endorsed the recommendations”.

“We will see improvements, and we are already starting to see an impact.”

He added that leaseholders feel better recognised by the council after it acknowledged the issues and listened to their concerns.

Cllr Patricia Callaghan (Labour) welcomed the report and congratulated Cllr Slater on the survey.

“I can recall, years ago, meeting with leaseholders and every single one of them saying something derogatory about the council,” she said.

The cabinet also discussed a new strategy on procuring service contracts for Camden’s housing stock, including for upgrading lifts — a problem that has also affected neighbouring councils Islington and Hackney.

Cllr Steve Adams (Conservative) said “everyone accepts the performance of lift repairs in Camden is low”.

He asked cabinet members if a seven-year contract was too long to make sure contractors were held accountable for upkeeping lifts in council homes and other buildings.

In an attempt to elevate the mood, council leader Richard Olszewski, who was appointed in July, chose his words carefully.

“Be in no doubt: we want lift performance to go to a higher level.”