THE Town Hall paid out almost £2million in housing disrepair claims over a four-year period, according to new data.

Islington Council has come under regular scrutiny for the upkeep of its current housing stock, and our pages are regularly filled with stories of mould, damp, and overcrowding.

In October 2023, the Housing Ombudsman published a damning report which found Islington Council responsible for “severe maladministration” of its housing. It was subsequently ordered to pay tenants tens of thousands of pounds in compensation.

Now, statistics obtained through Freedom on Information requests by law firm JF Law have revealed that more tenants are escalating their fights to the courts.

The number of claims against the council rose from 133 in 2021 to 464 in 2025, and the Town Hall has paid out a total of £1,984,000 during that period.

In one case, an individual was even handed £76,375 in compensation, while more than half-a-million pounds was stumped up in one year.

Callum Waterhouse, from housing union Acorn, said: “These figures make clear that far too many tenants are being let down by Islington Council and left to face unsafe and unpleasant conditions. The council needs to take a much more responsive and proactive approach to repairs, rather than forcing residents into legal action.”

An Islington Council spokesperson said: “Ensuring residents have safe, well-maintained homes is a top priority for the council. Around 94 per cent of priority repairs are completed on time, and 85 per cent of repairs are resolved first time.

“We encourage residents to report issues early so we can put things right quickly.

“Where we fall short, we learn from those cases and continue to improve our service.”