A mum and daughter reporting a “takeover” of their Islington block of flats by drug users have accused their landlord of a “dereliction of duty”.
By Josef Steen, Local Democracy Reporter
A mum and daughter reporting a “takeover” of their Islington block of flats by drug users have accused their landlord of a “dereliction of duty”.
An elderly mother and her chronically ill adult daughter say they have repeatedly appealed to their housing association, London and Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q), to act over “dangerous” mostly male intruders they say are threatening and intimidating occupants while turning communal areas into a hotbed for substance misuse and drug dealing.
The pair are also now facing eviction due to rent arrears they claim have built up due to recent illness and medical operations.
The mother, who we’ve agreed to name only as Ms Fagan, said she and her daughter are “petrified” for their safety as unknown drug users and masked men come in and out of Epping Place in Barnsbury at all hours of the day and night, leaving them too scared to leave their flat.
“We’re prisoners in our own home,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
The residents allege that groups of “hooded and masked intruders” repeatedly try to force entry into the block and their own home by attacking interior and exterior doors and tampering with electrics to cut off the locking systems.
The LDRS has seen several videos and CCTV footage capturing men loitering outside the building and appearing to be using illicit substances, kicking at internal and external doors, or entering the property after yanking on the back door. The residents, who have reported the problem to the police, claim the men have been able to repeatedly bypass locked communal doors using fire brigade keys or switching off the door entry circuit breaker in the block’s electricity cupboard.
“Anyone can buy these keys online,” Ms Fagan said.
Records seen by the LDRS show staff considered putting a cage around the electrical consumer unit to prevent tampering, but supervisors rejected this due to health and safety fears. L&Q, however, says it regularly meets with the police and Islington Council to “report and address any concerns raised”.
Scared to take out rubbish
Ms Fagan’s daughter, Miss McCabe, said the ongoing situation had left them “scared to even go to the bin area” in broad daylight due to the mess and anti-social behaviour.
“L&Q are never in this building,” she claimed. “We put on the manual alarm to try and scare [intruders] away but they just walk off and come straight back.”
Ms Fagan and her daughter added that intruders have also threatened L&Q staff, claiming this led one fire officer to abandon a safety inspection in October 2025 and take refuge in their flat.
But despite the mother and daughter’s pleas to the landlord over ensuing stress and sleepless nights, they claim the association has ignored “hundreds” of incident logs, cancelled emergency security orders, and removed locks from the building.
The mother and daughter say the situation worsened after a severe fire in a neighbouring flat in 2025, after which its front door and windows were unlocked for weeks – resulting in men “climbing in” either to loot or take drugs, they claim. The residents add that the charred, empty property was never cleaned and has led to residents “trailing toxic soot and ash” in the corridors, while another communal door was left off its hinges for “roughly a year”.
Miss McCabe has been due for a series of operations for her chronic illnesses, leading doctors to write several letters to the landlord – all seen by the LDRS – asking for them both to be rehoused due to the impact of the “extreme anti-social behaviour”, “harassment”, plus persistent leaks inside the flat, on her physical recovery and mental health.
Landlord seeking possession
The housing association insists it has enhanced safety at the block, offered the pair rehousing options, and carried out cleaning works in the building. All of these claims are disputed by the two tenants.
All external doors were reported secure during their last visit in August 2026, the landlord said. L&Q also claims it has advised Ms Fagan of alternative housing options available.
However, the LDRS understands the housing association is now trying to seek possession of the pair’s home through the courts over rent arrears. The tenants say their account was in credit until the recent period of serious illness and medical operations.
Charlie Culshaw, Director of Housing Management at L&Q, said: “We take all reports of antisocial behaviour very seriously. We’re sorry for the difficult experience that Ms Fagan and her daughter have had. We regularly meet with the police and local authority to report and address any concerns raised.
“We’ve put in place measures to improve security at Epping Place and help residents feel safe in their homes. This has included repairing the main entrance door, increasing visits from our housing management team, and working with the police to increase patrols in and around the building.
“We understand the impact situations like this can have on residents and will continue to support Ms Fagan, working with local partners to monitor the situation and take action where necessary.”
