My mother's Basingstoke home is in ruins after a water leak

Liesha Nangia, 41, a homeowner in Winterthur Way near Basingstoke train station, says the negligence of Romans Letting Agency, which manages the flat above her, has caused mental and financial distress and left her family in a state of incredible distress.

Although Liesha says she first complained about the leak on September 12, Romans claims the complaint was made via the online platform, while urgent matters should have been discussed over the phone.

Romans claimed they were only alerted by telephone on September 16, but said there was no immediate response because the block management company's insurer had instructed the authority to await the results of a track-and-trace assessment.

The assessment was ultimately conducted on Tuesday, October 1st – the same day gazette contacted Romans for comment.

The nightmare began three weeks ago with a small leak in the ceiling of the apartment Liesha owns.

Alarmed, she immediately contacted Romans, the company responsible for managing the aforementioned property, and asked for urgent action.

After the leak, there was heavy mold growth in several rooms (Image: Newsquest)

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Liesha claims the agency initially denied any problem and insisted there was no leak from the apartment above.

“I contacted them as soon as I saw the water, hoping they would fix the problem before it got worse,” Liesha said through tears.

“But they tried to fend me off by saying there was no leak on their property. They ignored my concerns and the problem continued to escalate.”

She also copied Victory Hill Management Co Ltd, the company responsible for managing the Winterthur Way buildings, but said the company had said it was a private matter between the two individual apartments.

At first, they tried to control the leak by storing water in buckets and throwing it into the toilet. But after several leaks, the apartment became uninhabitable and that was no longer possible.

“My entire house is in ruins and now the leak is spreading,” she said.

“It also affects the neighbors.”

According to her, the agency should have immediately conducted a “trace and access” inspection to determine the source of the leak before it escalated.

Instead, she says her negligence turned a manageable problem into a disaster.

After the rental agency failed to provide any accountability, Liesha said she was forced to hire a plumber at her own expense.

The plumber confirmed that the leaking pipe came from the property above and advised that the problem could not be resolved without intervention from the owners of the upstairs apartment.

What started as a small leak in one room has now turned into a full-blown disaster.

Water seeps through several parts of the apartment, making it completely uninhabitable.

Part of the ceiling began to collapse, raising fears that it could collapse at any moment.

“Mold is growing everywhere on the ceiling, the carpets are completely destroyed and the smell is unbearable,” said Liesha.

“Now water even flows out of the front door. It’s bad for everyone’s health and my neighbors complain about the smell, but what can I do?”

As the damage worsened, water also began to seep into the apartment below.

Liesha says she feels trapped and helpless and there is no end to the ordeal in sight.

“We are being asked by the neighbors to fix the problem, but I can't do anything about it on my own. I am under incredible stress financially and mentally. “My husband and I haven’t slept properly in days,” she said.

Liesha is an IT expert and has been working on a project for two years that is now nearing completion.

“I should concentrate on my work now. I've been working on it for two years. But here I am fighting with a rental agency. This is ruining my life,” she said.

Liesha is also concerned about the impact of this ongoing crisis on her two children – a 15-year-old daughter preparing for her GCSE and a seven-year-old son.

The couple have tried to shield their children from the gravity of the situation, but the strain is beginning to take its toll.

“We try to put on a brave face for the children, but the stress is unbearable,” said Liesha, her voice broken.

The leak has now become a serious health hazard (Image: Newsquest)

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Liesha bought the apartment in 2020 hoping it would be a solid investment for her family. Instead, it has become a nightmare that you can't seem to escape.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Liesha said.

“I already have health issues, both physical and mental, and this has just pushed me to the brink.”

A Romans spokesman said: “We were first made aware of a suspected small leak between two apartments on September 16th and immediately instructed a contractor to attend site the same day.”

“The block management company's insurer told us categorically that we would need to await the results of a track and trace assessment before taking any further action. This happened on October 1 in four apartments in the block.”

“Romans value the health, safety and comfort of our tenants and support the communities in which they live. We always aim to address concerns as quickly as possible and will work with all parties within our scope of responsibility to resolve issues effectively. Throughout this process we have been in close contact with the residents of the affected apartment, the block management company and their insurance provider to find a solution. Our aim is to minimize disruption and ensure everyone affected feels heard, supported and confident that their wellbeing is our top priority.”