Lucas Honey claims his home was falsely advertised as being accessible.
Lucas Honey said his flat was wrongly advertised as being fully wheelchair-accessible.(Image: Living Rent)
Protesters have demanded a letting agency compensate a disabled tenant in Edinburgh who claimed his home was falsely advertised as accessible. Lucas Honey, 36, previously claimed he was “trapped” inside his flat in Granton Harbour.
Lucas said he waited several years trying to get necessary adjustments made to the property which would allow him to live independently. The work was finally completed in November this year, but his request for compensation was denied, reports Edinburgh Live.
Members of tenants’ union Living Rent protested outside the offices of C~URB Lettings in Slateford this morning, Tuesday, December 16 to support Lucas’ claim for £8,954.71, which amounts to 50 percent of rent paid from March 2024 until now.
Lucas insisted the figure is more than reasonable, given that it only covers the limited period of time since the letting agency first engaged with him over the adaptations. He said if he were to calculate compensation based on the entire length of his tenancy, this figure would reportedly be over £20,000.
He added the experience has left him “exhausted and heartbroken”, and has left him out of pocket for additional carers and support, due to the inaccessibility of the flat.
Lucas previously said his kitchen was not accessible, leaving him unable to cook his own meals, and that the flat was fitted with carpet on the flooring – making it difficult for him to move around in his wheelchair. He also raised concerns over how heavy and problematic the main door to the building was over four years ago, but claimed C~URB failed to take action.
In late 2024, C~URB reportedly fitted new mag-locks which narrowed the width of the main doors, leaving Lucas’ wheelchair unable to pass through.
He said: “It has been an exhausting and heartbreaking four and a half years, trying to get my property adapted that should have been adapted in the first place. In that time I have had constant promises broken, letters and complaints ignored, and been treated like a nuisance by the people I pay rent to.
“Not being able to use my own home independently whilst simultaneously raising my rent by over 27 percent, shouldn’t happen.
“I couldn’t leave because the housing crisis for disabled people is especially bad in the UK, so I was trapped, unable to leave, unable to use my home, and paying a lot of money for carers to come do things I should be able to do myself if my home was actually accessible as advertised.”
The multi-storey complex houses 155 flats across six tower blocks, six of which flats were advertised as accessible and affordable housing in April 2021.
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In response to complaints about the accessibility of the building, C~URB Lettings stated that they “bought the building already designed”. They also admitted in a meeting with tenants that they incorrectly advertised these properties as fully accessible.
The additional consequence of Lucas accepting the C~URB property is that he has reportedly lost his place on the accessible housing waiting list, meaning he would need to reapply to be awarded gold priority status that comes with an average waiting time of 305 days.
Lucas added: “I believe I am being more than reasonable asking for compensation from March 2024, when they originally designed my kitchen and then failed to do the adaptations. If I was asking for compensation from when I moved in and promises started being broken, that would be over 20k.
“So we have been patient and reasonable, and they refuse to acknowledge this, or compensate me for the consistent mistakes they have made. Especially considering I couldn’t even independently leave my own home. I’m so tired and hurt, and I just want this to be over.
“It should have fit my needs from day one, and it shouldn’t have taken getting the union involved a year and a half ago, to get my basic needs met by an organisation I pay over 50 percent of my income to.”
A C~URB Lettings spokesperson said: “We have been working closely with Mr Honey to ensure his home meets his needs.
“To date, all adaptations requested by Mr Honey have been completed. If further support is required, we are happy to continue to work with Mr Honey to address this.”