Carla Denyer, Green MP for Bristol Central, visited Queen’s Court and was appalled by what she saw, and has demanded urgent intervention from the property management company
Residents face ‘damp, mould and squalor conditions at Queen’s Court in Clifton
Residents at a Bristol housing block are up in arms over “squalid” conditions, soaring rents, and “eviction threats”, leading their MP to call for immediate action from the building’s property managers. Bristol Live readers are urging the council to act.
Carla Denyer, Green Party MP for Bristol Central, expressed shock after visiting Queen’s Court in Clifton, indicating the seriousness of the situation in a letter to City Estates, the property management company.
The MP pressed City Estates to urgently discuss the matter with residents, pointing out that the company might not be meeting its legal duties. Queen’s Court has been notorious for persistent problems such as damp, mould, and overall decay, which have been on Denyer’s radar since she served as a local councillor.
In her letter, Denyer wrote that conditions included “damp, mould and rot; failing pipe work; water leaking into properties; no access to water for days at a time; filthy brown waste water coming up through the plug hole of a bath, and much more.”
Following her visit, Denyer said: “I was absolutely appalled to see the frankly squalid conditions that residents at Queen’s Court are being forced to live in – and further shocked to hear that despite City Estates failing in their basic duties to make repairs, tenants are being slapped with rent increases.”
Denyer concluded with a strong message: “I’m really disappointed that City Estates don’t seem willing to engage properly with the tenants at Queen’s Court. All that these tenants are asking for is a decent place to live at a fair price. I won’t let this matter drop.”
Green Party councillors Serena Ralston and George Calascione, who were elected to the area last May, have been actively backing residents and urging City Estates for improvements.
Commenter 6470 asks: “The council said they sent two civil penalty notices in 2023, it’s now 2025 and it doesn’t look like there has been any progress, so why has the council not taken further action? I don’t mean send another letter, but take them to court. The council takes money if it’s a HMO so now spend some of it.”
Bs3bob agrees: “Why has the council sat on their hands for the past couple of years? As with lots of things, the rules/laws are there, they just aren’t enforced for whatever reason.”
Junius adds: “Presumably this has been reported to BCC Environmental Health which has a range of powers to deal with this including prosecuting the private landlord, so what are they doing? BCC stated that it issued two Civil Penalty Notices to the private landlord and will continue with improvement notices. Civil Penalty Notices are a cheaper alternative to prosecution, which the council can also pursue, and are less effective as a remedy against recalcitrant landlords, as proved in this case.”
Thinksclearzooms replies: “This is why the public want Labour to tackle Tory inaction in the housing and rental markets. The introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill, anticipated this year, will make a real difference to people suffering at the hands of Rachman-like landlords.”
Berklicker states: “Unfortunately, any law, act, promise or bill is only as good as its enforcement.”
Wesfrench says: “Try washing with bleach when it starts and open the windows!”
Tina Elliott replies: “I was just waiting for the ‘just crack a window and don’t dry washing indoors’ mob. That image is disgusting and that is not caused by the tenant.”
Anna Midwinter replies: “Queens Court is privately owned. It offers an example of how some private sector ‘caring and proud’ landlords treat their tenants. The Council and MP are working alongside the tenants to get the landlords to fulfil their responsibilities.”
What do you think should be done to improve these living conditions? Have your say in our comments section.