Lambeth residents have been told to sign confidentiality clauses as a condition for receiving money owed to them for building work they had been overcharged for.
Lambeth Council has paid out nearly £1.6m in refunds to 136 residents over the last five years after charging residents for building work that was poorly carried out or never undertaken in the first place.
As a condition of receiving the payments, the affected residents had to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
The council told the BBC this was ‘to avoid other leaseholders from using arguments made in separate and unrelated disputes. This enables the council to handle disputes on a case-by-case basis.’
A council spokesperson said: ‘As a landlord, the council is responsible for day-to-day repairs, maintenance and major works at our buildings, to ensure they are safe and secure for all our residents. Under the terms of their lease agreements, leaseholders, as well as the council, are required to pay a share of the costs of this work.’
