Artist fears he will lose flat as Lambeth council hits him with £98,000 repair bill

Local authority leaseholders have to share costs, have no say over who does the job and can face financial ruin

An artist who bought a flat in a council-owned block faces homelessness after his local authority demanded he pay nearly £98,000 towards building repairs.

Jamie Harris, 47, purchased the leasehold on a one-bedroom flat owned by Lambeth Council in 2007. Eight of the 10 flats in the converted Victorian villa are rented to council tenants and, unbeknown to him, he and the one other leaseholder share liability with the council for any building work. He’s now been threatened with legal action unless he pays £97,860 and says he will have to sell his home to settle the bill.