RESIDENTS of a “dangerous” and “depressing” block of flats are taking on their local council and two property management companies in a fight for urgent repairs.

Tenants at Eros House in Lewisham, south-east London, are demanding an end to dangerous conditions.

Their homes suffer from water leaking into fuse boxes and electrical installations, along with damp and mould, and parents say these hazards are harming their children’s health.

Faulty heating systems are so inefficient that some people face heating bills of £40 a week and many residents were unable to keep their homes warm during recent freezing weather.

Residents and members of the new London Renters Union (LRU) took action after repeated requests for repairs were ignored by Lewisham Council and by Acorn and District Homes, two property management companies involved with Eros House.

They delivered a letter to both Lewisham Council and Acorn yesterday promising to “go further and pursue other avenues” if their demands were not met.

The letter outlined the “serious problems” residents were facing, describing the building in its current condition as “unsafe and unfit for human habitation.”

It read: “The standards and quality of life living at Eros House has not only caused medical health risks for many residents, including children, but is also having a psychological impact, as the poor standards the residents have to come home to are quite frankly depressing and anxiety-inducing.

“Please let the recent disaster of the Grenfell Tower remain in your thoughts, including the fundamental lesson: that it could all have been prevented.”

Residents also raised concerns over threats to evict some tenants.

At least five Eros House residents who rent their flat privately through Acorn have been served with eviction notices.

The LRU understands that they are being evicted so that District Homes can rent the flats out as temporary accommodation to other councils.

The union is calling for Acorn to rethink the evictions and for Lewisham Council to take responsibility for conditions in the block, given that most of its residents are council tenants.

It also points out that the flats have been converted from two-bedroom properties into three-bedroom ones so that they can be used for temporary accommodation.

Lewisham Council did not respond to a request for comment.

And Acorn, however, said it could not comment as it was no longer  instructed to manage the building.