Community

Croydon’s luxurious flagship flats turn into unsafe refuge as residents face eviction and repair delays

Wednesday, 5 November 2025 5:05AM UTC

Residents of The Fold, a luxury Croydon apartment tower, are evacuating amid structural failures and safety concerns, exposing wider systemic issues in newbuild quality and regulatory oversight.

Residents of The Fold, a 35-storey luxury apartment tower in Croydon completed in 2022, are confronting a dire housing crisis that has forced a mass evacuation and drawn critical scrutiny on the building's owners and the local council. Once marketed as the flagship development in Queen’s Square, The Fold is now largely uninhabitable, plagued by extensive structural defects including pervasive damp, mould, sewage leaks, collapsing ceilings, and serious fire safety concerns. Despite rents reaching as high as £1,480 a month for a one-bedroom flat, the building is only 30% occupied after residents were compelled to vacate due to the unsafe conditions.

The owner, Legal & General (L&G), holds a 250-year lease, while the council retains the freehold of the Queen’s Quarter site. Residents and their representatives are urgently seeking council support to hold L&G accountable for what they describe as “dangerous” living conditions and a failure to address their grievances adequately. Former resident Jack Fordham, who participated in a protest outside Croydon Town Hall, expressed frustration with the foundering communication and support system, stating: "When push comes to shove, we are asking the council for help, and then we can find out who actually stands for us."

The situation is alarming partly because of the discovery that faulty construction work by the now-defunct Henry Construction requires the building to be stripped back to its concrete frame, with remediation potentially extending until 2027. All residents must leave by March 2026, with fire safety issues—such as the presence of only a single staircase serving as a fire escape—heightening concerns further. The Fold’s management company, Urbanbubble, admitted to faults in the fire alarm system and has taken measures including installing four fire marshals and providing battery-powered smoke alarms. Yet, residents remain wary, with tenant Reuben Cox highlighting the conflicting communications that left them confused about whether the building was safe to remain in.

The impact on residents has been severe, with numerous reports of health problems linked to mould exposure and distress over sewage leaking into bathrooms. Compensation offered by L&G includes rent refunds equivalent to four months, full return of deposits, and additional payments to cover moving costs. However, tenants represented by the renters union ACORN argue that the compensation does not fully redress the trauma and disruption caused. ACORN’s representative Kane Newman has urged for stronger council backing, emphasising the need for enforcement of tenancy laws to protect vulnerable renters and hold landlords to account amid the wider housing crisis.

Croydon Council, while owning the freehold to the site, has clarified it bears no management responsibility for The Fold. Its role remains regulatory rather than operational, and the council confirmed it was not involved in construction oversight. Instead, enforcement falls primarily on the London Fire Brigade regarding fire safety. The council noted ongoing coordination efforts with L&G and the Fire Brigade to safeguard remaining residents but admitted to previously limited engagement directly with tenants. The council also contrasts The Fold’s woes with the neighbouring Malcolm Wicks House, a council-owned social housing block built at the same time by Henry Construction, where annual fire risk assessments, regular safety checks, and tenant communications have assured residents safety with no similar defects identified.

Despite these assurances, the wider context in Croydon reveals ongoing housing quality challenges. Hundreds of council properties across the borough continue to suffer from damp and mould issues, according to government data, highlighting persistent systemic problems that affect low-income tenants more broadly. The Fold’s predicament is emblematic of these failures and has reignited calls for improved regulatory oversight and accountability mechanisms in newbuild developments.

Legal & General maintains that resident safety and wellbeing are its priorities, apologising for communication shortcomings and confirming ongoing support measures. The company asserts comprehensive remediation efforts are underway and pledges continued engagement with residents, including weekly updates and personalised support. Nevertheless, at present, the building's future remains uncertain, and for many former residents, it represents a bitter cautionary tale about the gap between newbuild promises and lived realities in Croydon’s fraught housing market.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (MyLondon) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
^[2] (South London News) - Paragraphs 1, 3
^[3] (Inside Croydon) - Paragraph 4
^[4] (Inside Croydon) - Paragraph 3
^[5] (Inside Croydon) - Paragraph 6
^[6] (Evening Standard) - Paragraph 7
^[7] (Inside Croydon) - Paragraph 5

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/croydon-newbuild-the-fold-rebuilt-32804866 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://southlondonnews.co.uk/local/croydon/the-fold-croydon-flats-housing-crisis-and-evacuation-unfold/ - Residents of The Fold, a 35-storey residential tower in Croydon completed in 2022, are facing evacuation by March 2026 due to severe issues like damp, mould, sewage leaks, and fire safety defects. Legal & General, the building's owner, has acknowledged these problems and is offering compensation, including rent refunds and full deposit returns. Despite rents up to £3,000 per month, tenants have reported health problems linked to mould exposure. The building's construction flaws have raised concerns about Croydon's housing sector and the council's oversight responsibilities.
https://insidecroydon.com/2025/09/27/fold-managers-admit-to-fire-alarm-fault-in-35-storey-tower/ - Managers of The Fold in Croydon have admitted to a fault in the building's fire alarm system. The 35-storey tower, plagued by issues like mould, damp, and leaks, also has a single staircase serving as the only fire escape. In response to these safety concerns, four fire marshals and battery-powered smoke alarms have been installed. The building's management company, Urbanbubble, has acknowledged the severity of the situation and is taking steps to address the fire safety deficiencies.
https://insidecroydon.com/2025/09/12/the-fold-folds-hundreds-of-tenants-given-six-months-to-leave/ - Residents of The Fold, a 35-storey tower in Croydon, have been informed they must vacate their homes by March 2026 due to additional fire safety issues discovered during investigations into persistent mould, damp, and leaks. The building's owner, Legal & General, has offered compensation equivalent to four months' rent and full deposit refunds. The decision to evacuate was made after consultants identified defects in the roof and internal pipework as primary sources of water ingress, necessitating extensive remedial works.
https://insidecroydon.com/2025/09/26/mouldy-fold-no-problems-with-council-flats-says-town-hall/ - Croydon Council has stated that there are no issues with the council-owned flats in Malcolm Wicks House, despite the neighbouring private rental tower, The Fold, facing significant problems like mould, damp, and leaks. The council has conducted surveys and reassured residents that their building is safe. However, the council's response has been criticised, given the severe conditions reported in The Fold and the broader concerns about building quality in the area.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/croydon-homes-damp-mould-complaints-b1234074.html - Despite Croydon Council being taken out of special measures, hundreds of homes in the borough remain infested with damp and mould. Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that at least 824 properties have unresolved issues with excess moisture or fungi. Complaints about damp and mould have increased by a sixth over the past year, highlighting ongoing challenges in addressing housing quality and tenant concerns in Croydon.
https://insidecroydon.com/2025/09/20/let-us-be-free-from-this-hellhole-fold-tenants-issue-demands/amp/ - Residents of The Fold in Croydon have expressed their distress over living conditions, including pervasive mould, damp, sewage leaks, and fire safety defects. At a meeting organised by the community union ACORN, tenants shared experiences of health issues linked to mould exposure and demanded urgent action. The building's owners, Legal & General, have acknowledged the problems and are offering compensation, but residents remain dissatisfied with the response and the ongoing issues affecting their homes.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative presents recent developments regarding The Fold tower in Croydon, with the earliest known publication date being October 15, 2025. ([southlondonnews.co.uk](https://southlondonnews.co.uk/local/croydon/the-fold-croydon-flats-housing-crisis-and-evacuation-unfold/?utm_source=openai)) The report includes updated data and quotes, indicating a high freshness score. However, the presence of similar content across multiple sources suggests potential recycling of information. ([insidecroydon.com](https://insidecroydon.com/2025/09/27/fold-managers-admit-to-fire-alarm-fault-in-35-storey-tower/?utm_source=openai))

Quotes check

Score: 7

Notes: The report includes direct quotes from residents and representatives, such as Jack Fordham and Kane Newman. ([southlondonnews.co.uk](https://southlondonnews.co.uk/local/croydon/the-fold-croydon-flats-housing-crisis-and-evacuation-unfold/?utm_source=openai)) A search for these quotes reveals earlier appearances in similar contexts, indicating potential reuse of content. Variations in wording across different sources suggest paraphrasing rather than direct reuse.

Source reliability

Score: 6

Notes: The narrative originates from MyLondon, a local news outlet. While it provides detailed coverage, the outlet's reputation and editorial standards are not widely established, raising questions about the reliability of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The claims about The Fold tower's structural defects, including damp, mould, sewage leaks, and fire safety issues, align with reports from other reputable sources. ([southlondonnews.co.uk](https://southlondonnews.co.uk/local/croydon/the-fold-croydon-flats-housing-crisis-and-evacuation-unfold/?utm_source=openai)) The involvement of Legal & General and the council's response are consistent with known facts. However, the lack of coverage from major national outlets may indicate limited verification of the claims.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative presents recent developments regarding The Fold tower in Croydon, with updated data and quotes. However, the presence of similar content across multiple sources suggests potential recycling of information. The origin from a less-established local news outlet raises questions about reliability, and the lack of coverage from major national outlets indicates limited verification of the claims.

housing crisis
Croydon
building safety