Introducing our MB Housing Team

Our front-line staff are experienced professionals who understand the unique needs of housing co-operatives and their tenant-members.

We combine technical expertise with a commitment to excellent customer service, ensuring that both co-operatives and their tenant-members receive responsive, reliable support.

Supporting You Every Day

Ashleigh Martin – Head of Housing and Repairs

Ashleigh oversees the day-to-day delivery of housing and repairs services. With over 10 years of experience in property and building management, she specialises in compliance, health and safety, and maintenance.

Sonny Lofthouse – Co-operative Support Officer

Sonny supports the day-to-day management of co-operatives, bringing valuable experience from his previous roles managing large residential portfolios and projects in the private sector.

Tate Sharpe – Apprentice Property Manager

Tate is often your first point of contact. He supports repairs and maintenance requests and is developing his skills across our property management systems.

Harry Martin – Maintenance Manager

Harry brings over 30 years of experience in construction and maintenance. He leads on our co-operative maintenance and plays a key role in ensuring homes are safe and well maintained.

Welcome to Our New MB Housing Office

We’re delighted to share some exciting news—MB Housing has a new home!

Having outgrown our previous office, we made the move at the end of last year to a bright and welcoming new space on Lewisham High Street. The new office provides a more comfortable and accessible environment for our team, and reflects our continued growth and commitment to delivering high-quality services.

While our location has changed, all of our contact details remain exactly the same. You can continue to reach us using our existing telephone numbers and email addresses, and our Registered Office address is unchanged.

Tenant Satisfaction Measures Survey

Where we provide this service to your co-operative, MB Housing may contact you to carry out a Tenant Satisfaction Measure survey on behalf of your co-operative, in line with the Social Housing Regulator’s requirements. You may have already received a text from us, and thank you to those of you who responded.

It is important that your co-operative knows how it is performing.  Your co-operative will report on these measures directly to you every two years, usually at your co-operative’s AGM. Also, where applicable, the report will be available on the MB Housing website on your co-operative’s page.

You can find out more about what the Tenant Satisfaction Measures mean for your co-operative on our website here.

Get involved with your co-operative

Your co-operative needs you!

Being part of a housing co-operative means more than just having a place to live—it’s about being part of a community where your voice matters. Your co-operative is shaped by its tenant-members, and your ideas, skills, and involvement help make it a better place for everyone.

There are many ways to get involved, whatever your time or experience. You could attend meetings, join the committee, help organise community activities, or simply share your views on how things can be improved - like the Tenant Satisfaction Measures above. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference.

Getting involved is also a great way to meet your neighbours, learn new skills, and have a real say in decisions that affect your home and community. From improving services to shaping future plans, tenant-members play a vital role in guiding your co-operative forward.

If you’ve never taken part before, now is the perfect time to start. Your co-operative is always looking for new voices and fresh ideas.

Together, you can help build a stronger, more connected co-operative—so why not take that first step today? Your co-operative really does need you! Find out more from your Chair or Secretary, or give us a call on 020 3924 2810 for a chat about getting involved.

Emergency Repairs at MB Housing

At MB Housing, we understand that some repairs simply can’t wait. When something goes wrong that risks your safety, health, or the security of your home, our emergency repairs service is here to respond quickly and effectively.

What Is an Emergency Repair?

An emergency repair is something that poses an immediate risk to you, your home, or others. These are issues that need urgent attention to prevent harm or serious damage.

Examples include:

• loss of all electricity or lighting
• no heating or hot water (especially in colder months)
• serious water leaks or flooding
• blocked toilet (if it’s the only one in your home)
• unsafe structures (e.g. ceilings, walls, or stairs at risk)
• gas leaks or suspected carbon monoxide issues
• insecure doors or windows following a break-in

If you’re ever unsure, it’s always best to report the issue so we can advise you.

How to report an Emergency Repair

If you have an emergency repair and MB Housing provides your maintenance service, contact us immediately on 020 3924 2810.

Our team will:

• assess the urgency of the issue
• arrange for a contractor to attend as quickly as possible
• make the situation safe and prevent further damage

If the call is out-of-hours, still use our office number 020 3924 2810, please leave a message if your call is not picked up straight away.

Your Safety Comes First

For certain emergencies, you should also contact the appropriate service straight away:

• Gas leaks: Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999
• Fire: Call 999 immediately
• Flooding risk or major water issues: Turn off your water supply if safe to do so

When it’s not an emergency

Not all repairs need an immediate response. Issues like minor leaks, routine repairs, or non-urgent maintenance should be reported by calling us Monday to Friday on 020 3924 2810 or via our 24/7 online repairs portal.

Our MB Housing website

Have you seen our website – MB Housing? Your co-operative has it’s own page where you can find your Co-operative’s Complaints Policy, Housing Ombudsman Self Assessment, and also the Complaints performance and service improvement report.

We will be updating the website frequently with news items and lots of other useful information, so please keep an eye on it!

The Housing Ombudsman

As a Registered Provider of social housing, your co-operative is a member of the Housing Ombudsman Service.  The role of the Ombudsman is to resolve disputes where you have completed your co-operative’s complaints process and are still not satisfied.

Find out more about the role of the Ombudsman on our website here.

Dealing with condensation, damp and mould

Hopefully, as we go into the warmer weather, this will become less of an issue.  But we would still like to make sure that you are aware of how to deal with condensation, damp and mould.

Condensation happens when warm air meets cold surfaces, creating moisture that can lead to damp and mould in your home.

You may notice water on windows, damp patches, or black mould on walls—especially in areas with poor ventilation.

How to prevent it:

• open windows and use extractor fans
• keep your home warm
• avoid drying clothes indoors
• wipe away condensation

We recently sent you a leaflet in the post, but just in case you have mislaid it, you can find it on our website here. It explains all about the different types of damp and mould, how to recognise what it might be and, should you need a repair, the timescales and what we will do to resolve it.

If you have a problem with damp and mould in your home, please report it to MB Housing or your co-operative’s Maintenance Officer, so it can be investigated as soon as possible.

Moving home

Sign up for House Exchange

Love living in a co-operative, but fancy a change?  Did you know that you can now swap homes with other housing co-operatives all over the country?

House Exchange is the free-to-use mutual exchange service provided by MB Housing where we provide your co-operative with a full management service.

Money matters

Step Change

Facing debt can be stressful for any of us so we wanted to let you know about StepChange, a FREE and confidential debt charity. They can provide you with:

• expert advice on managing debt and budgeting.

• negotiate with creditors for affordable repayment plans.

• explore debt solutions if needed.

• they specialise in helping people on low incomes, including tenants.

• their support is confidential and they can really help you to manage your debt.

Visit www.stepchange.org or call 0800 138 1111 (free) Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm.

You can also check that you are getting all the benefits that you are entitled to by using a free online benefit calculator tool, we recommend using www.entitledto.co.uk

Credit unions - a better way to bank

Times are hard, and they are getting harder. Here at MB Housing we would implore you not to use loan sharks or payday loans.

An alternative is a credit union, they are a different kind of bank. They make it simple to borrow at low rates, and to build savings for the future. As a credit union, they are not-for-profit, and exist to serve the community.

As a member of a credit union, you would own part of the credit union through your shares, and you can join at the same time as you apply for a loan or savings account. To find out more about your local credit union go to www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk and enter your postcode.