Brixton property developers Lexadon: Gerry Knight fined £175k under Proceeds of Crime Act

[editor]

Here's what Lexadon's own customers think of the company:

Define Lexadon? Strictly Incomptent​

Quite possibly the worst company I’ve ever had to deal with, every employee I interacted with redefined my understanding of incompetence. As other reviews mention, all reviews that are 2, 3, 4 or 5 star will certainly be fake.

Sewage still pouring from 208 Long Land​

After more than 7 days since reporting, there is still sewage pouring into our car park from Lexadon’s property on 208 Long Lane. There is poo and toilet paper on the cars below. Not one but two broken sewage pipes are hanging off the side of the building pouring out waste. It has been reported several times and it is still not fixed. It is disgusting and Lexadon clearly do not care.

Do not rent - Lexadon do not respond to maintenance…​

Lexadon do not respond to maintenance issues in a timely manner. We have had a broken door for +6 months, despite flagging that this is a safety issue. The maintenance team occasionally come, sometimes without warning, but are rarely equipped or aware of what issues they are resolving. We have raised some maintenance issues (broken blinds) for now +6 months.

DO NOT RENT - BIKE STOLEN FROM INSIDE PROPERTY DUE TO REFUSAL TO FIX FRONT DOOR​

After multiple requests to fix the front doors to our porch and flats which have been broken for a couple of months, Lexadon has failed their duty to do so. My flatmate and I have notified Lexadon and they should have repaired the door urgently in accordance with their duty as a landlord.

Shambolic organisation​

Spent over 6 months trying to get a balcony door fixed to no avail - it took an email copying the MD (found on LinkedIn) for anything to happen and even then the door wasn't fixed properly - just a sliding bolt fitted across the top as the doors are "bespoke" so presumably Lexadon have no intention of buying a new one? Absolute shambles.

DO NOT RENT WITH LEXADON​

If I could give a negative star rating I would. Lexadon is an absolute joke of a professional company, charging extortionate prices yet the employees can’t seem to understand the basic concepts of building management. They will try and steal your money at every opportunity and will happily let you pay rent to live in damp, squalid conditions

30% rent increase in 1 year — more than 15x London average​

So Lexadon have told me they are planning to jack up the rent by OVER 30 PER CENT in December (less than the legal six months minimum for yearly contract tenants). I’ve lived here for 9 months.

The average private rental increase rate in London this year was around 2 per cent.

Awful estate agents​

Awful estate agents to work with. Literally dangle your deposit in front of your nose and awfully rude staff. Just moved out of the property and would highly recommend to avoid this company at all costs. I

Horrendous.

Repeated failure to fix anything in the property including a ceiling which was left to leak for weeks.

Left projects part constructed for months.

Would ignore emails consistently.

Attempted to overcharge us for multiple repairs.

Appalling scam landlords​

Utterly shocking, chaotic and unethical company. Constantly ignoring questions, security issues and their responsibilities. They block residents on social media who report their unethical practices and have the most aggressive, unprofessional and amateurish ethos towards tenants that I have ever encountered.

Lexadon is rated "Poor" with 1.9 / 5 on Trustpilot

Do you agree with Lexadon's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 24 customers have already said.

uk.trustpilot.com

 

[Gramsci]

So if you believe in a pure free market that's ok.

If you accept some kind of comprise where rents are regulated/ leaseholders/ tenants get more rights and planning is used to protect small business/ renters your open to criticism for hypocrisy and prejudice.

If you support a campaign to retain a particular business ( as local MP is doing )same criticism applies.

I sometimes think those on right hate reformists more than they do the so called hard left. Particularly if it looks like they might make some headway.

 

[cuppa tee]

yes, here it does

...in fact my question was not posted as a 'gotcha' but out of genuine interest.
2 pints in and the beer mystic takes over...
better if Gramsci had posted his second more relevant reply instead of the first sneery one
( complete with weird passive aggressive 'likes', playground fight style ffs)
my experience of the music industry was quite illuminating, rife with nepotism
public school privilege, funny money, false accounting and more..(look at last weeks martin duffy outrage for example)....affordable studio space are one way to correct that.
so while there might be some who deserve support others are just rampant egomaniacs.
in this case the hire rates dont look extortionate, and above all else jk is a shady fker
the published stuff isnt the worst by any means. ive heard this from ex employees and a landlord
serving a similar demographic.

btw the man in question is allegedly related to a former lambeth bigwig, can anyone confirm or deny this ?

 

[DaphneM]

I have a feeling that there will not be so much opprobrium about certain private equity companies

Zetland Capital wins £40m for expansion

Zetland Capital wins £40m for expansion

pubandbar.com

 

[nagapie]

I have a feeling that there will not be so much opprobrium about certain private equity companies

Zetland Capital wins £40m for expansion

Zetland Capital wins £40m for expansion

pubandbar.com

Bollocks. You are wrong. Trying to call out non existent hypocrisy because your right wing reactionary views are appalling.

 

[editor]

Seems apposite for this thread:

 

[editor]

Brixton Hill Studios boss Stephen Gilchrist and local MP Bell Riberro-Addy were interviewed on BBC Radio London yesterday

LionHeart - Edward Adoo sits in (16/06/2023) - BBC Sounds

Edward Adoo sits in with the best way to start the weekend.

www.bbc.co.uk

Around 38 mins

 

[domestos]

I get no benefit from a music studio personally

Exactly sums up your world view, shallow and selfish as it is and you even got a like from the other poor man's Adam Smith.

 

[editor]

If you listen to that interview you can see just how fucking unreasonable, greedy and money-grabbing Lexadon are. And you can also hear one of the studio owners about to burst into tears.
Fuck Lexadon. Fuck Jerry Knight. And fuck those who apologise for their disgusting behaviour.

 

[Gramsci]

From the MPs website. Includes the letter to Lexadon,

Save Brixton Hill Studios: Protect Grassroots Live Music - Bell Ribeiro-Addy

I've written to Lexadon Property Group urging them to rethink the 136% rent rise facing Brixton Hill Studios from September.

bellribeiroaddy.com

I think she is correct on this:

. I am worried about the broader picture this situation paints for the performing arts locallly. If creative industries cannot afford to occupy commercial spaces in Brixton that’s going to be really damaging for the local creative scene, which is one of the things that draws people to our area in the first place. I hope that we can work together to save Brixton Hill Studios.

We should be really proud of the creative scene in our constituency and do all we can to protect it. I will continue to work closely with local venues, artists, and creatives to push for the support our live performing arts scenes needs to survive and thrive.

 

[Gramsci]

Ive emailed the Brixton Hill Ward Cllrs to ask what Lambeth Council is doing to support them.

As Lambeth Council some time back designated Brixton as a Cultural Enterprise Zone ( CEZ)

 

[editor]

Here's another way that Lexadon's profiteering has impacted negatively on the local culture:

Tonight I learnt that some fucking shithead young professional couple who have moved into the new Lexadon flats on Coldharbour Lane have started repeatedly complaining to the council about the noise from the 414.

If you don't like the noise from a much-loved club that has been around from before when you were born, don't move into the fucking area, you self-entitled, selfish, arrogant pieces of shit.

As quoted here: The Tale of the City: Gentrification in London - Part 2 - UNICORN RIOT

 

[Gramsci]

Here's another way that Lexadon's profiteering has impacted negatively on the local culture:


As quoted here: The Tale of the City: Gentrification in London - Part 2 - UNICORN RIOT

This history is highly questionable.

For example:

Squatting and its growing popularity was so worrying for authority and the council of Lambeth, that towards the late ‘80s they tried to turn housing associations or large housing co-ops against the squatters by claiming squatted houses in favor of the former.

The article completely ignores the development of self help housing and the establishment of "short life " housing Coops

History of housing Coops in Lambeth was to refurbish housing that had been left empty to house people. Using Mini HAG grants. Or to give long term squats a longer life and legal basis to stay.

(MIni housing association grants)

This brought back into use housing that was in very poor condition.

Im fully aware Anarchists regarded this as a cop out.

However it worked. And it's been sadly wiped from so called radical history. Such as this

Neither Ted Knights hard left Council or Anarchists had much time for short life Coops.

However the Counter culture in Brixton would not have survived without them

Without some of us around at the time doing the boring work of dealing with Council and keeping the buildings upright the artists and musicians would not have been able to pursue their artistic endeavours. Or those who wanted to live alternative lifestyles either.

So no I find these so called radical histories ( written by who?) Increasingly irritating.

It's a partial history. Without showing the complexities of what happened on the ground.

Btw I used to print Crowbar for the Anarchists. So had reasonable relations with them. Even we didn't agree on everything.

On playing people against each other Council ( Whether hard left or New Labour) played Council tenants off S/L stroke squatting. We were all lazy and not proper working class according to this. With the look at them they get cheap housing. So in that the article is right though it chooses the wrong target.

In fact some HAs were sympathetic to squatters and S/L Coops in late 70s early 80s. Before HAs became more like business. HAs slowly got turned into moving from small local based organisations to acting more like big developers due to way funding changed and from government pressure. Housing Associations had been more like social work jobs until whole environment of how social housing operated was changed in 80s. Under both Tories and New Labour.

 

[Gramsci]

I emailed the local Cllrs - Brixton Hill Studios are in Brixton Acre Lane Ward - and got this reply from Cllr David Bridson. Impressed the local Cllrs have taken this issue up:

Thank you for your email, myself Maria and Sarbaz are the councillors for the studios so happy to respond on this issue.

We've been working closely with Brixton Hill Studios, we are in daily conversations, and our MP on their campaign to keep their doors open.

We have raised this with the Cabinet member and this week the relevant assistant director will be going to visit and speak to them to see how we might support.

We are supporting them both in a campaign sense, calling on their landlord not to make such an extreme rent increase but also practically by seeing what the council can do to either support them to stay where they are or help relocate to a new premise within Brixton.

We remain committed to making sure Brixton stays a creative and cultural hub to which the studios remain a part of.

Hopefully we'll have some more information soon when we have the outcome of the various meeting happening at the moment.

 

[editor]

Musicians' Union says that "extortionate rent increases and lack of negotiation threaten access to cultural enrichment.”

Musicians’ Union urges action to save Brixton Hill Studios from closure

Musicians’ Union is urging action to save Brixton Hill Studios from closure, saying that “extortionate rent increases and lack of negotiation threaten access to cultural enrichment.”

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[DaphneM]

Exactly sums up your world view, shallow and selfish as it is and you even got a like from the other poor man's Adam Smith.

in fact if the absence of a music studio means less coked up, loud-mouthed tossers with guitars drinking in the White Horse I would be positively for it!

 

[two sheds]

Didn't realize you played the guitar

 

[domestos]

Didn't realize you played the guitar

Does that mean you already knew D was all those other things?

 

[two sheds]

/taps nose/

 

[editor]

in fact if the absence of a music studio means less coked up, loud-mouthed tossers with guitars drinking in the White Horse I would be positively for it!

No, you're not going to carry on trolling all over this thread with your usual shit.

 

[Tulster218]

Musicians' Union says that "extortionate rent increases and lack of negotiation threaten access to cultural enrichment.”

Musicians’ Union urges action to save Brixton Hill Studios from closure

Musicians’ Union is urging action to save Brixton Hill Studios from closure, saying that “extortionate rent increases and lack of negotiation threaten access to cultural enrichment.”

www.brixtonbuzz.com

Thanks for this. I've now followed their suggestion and written to Bell Ribeiro-Addy. I deviated slightly from the suggested template.

 

[nagapie]

Thanks for this. I've now followed their suggestion and written to Bell Ribeiro-Addy. I deviated slightly from the suggested template.

Have you written to tell her off for her left wing values in the face of the virtues of the free market economy?

 

[editor]

Thanks for this. I've now followed their suggestion and written to Bell Ribeiro-Addy. I deviated slightly from the suggested template.

Please share what you actually wrote. No need to be coy!

And given the horrific reviews that Lexadon has been receiving from their customers are you still insisting that they're actually good for the community?

 

[Tulster218]

Lexadon get better Trustpilot scores than Lambeth Council, so I don't know what your point is.

 

[editor]

Lexadon get better Trustpilot scores than Lambeth Council, so I don't know what your point is.

The point is that people deserve better than shit landlords and having you blathering on about them closing down a rehearsal studio being somehow 'good for the community' is laughable. It's only good for their profits.

Now that I've answered your question, please answer mine above.

 

[cuppa tee]

in fact if the absence of a music studio means less coked up, loud-mouthed tossers with guitars drinking in the White Horse I would be positively for it!

...this is quite funny, and i know some musicians who would think likewise.
( prob not the best thread for it tbh)

 

[editor]

...this is quite funny, and i know some musicians who would think likewise.
( prob not the best thread for it tbh)

Have you ever visited Brixton Hill Studios? This notion that it's full of coked up, loud-mouthed tossers with guitars is the kind of knee jerk ignorant stereotyping that the Daily Mail would come up with. It's a rehearsal studio not a fucking party venue.

 

[nagapie]

Have you ever visited Brixton Hill Studios? This notion that it's full of coked up, loud-mouthed tossers with guitars is the kind of knee jerk ignorant stereotyping that the Daily Mail would come up with. It's a rehearsal studio not a fucking party venue.

My 13 year old was there on Monday. To be fair, he did have a guitar.

 

[CH1]

Quite a sophisticated website - though it crashed my Chrome browser Home - Brixton Hill Studios Recording
Seemed to me from the rates and the fact it's got Arts Council funding it may be more down market than Dairy Studios The Dairy Studios
That's in Tunstall Road, and was featured on some Nitin Sawnhey documentary a while back (Imagine possibly - BBC arts programme with Alan Yentob).

Sad to see Brixton losing music expertise - can't Brixton House Theatre fit them in? They are advertising Carlton Mansions space for offices - which seems a come-down from their original prospectus.

 

[Gramsci]

Musicians' Union says that "extortionate rent increases and lack of negotiation threaten access to cultural enrichment.”

Musicians’ Union urges action to save Brixton Hill Studios from closure

Musicians’ Union is urging action to save Brixton Hill Studios from closure, saying that “extortionate rent increases and lack of negotiation threaten access to cultural enrichment.”

www.brixtonbuzz.com

Good article.

I've tried in this thread to take it away from being just about Jerry Knight
As the Musicians Union say rent controls are necessary.

My view of landlords is impersonal. Landlords are landlords. Personally some may be socially liberal.

But when push comes to shove they will see me that their economic interests come above anything else.

That's how capitalism works.

To put it on record I'm not into music or clubbing.

Nor am I into just picking on Jerry Knight.

My "prejudice" is evenly aimed at all big or small (buy to let landlords). I really don't care about Jerry Knight personally. He is just acting like any landlord. Maximise his rental income on his asset.

That is how the system works.

Imo my experience of asset owners is , however liberal they are personally , they will replace tenants with those who will pay more.