Families in London ‘fighting to keep cool’ amid air con dispute with local councils

Welfare concerns remain after Guardian revealed residents in glass-fronted block told not to use air-conditioning units

As the fourth heatwave of the year hit the UK on Wednesday, Benice Bodah and her three teenage sons braced for more scorching temperatures inside their south-west London home. The two-bedroom flat is equipped with a built-in air-conditioning unit, but it has only been working intermittently in the almost three years since the family were placed in temporary accommodation at Britannia Point in Colliers Wood. “It has not been easy, but what can we do?” said Bodah, 48.

Several councils have now agreed to stop housing families in emergency accommodation in the glass-fronted block after the Guardian revealed they were told they couldn’t use the built-in air-conditioning during heatwaves as it had “not been offered as an amenity” for them. The 19-storey building is owned by Criterion Capital, set up by the billionaire property magnate Asif Aziz. The temporary tenancies can last from weeks to years and are managed separately by letting agencies, including London-based Aura Assets Management.

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