A man says his life has been wrecked after his recently-purchased £850,000 fault-ridden flat was rendered 'worthless'.
Daniel Bruce bought the two-bedroom apartment in trendy Camden, north London, in 2019.
But the newly-built block of flats has been deemed not fit for purpose by surveyors leaving leaseholders facing huge bills.
Residents at 53 Agar Grove in Camden claim they have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees fighting insurers and developers.
Problems with the foundations were found with cracks in the walls as well as rotting timber frame causing structural concern.
The 38-year-old said the past few years had "altered the complete trajectory of my life".
"My future has been stolen from me, my money's been stolen from me, my mental health has been stolen from me," Mr Bruce told the BBC.
"It was going to be my sanctuary and it's turned out to be the complete opposite of that.
"I am unable to work because all my time is occupied by dealing with the building. I hope this isn't the case, but I feel like my life is ruined."
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has written to Acasta European Insurance Company Ltd to make it clear to them it considered their behaviour unacceptable.
A government spokesperson said: "The situation faced by the innocent residents of Agar Grove is deplorable, and we are applying pressure to those involved to reach a just resolution."
In a statement to the BBC, Prime Metro Properties said it did not build 53 Agar Grove.
The firm said they employed Cite Construction Ltd, a third-party company but it was done "to a standard that was not fulfilled".
An independent survey concluded that demolition before a rebuild should be considered.
A spokesperson for the developer said: "Cite Construction has been advised of all the problems within the building as they have materialised but have failed to engage in any way.
"Salus (Building Control & Fire Safety Consultants) Ltd, the government approved and delegated building control inspectors, signed off Cites works and we relied on their certificate that the construction by Cite was satisfactory before we even marketed the property and took over on completion.
"This project was undertaken as a long-term commercial investment in the utmost good faith and consequently we retained three of the seven flats and the freehold.
"We are intent on getting a timescale and commitment from Acasta to get the necessary structural works undertaken which will then allow us to address the remaining issues."
Cite Construction said it was "happy to provide any information" that could help the leaseholders resolve the matter.
Acasta European Insurance Company Ltd said: "Acasta is fully engaged with and is discussing concerns raised regarding the property with all interested parties.
"We take these concerns very seriously and are committed to fulfilling any obligations under the relevant insurance policies."
A Camden Council spokesperson vowed to support the leaseholders and said it was "urgently exploring what enforcement options are available to us."
