Residents at Montreaux Homes developments allege building defects

The BBC visited 12 sites built or converted by Montreaux across Berkshire, Surrey, Hertfordshire, and Greater London. Residents at 10 of them alleged problems with leaks, mould, poor plumbing, and other building defects.

Nick West – who lives in a Montreaux-developed home in Epsom – said he has had a rat infestation for years due to what he suspects are improperly installed drains.

“They’re getting stuck in the walls and the roof and they’re running around constantly. At night you can hear the critters running around … scratching and fighting and chewing at things,” he said.

He said the rats often get stuck in the house and then die and decompose.

“We woke up to find maggots all over the bedroom floor one morning … one [rat] had died within the wall and eventually that body developed maggots and they came out through the walls,” he said.

“The pest control people are coming along and saying – ‘Well, there’s nothing more we can do because they’re getting in through the foundations’.”

Vilius Plavinskas lived at the same development in Epsom from 2019 to 2025.

The roof of his townhouse had to be replaced because it was installed incorrectly.

“There was constant water ingress,” Plavinskas said.

“We highlighted several times to both the developer and the insurance company that there might be mould growing there. We have little kids and we don’t want them to get any sort of respiratory disease.”

Plavinskas and his family had to move out of their home and pay for an Airbnb for three weeks while the roof was fixed.

The cost of fixing the roof was covered by a home warranty provider.