The Council's failure to collect rents impacts on all tenants according to Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Maines, "The scale of this debt means the Council are unable to fund routine maintenance, insufficient help is being given to individual tenants getting into debt and those paying on time face higher rents to fund the debt."

"It's responsible tenants who really suffer from Lewisham's approach to rent arrears," claims Cllr Chris Maines; "They are subsidising neighbours who not paying and their properties are not being properly maintained because of the lack of money."

"There appears little or no sanctions on those who stop paying and a huge amount of money appears to be owed by former tenants."

"It seems the Council is left to whistle for over £3 million, by people who are former Lewisham tenants and the Council have problems now tracing."

The Liberal Democrat opposition on Lewisham Council are determined to bring the financial chaos into the open and are demanding the Mayor and Cabinet bring forward plans to tackle the disarray.