A Bromley resident was stunned after being told she needed to pay £11,518 towards the cost of redecorating communal areas inside her block of flats.

Laura Evans, of Chipperfield Road, St Paul’s Cray, owns the leasehold of a flat in Huntsmoor House for which she already pays an annual £800 service charge.

She received a notice from housing association Affinity Sutton Homes Ltd, which owns the freehold to the property, stating that she would have to make a "contribution" to the overall cost of "communal internal decorations" at the flats for which the overall bill would be £132,219 (including VAT).

The notice also invited her to make "written observations" in relation to the proposed work and estimated expenditure.

She said: “I’m very angry. I am fully aware that when I bought the property that there would potentially be some works done.

“We have just had the roof done, which is also costing an arm and a leg.

“An extra 132k to do what? All it needs is a lick of paint, that doesn't cost 132K!

“It will take a labourer two days. And that's a maximum £1,000 pounds to do that. I’m hoping that they will revise the quote."

News Shopper asked Affinity Homes to explain the cost and give a break-down of how it was calculated.

A spokesman for the Clarion Housing Group, which runs Affinity, issued a statement which only stated: “Planned yearly maintenance work is due to be carried out at Huntsmoor House, which includes communal decoration and general repairs.

“The costings are currently being revised and leaseholders will be issued with new estimates in the next few days.”