A MUM says she is stuck in a mould-covered flat along with her two young children and the ceilings caving in.
Amylee Pincott, 33, says “aggressive mould” has created “toxic conditions” in every room of the three-bed bungalow she shares with daughters, 16 and 11.
SWNSMould can be see spreading across the ceiling of the bungalow[/caption]
SWNSThe £3,000 sofa was also covered in mould[/caption]
SWNSAmylee Pincott, who suffers from immune conditions and a brain injury, says she is vulnerable to damp and mould[/caption]
Mould began to take over following a leak in the roof of the property in September after a wet room was installed by council contractors.
Despite repeated calls to her letting agent – and a letter to her landlord – it spread through the home, which she pays £725 a month to rent.
In early November her eldest daughter visited her GP and was found to have fluid in her chest, nose and ears due to the damp conditions, she says.
And in late November Amylee says her daughter was rushed to hospital as she was struggling to breathe.
Then Amylee says her bedroom ceiling fell through in March – and while this has been repaired, mould is still growing throughout their home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Amylee, who suffers from immune conditions and a brain injury, says she is vulnerable to damp and mould.
She says she used mould spray and ventilated and heated the property but says significant work including replacing the roof was required.
She believes more than £5,000 worth of property has been damaged – including clothes, shoes and furniture.
Amylee said: “We’re living in toxic living conditions with aggressive mould.
“They were made aware at a very early stage I have anaemia and no immune system and a brain injury.
“They are aware I have health conditions that make me more vulnerable than other people.
“I’m not angry, I’m sad more than anything – I hate that I’ve had to watch my children go through this for such a long time now.
“We’ve lost clothes, my daughter’s cheerleading outfits, shoes, my £3,000 sofa was covered in mould – there’s been at least £5,000 worth of damaged property.
“The letting agents said it was only ‘a bit of mould’ even though we had to call an ambulance.”
Following the installation of a wet room in September, she noticed water coming into the property via the roof and says mould started growing rapidly.
She says she told letting agents Whitegates Estates and Lettings in a phone call in September and began sending them photos of the damage in October.
We’ve lost clothes, my daughter’s cheerleading outfits, shoes, my £3,000 sofa was covered in mould – there’s been at least £5,000 worth of damaged property
Amylee Pincott
When no action was taken, she says she made a written complaint to the letting agents and landlord in early December after her eldest daughter was rushed to hospital.
The landlord came to visit the property in January to assess the extent of the problem.
However, she says still no action was taken until March – when the ceiling of her bedroom fell through the day after Amylee had undergone bladder surgery.
Despite works now being carried out to repair the roof, Amylee says it should have happened sooner.
She says she “pleaded for help and empathy” but felt she was ignored.
Three weeks ago the landlord replaced the roof on the property and has mould treated the home.
But she says the property still needs redecorating.
How to settle a dispute with your private landlord
THE first step is to try and talk through the problem, but if this does not go to plan you can write a formal letter.
Simply explain the problem and what you want them to do to resolve it.
If unsuccessful, the next step is to complain to your local council, which can help with issues regarding:
repairs that cause a risk to your health and safety not being done (e.g faulty electrical wiring not being fixed)
illegal eviction
harassment
dishonest or unfair trading behaviour
If your landlord still doesn’t sort out your problem or if the council can’t help, you might be able to take court action.
Just remember this can be expensive so make sure it’s the right option for you.
You can get free advice from Shelter and free advice from Citizens Advice about disputes and housing problems.
In Wales, you can contact Shelter Cymru.
Civil Legal Advice (CLA) can offer some people free and confidential services as part of legal aid, if you’re in England and Wales.
A solicitor can also help you too, but they might charge a fee.
If you’re a social tenant, you should complain to the Housing Ombudsman.
“I’ve pleaded for help and empathy, and we’ve had nothing – it’s left me feeling like I’ve been walked over,” said Amylee.
“Seeing me struggle has affected my children. I’ve been very patient and mentally it’s cost us so much.
“They could have done more sooner, and they chose not too and that’s what is sad about the situation.
“Now they’ve had no choice but to start work on the property – but it’s not finished, there’s still damage.”
A spokesperson for Whitegates said: “When the tenant advised the work carried out by the council was not fit for purpose and had caused damage, we worked with the landlord to act to resolve this situation for the tenant.
“It is disappointing that the tenant was not provided with good service from the original contractor which very unfortunately led to extensive damage with the flooding causing damp in the property.
“The landlord bore the cost to rectify the issue and to provide a safe environment for the tenant to reside and continues to support the tenant in this matter.”
SWNSAmylee says there is ‘aggressive mould’ in every room[/caption]
SWNSMould has formed around the kitchen cupboards[/caption]
SWNSThe mum estimates the mould has caused around £5,000 worth of damage[/caption]