We’ve been forced to sleep in our living room on makeshift bed with the kids – we’re begging for help but no one cares
A FAMILY have been forced to sleep in their living room on a makeshift bed as they claim their bedroom is unsafe.
Jade Burston, who is three months pregnant, and her two children are sleeping in the lounge as she claims both bedrooms have terrible mould.
The family have slept in the Malvern lounge since Christmas after her six-year-old daughter developed a long-term cough that Jade’s husband said was linked to the living conditions.
Hubby Nathan told Birmingham Live the state of the £500-a-month housing association home is “beyond ridiculous”.
He said he had sent the housing provider, Platform Housing Group, hundreds of emails, but was yet to see any repairs.
The mould has grown because of ill-fitted windows in the bedroom which create condensation, Nathan said.
Nathan lives across the road with his parents, but there isn’t the space for Jade and the children to also stay.
He said: “I can’t physically afford to say ‘let’s book you into a hotel for a couple of weeks while we sort everything out’ and they [the housing association] are not interested in spending the money on the repairs.”
Nathan said living in the home was making them sick and it had become “disheartening” to the family.
Despite not sleeping there, Nathan said he had been to the doctors with chest infections and had needed antibiotics.
A doctor’s note said: “You have described a lot of mould in the house. I think there is a very good chance her cough is being caused by this mould and hope this can be removed as quickly as possible.”
The family have bought a dehumidifier which Nathan said continues to remove a large amount of moisture from the air.
Jade had recently discovered a large patch of mould on the back of her wardrobe which had spread to her clothing.
Nathan said Jade had gone to take a pair of leggings out of the wardrobe and found one of them wet.
Upon inspection she found the back of it covered in mould.
“I don’t want to do all this cleaning and treating of the walls if they’re then going to just ignore the fact the windows need to be done, and it’s all going to return – by the time it comes back, you’re in a bad way.”
Marion Duffy, Chief Operations Officer for Platform Housing Group said “We are aware of the situation and are working with the customers involved to mutually resolve the issues.”
Your landlord could be fined £5,000 for mouldy or damp homes – rights for renters revealed
HARSH weather can cause issues in your home like dampness and mould, and it’s up to your landlord to fix them.
The government has set out clear rules for any landlord to follow so no renters are under similar circumstances this winter – we’ve listed your rights below.
You can’t be charged admin costs or renewal fees – estate agents and landlords are banned from charging tenants extra fees to cover administration costs, such as removing mould.
You may be entitled to a payout if your landlord refuses to carry out repairs – your landlord is responsible for most of the repairs that need to be carried out on your home.
According to housing charity Shelter, these include fixing issues with the electrical wiring, gas pipes and boilers, heating and hot water, sinks, baths and toilets.
And RSH has confirmed landlords are responsible for dampness and mould too.
Tenants are responsible for repairing their own furnishings, such as a fridge or freezer if the property is let unfurnished.
You may be entitled to compensation from your landlord if they fail to carry out repair work within a reasonable time, or if your house is unfit to live in due to poor conditions.
This may be in the form of a rent reduction or a payout.
