Help.

[Elliemay8]

Hi asthma uk,

I was wondering if you could help me out my nan who is 57 is living In a very mouldy/damp house the council has came put to check over the house and told her that the problem has been fixed. But now it's back and it's worse. We removed the carpet to put a new one there and there was mould underneath the carpet and we then removed all her pots and pans out the cupboard and theres mould at the back of the cupboards and mould growing in the pans. She has serious health defects and very bad asthma. Shes called the council about moving and they're not moving her or fixing the problem. Could you help??

Thankyou ellie

[Sparkywoo]

Your poor Nan. I’m no expert but I would start by getting her to speak to her GP and asking him to write a letter to the council saying how it is affecting her health. Take photos of the damp to show the GP. Good luck

[ninelives]

Bless you what a worry for you both.

Agree with Sparkywoo ,maybe take pictures of damp areas affected and raise it with the GP.

Damp environments can affect chest conditions.

Good luck.

[Troilus in reply to ninelives]

If your local council does not respond to the GP’s letter, try your local MP. They can be very useful in a situation like this as well. ( You don’t need to see them. You can do it through email.)

[17Rose]

Hi Ellie. Like others have said, I would start with a letter from your nan's gp stating her health conditions and how the mould is affecting her breathing......that is really important ( plus any copies of any consultants letters she may have detailing her health problems). Enclose photos of all the mould. You could copy the letter to your local mp with a covering letter. You can also write to the council's own environmental health dept ( they may well be same dept as housing depending how it is set up in your area). The environmental health dept have a duty to inspect the mould although they cannot force the housing dept to rectify it as they are part of the same organisation. However, any report they produce about the mould can be used as evidence/ part of a complaint.

[Poobah]

There's now a law that will help your Nan. This is the link gov.uk/government/publicati...

It lists mould as a criteria that makes the home uninhabitable. The landlord (the council) is responsible for the work that will permanently fix the property and make it habitable. However, the council are also the authority that the tenant complains to in terms of making the landlord adhere to the law. The advice in the link explains that the tenant can seek advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau or Shelter. They will be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to tackling the housing department on its legal responsibility for the remedial work, which may be extensive given that they haven't been able to fix the problem to date.

You could also contact your Nan's local councillor and MP if the council don't respond to assertion that the house is uninhabitable. This is a new law and so finding out who does what in the council is half the battle. Find out which team in the council has responsibility for applying the new law and work with them to ensure things get addressed.

All the best.

[ChrissieMons]

I should try the local newspaper.

[Glty]

As a temporary measure, if the mould is linked to damp or condensation, could you look to purchase a dehumidifier or suggest the housing association do?