I’m a mum-of-three stuck in social housing flat from ‘HELL’ – it’s ‘made my son sick’ but council won’t help us
A MUM-OF-THREE is stuck in a social housing flat from “hell” that has ‘made her son sick’.
Rebecca Hall claimed she is trapped at The York Way Estate in Islington and the council won’t do anything to help despite her three-year-old son being hospitalised.
The poor toddler was treated for bronchiolitis and suffers with other breathing problems, which his mum alleged is because of mould in their home.
Speaking to MyLondon, the 35-year-old, said: “With the damp and everything like that, it’s no good for me and my chest.
“I’m up coughing, coughing, coughing, I can’t sleep. It’s horrendous.
“I feel like now because I’m just overrun with mice I don’t want to come home, I feel like my house is dirty, I’ve got mice droppings, it’s dangerous as well.”
Rebecca claimed the black mould and mice problems began in 2020, when water also started dripping down her bathroom wall.
Meanwhile a leak in their toilet is so horrendous, downstairs neighbours frequently call to complain they’ve got water pouring through their ceiling.
And, mould spores on the back of Rebecca’s wardrobe left such a stench in her room she couldn’t sleep.
When she reported her nightmare ordeal to The Corporation, someone washed away the mould, but Rebecca claimed the bad smell has returned.
The mum-of-three, who is now struggling so much she’s been prescribed anti-depressants, is also constantly horrified by the sight of vermin scarpering across her kitchen and living room.
When her son started picking up rat droppings, Rebecca called pest control.
A report by the company highlighted “large gaps” that allow the creatures to keep finding their way back in.
The report added: “On inspection beneath the kitchen units was a long dead skeletal carcass as well as a relatively fresh capture in in (sic) of the traps left from the previous treatment.”
A spokesperson for the City of London said the Corporation is in contact with Rebecca and investigations are being carried out to fix the leak in her bathroom.
But they claimed there’s no mould at her property.
They also stated there are plans for a new kitchen to be installed to combat the mice issue.
Rebecca has been added to Islington’s housing register too, in the search for a new house.
Cllr Una O’Halloran, Executive Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods at Islington Council, said: “We want everyone in Islington to have a safe, decent and genuinely affordable place to call home. We welcome housing applications from anyone living in Islington, but the reality of the housing crisis that we are facing means that the number of people eligible for social housing is much higher than the number of homes we have available.
“We have received a housing application from Rebecca Hall, who is eligible to bid for homes in the borough.”
A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation, said: “We take reports of damp, mould, and pests very seriously. We’ve taken a number of steps to address the concerns raised by Ms Hall and are in close contact with the tenant regarding further works to resolve these issues.
“As part of our housing major works programme, we are investing around £107 million to bring all properties across our social housing estates up to a high standard by 2026.”
How to complain about a social housing issue
Source; Gov.uk
Report the issue to your landlord. Most landlords have a website with a form to fill in, as well as an email address or phone number you can use.
If you live in council housing, contact your council. If you live in a housing association home, check your contract for contact details.
If you’ve reported an issue and it hasn’t been sorted or you’re not happy, complain to your landlord. They should have a website explaining their complaints process.
Landlords must take your complaint seriously and cannot punish you in any way for raising a problem or making a complaint.
Most landlords have 2 stages to their complaints process:
- Stage 1: They must respond within 10 working days of a complaint being logged.
- Stage 2: If a complaint goes to stage 2, they must respond within 20 working days.
If you’re not happy with your landlord’s final response to a complaint, escalate it to the Housing Ombudsman. They are free to use, impartial and will investigate fairly.
You can also:
- Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
- Telephone: 0300 111 3000
Investigations take six months on average but can be faster or slower, depending on the case.
When the Ombudsman investigates and rules against a landlord, they must show they are acting within 6-8 weeks.