Vulnerable tenant living in mouldy council flat in east London despite doctor’s concern

Photographs of Ms Barik’s flat seen by Inside Housing show damp patches near electrical points, damaged walls and black mould in the hallway, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

“I keep decorating the walls, but it’s just days before they peel again,” she said. “I try to clean the mould away every day, but it’s always there the next morning.”

The contractor responsible for repairs for the TMO has visited Ms Barik’s property multiple times. She said the company told the council that conditions in the flat were “extremely dangerous and bad for my health”.

“[The contractor] said the flat needed major renovations, but the council won’t sign off on the money,” she added.

She showed Inside Housing an email from her doctor to the property officer responsible for the flat last April expressing “great concern” for her health and requesting the flat be “restored to acceptable living conditions”.

In a statement to Inside Housing, the council said the repairs are booked in and will be completed by the end of the month – but Ms Barik says there have been previous attempted fixes that have not resolved the issue.

Ms Barik said that in December, temperatures in her flat went below 0°C. “It was so wet, and there were sheets of ice on the wall. I have [serious health issues], so I’m sensitive to the cold.”

She added: “I’ve had mental health problems for a long time, but this makes them so much worse because it’s so depressing living like this 24/7 and getting no help from my housing officer. From never having pneumonia, I’ve had it every year I’ve lived here – I’m in and out of hospital. Every week I have a cold. I’m never healthy anymore, and I’m sure the flat is contributing.”

Although she has spoken to a solicitor, Ms Barik has not brought a formal claim against the council.

She said: “I was moved into a ground floor property to make my life easier – it’s just made everything worse. I wouldn’t expect anyone to live in these conditions, but I can’t afford to rent privately. I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

The Regulator of Social Housing has estimated that 160,000 UK social homes (around 3% to 4%) are affected by “notable” damp and mould.

The topic has received national attention since an inquest found in November 2022 that the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak was caused by mould in his family’s Rochdale housing association flat.

In February, housing secretary Michael Gove announced Awaab’s Law, which is set to place strict time limits on social landlords investigating and fixing damp and mould issues.

The Observer reported in January that a tenant was to sue Hackney Council after developing an incurable lung disease he said was caused by mould. The ombudsman found the council guilty last year of “severe maladministration” in dealing with another resident’s disrepair.

Steve Waddington, director of housing services at Hackney Council, said: “We are sorry Ms Barik is experiencing repair issues at her home. We resolved a leak which affected the property in December 2020 and paid her compensation relating to goods damaged in that leak in summer 2021.

“Between then and the beginning of March this year, the council has not received any additional repair requests relating to the property.”

After Inside Housing initially contacted the council for a comment in March, it arranged a survey “as a matter of urgency”. Mr Waddington has since said repair work was approved and is due to be completed by the end of April.

He added: “Damp and mould in homes is a challenge for all landlords, but tackling the issue is a priority for us. That’s why we launched a housing repairs action plan – backed by an extra £1m investment – last year.

“This includes inspecting all reports of damp and mould within five working days, reassessing all outstanding damp and mould complaints and ensuring they are prioritised based on the severity of the case and the age and health of the people living in the home.”