Darlington mum plagued by damp and mould in 'unliveable' home

The tenant, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she has been living in a substandard home filled with mould for 12 years.

After battling through leaking doors, broken windows, a faulty oven and persistent damp, she is now facing eviction after the landlord revealed he couldn’t afford to fix the problems.

The problems have taken a significant toll on the family’s health and wellbeing and she has even sent her children into counselling to help them cope with the stress.

Walls coated in damp and mould (Image: contributor)

She said: “Children shouldn’t have to worry about anything like this and it's so upsetting to see them struggle in school and in life because of worrying about this.

“I complained about the damp from the first year we moved in and all the landlord has done is paint damp-proof paint over it but of course, it keeps coming back- even worse.”

As an asthmatic, the tenant noted her condition has worsened due to the damp. Her daughter, living in the coldest room of the house, has suffered recurrent chest infections which she believes are also down to the mould. 

Everywhere is damp and mouldy in her home and even furniture that was passed down from her grandparents has been ruined by it. 

Her curtains are covered with black mould and tins in the back of her cupboard are usually coated with furry mould anytime she pulls them out.

Curtains full of mould (Image: contributor) The situation has only been worsened by the Landlord as he has now made the decision to sell the house as he cannot afford to rectify the issues.

Initially, the tenant was told the family could remain in the house whilst the property was on the market, but they were later issued a Section 21 notice as that option became unachievable for both parties. 

The family were given four months’ notice to find alternative accommodation but after searching for two months and not being successful she is now left with eight weeks to try and find somewhere for herself, her two children and two pets to move into.

The high cost of private rentals, combined with the demand for guarantors, has left her struggling to secure a property.

The family has turned to the council for assistance but was told due to demand they may have to move into a hostel for a while whilst they try to find her somewhere more permanent.

The tenant also revealed ongoing maintenance issues with the property.

Broken window adding to the damp problems and mould in the home (Image: contributor) Despite these conditions, the tenant continues to pay rent of £450 per month, an amount the landlord allegedly attempted to increase to £530 without making improvements.

Now, the family faces an uncertain Christmas, packed and ready to leave but with no clear destination. The tenant remains on a council waiting list but expressed frustration with the lack of available housing.

The landlord, who only had one property and described himself as not a professional landlord said: "I am sympathetic to her needs and circumstances and in an ideal world didn't want to be in this situation. 

"I can confirm there have been mould issues in the home and we have tried to work with her where we could. We have also provided dehumidifiers and other works to try help with the problem.

"We informed the tenant at the beginning of the year that we had plans to sell the home and have tried to give her as much notice as possible to try and make the transition as smooth as possible.

"Unfortunately due to circumstances we aren't able to fix these issues for the long term and are now having to sell the home. 

"We really do wish our tenant the best and hope that she will not have to go through temporary accommodation."

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Cllr Matthew Roche, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and housing, said: “While we cannot comment on individuals, there is a high level of demand for housing in Darlington and across the country.

“For example, there are more people living in temporary accommodation in England since records began. 

“Our social housing waiting list, Darlington Home Search has more than 2,000 live applications.

“We encourage people looking for housing to look at all options, including the private rented market, all housing associations as well as registering on Darlington Home Search.

"We are working on a range of initiatives to address the wider situation, including building the largest council home development in a generation, off Neasham Road."