An asthma sufferer says she has been made “violently sick” by black mould that has been spreading through her council flat for over a year. She believes a leaking pipe caused by a mouse infestation has led to the damp conditions.
Jordan Hiscock, who has lived in the flat in New Parks, Leicester, for over ten years said the problem started during the pandemic, Leicestershire Live reports. Yet despite reporting the problem to Leicester City Council in August 2021, no repairs have been made.
The council initially said it was dealing with a repairs and maintenance backlog caused by lockdowns and that they would be in contact. However, when Jordan got back in touch a few months later the council said they had no record of her request for help.
The council then reportedly told Jordan that clearing the mould was her problem. Jordan said: “Mould is toxic even to a healthy person. It’s already been making me violently sick, so I’ve been having to keep the windows open everyday and turn the fan on every night to make sure it doesn’t make me more ill.”
She added: “Every time I try to report it to them and say this needs addressing I feel like I’m being fobbed off. They just keep saying it’s your fault, you’re the tenant, it’s your responsibility, when it wasn’t my fault to begin with.”
When a member of the housing team did come to survey the house they only scheduled repairs to the skirting boards which had also been damaged in the leak. However, when a contractor came to replace the skirting board he said there was “no point” fixing them until the mould on the wall was sorted.
Jordan said: "I read in the papers the city council is going to work on private housing to make sure it’s fit to live in. And yet I’ve been sat with this for a year? Worry about your own tenants first.
"I’m not happy with that at all. I just want to be treated the same way as any normal tenant who makes a complaint about their house should be treated.
“I live in the flat on my own, I have little to no support. I’ve been struggling with mental health issues for years now and things like this just stress me out.”
Jordan suffers from asthma and stomach complaints and said the mould spores frequently make her ill. She said: "Mould is toxic even to a healthy person. It’s already been making me violently sick, so I’ve been having to keep the windows open everyday and turn the fan on every night to make sure it doesn’t make me more ill.”
A Leicester City Council spokesperson said: “We have contacted this tenant and arranged to visit on Wednesday next week (September 28) to fully assess exactly what needs doing, coordinate any work necessary and oversee it through to completion.”
Jordan added: “They could have saved me all this hassle and told me that last year what I need to do rather than putting me through all this. It would have been sorted by now.”
