A dad says his family wake up each morning "coughing their guts up" because of an infestation of damp and mould in their home.
Tony Stevenson, 35, has lived with his partner Ann Yates, 21, and their five-year-old boy John at their home in Matson, Gloucestershire for five years.
The worst-affected areas are the bedrooms, where condensation streams down the walls, stripping the paint along with it, Tony told Gloucestershire Live.
His landlord Gloucester City Homes said they take "condensation, damp and mould issues very seriously".
Mr Stevenson said: “Mould comes in through the bottom half of the wall every winter. We scrub it off with bleach all the time but mould just keeps coming back.
“We called our landlord about it and contractors come out look at it, paint some white stuff over it and go.
“Even though we have raised the problems with the landlord they have been out twice in four years.”
Mr Stevenson says his little boy is constantly struggling with coughs and colds and frequently has a runny nose.
He said: “The problems with the damp and mould are definitely from an external wall issue. It is freezing cold in the bedrooms compared to every other room in the house.
“The extractor fans do not work and water runs down the walls and takes the paint with it, even if we have the heating on 24/seven.”
Mr Stevenson feels his landlord gave his family a shell to live in and do not want to know about the issues they are facing which he claims also include cracks in the roof.
He said: “It just seems we get the flat four years ago and do not want to know if there is a problem.
“My son has to go to bed with a duvet and three blankets every night so we can keep him warm.
“A contractor came out to look at the roof and to check the insulation and he said there were no problems. I went into the loft just after him and I saw daylight coming through the cracks in the roof.
“I came down from the loft and asked him if he was serious there was no problem and he said yes.”
Mr Stevenson says after years of trying to have his home sorted he wants something to be done.
He said: “I just want my boy warm. We had been forking out money to decorate but until this is sorted I have given up as I got half way through it.
“Every morning my son and I are coughing our guts up. The damp affects his lungs as he has to sleep in a room with mould spores which are poisonous.
“We pay our rent and are sick to death of it. The heating is rubbish and we do not know what to do.”
The family’s landlord Gloucester City Homes are aware of damp and mould issues in certain properties and are looking to invest £5.5million into counteracting the issue.
Head of Assets and Development at Gloucester City Homes Robert Panou said: “At GCH we are aware that some of our properties, especially non-traditional concrete homes, can suffer from issues with damp and mould and we try to counteract this as much as possible by carrying out works to our homes as well as providing advice and tips to customers about reducing and removing condensation.
“We have carried out two mould treatments at Ms Yates and Mr Stevenson’s home since 2020 and have had specialists check the structure and roof of their home where no issues were identified other than needing [to] add extra ceiling insulation, which we have done.
“We had an appointment arranged to check the mould and damp again two weeks ago but were unable to gain access to carry out a further inspection.
“We have not had a report of a broken boiler since August 2021 when our Engineers attended a pre-booked appointment but were unable to gain access and so requested that the customers contact us if there were any further issues. To date we have had no further communication from the customers and we would encourage them to contact us to discuss and resolve any concerns or repairs issues they may have.
“GCH takes condensation, damp and mould issues very seriously, we are investing over £5.5million in repairs and maintenance this year to ensure our homes meet the Decent Homes Standard.
“We have recently reviewed our approach to condensation, damp and mould and have issued stronger guidance to residents on ways to ventilate their homes and prevent the build-up of moisture.
“We also work with an independent technical expert where specialist works are required. Where tenants have any concerns or questions we encourage them to contact us so we can investigate further.”
