A Glasgow letting agency has allegedly agreed to carry out repairs to a family home covered in mould within a week after housing activists staged a protest yesterday.
Pierette Tchialu and her four kids aged 20, 17, 14, and 10 live in a three-bedroom home, which is managed by Dennistoun-based letting agency 1-2 Let, which has been plagued with high levels of mould and dampness in areas including the bathroom and bedrooms since 2020.
Housing action union Living Rent staged a protest outside the letting agency's offices yesterday, demanding action on behalf of the family, as the home's ceilings have become caked in black mould and parts of the walls and ceiling have flaked away, as well as the bathroom floor beginning to cave in.
READ MORE: Glasgow family facing eviction after complaining about home covered in black mould
After Pierette raised these concerns with the agency, she was served with an eviction notice requiring her and her family to be out of the home by September.
She said: “The conditions I have lived in with my family were inhuman. I have been in this house for eleven years, and until very recently 1-2-Let never came to fix the house.
"Me and my family, we’ve been living with mould, cold and damp since 2020. In 2021 I was complaining to 1-2-Let.
"The condition of my house affects my health, because I had covid in April and May 2020. Since then, I have suffered from symptoms of long covid and have had to spend long periods in bed.
"I was depressed. All of us have skin problems because of the condition of my house.
"The family home was cold and damp and overcrowded, the walls have been damaged badly by damp. After contacting the landlord various times, the support I received has been insufficient and very late.”
In an update shared to social media, Living Rent has said they were unable to speak with the agency's manager but while protestors were outside 1-2 Let called police.
Officers then confirmed to the housing union that 'contractors will carry out the necessary repairs in a week'.
The organisation said: "Today, Living Rent members from Dennistoun and further afield turned out in great numbers to picket the offices of 1-2-Let in Dennistoun in support of our member Pierrette. Pierrette has been forced to live with her children in appalling conditions of mould and disrepair while the letting agency did not lift a finger for years.
"Our negotiating team was subjected to extremely unprofessional and disrespectful behaviour from the agency staff. When Living Rent membres wanted to finally nail down a date and time for a meeting with 1-2-Let’s manager, we were told that he was on holiday and could not be reached - as we were reminded, “you know how it is, bosses drop in and out!”.
"1-2 Let eventually called the police, who, funnily enough, did manage to talk to the boss. Police then confirmed to us that contractors will carry out necessary repairs in a week.
"The pressure 1-2-Let clearly felt caused them to shut down the office early, and the staff members quickly left the scene. Living Rent looks forward to the repairs being carried out, and 1-2-Let can be sure that we will hold them to account on this.
"However, we continue to demand that adequate compensation be paid to Pierrette and that the manager meet us face-to-face to negotiate. We will not stop until this is achieved."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a demonstration ongoing at a business on Bellgrove Street in Glasgow around 10.45am on Saturday, 18 February. Officers attended and engaged with those present. No further police action was required.”
Glasgow Live made attempts to contact 1-2-Let for comment. Calls to the firm's Dennistoun office went unanswered on Saturday.
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