Terrace residents say damp and mould 'blighting' lives

Harry, Gaynor, and Roz said their homes have been blighted by mould

Residents living in a terraced row of houses in Bristol say their lives are being blighted by damp and mould.

Armidale Cottages in Montpelier are owned and managed by housing association Brighter Places.

Residents have told the BBC they have been fighting a battle over damp issues for decades with one saying their landing was "already rotten" when they moved.

Brighter places have said they are aware of the issues and are working with residents to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Residents believe their concerns have been ignored

Gaynor Forman moved into her property 18 months ago.

“My landing was already rotten - that collapsed. I reported the wet about a year ago, it’s gone on for months and months and months.”

Gaynor said the problems have impacted her mental health.

“I was fine when I moved in, I didn’t have mental health problems. Everything's a fight and it’s wearing. I just want a dry, safe home.”

Another resident, Harry, said his plaster had been hacked off and replaced three times since he moved in in 1996. Yet the damp persists.

'Give up'

At the end of the terrace Adele Hamilton, who has three young children, said the damp is more than just a worry.

“My youngest was premature. We’ve been to the hospital three times now with breathing difficulties. I can’t say it is related to the damp and mould, that’s difficult to prove, but it certainly can’t help.”

Adele said one of the repair jobs, to put up “false walls” in her property, is also now showing signs of damp.

Brighter Places manage more than 3,000 properties in Bristol and beyond.

In a statement Chief Executive Anna Klimczak said they are sorry to hear residents in Armidale Cottages feel their concerns about damp have been ignored.

“We are aware of the issues they have raised and have been working with them to resolve them as quickly as possible.”

'Alternative accommodation'

Ms Klimczak said the cottages, which were built in 1870, came into their portfolio in 2021 and suffer from damp due to their age and solid wall construction, timber door and window frames.

“Unfortunately, these homes were not designed for modern living and this restricts our ability to permanently eradicate damp despite undertaking extensive works.”

"Housing Officers and a dedicated damp and mould team are working with residents to repair the properties and where appropriate, residents have been offered alternative accommodation," she added.

But resident Roz Hall said the problems have never been properly dealt with:

"I can’t decorate, put floor down. There’s no communication, no one gets back to you. So I just kind of give up, and live like this.”