Mould complaints left tenant feeling 'worthless'

Andy Sharpe says he spent almost two years complaining to the council about his mouldy property

A social housing tenant said he was left feeling "worthless" after he complained to a council about having black mould and damp.

Andy Sharpe, 60, of Sleaford Green in Norwich, Norfolk said the city council failed to repair his faulty guttering and leaky roof.

The authority has been named in a report by the Housing Ombudsman as being one of the worst landlords in England for handling complaints.

Norwich City Council has been approached for comment.

Mr Sharpe says his mouldy property is seriously affecting his health

Mr Sharpe said he first raised concerns with the city council about damp in his property in 2021, which he believed was caused by a hole in his roof and faulty gutters.

He claimed he had black mould throughout his two-bedroom flat, with spores on his walls, cupboards, bed sheets and clothes.

But a council surveyor said it was Mr Sharpe's "lifestyle" which caused condensation inside his flat.

Mr Sharpe said: "What it eventually boiled down to was my breath. So, what are you supposed to do? Stop breathing?

"These people are happy enough to take your rent but they don't want to do anything to repair their properties unless they're really forced to."

The NHS says moulds can produce allergens, irritants and sometimes toxic substances

Mr Sharpe eventually reported his concerns about the council's handling of his complaints to the Housing Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman investigates complaints and resolves disputes between tenants and leaseholders of social landlords, which includes housing associations and local authorities.

It found the council had not handled Mr Sharpe's reports of damp and mould properly, and ordered the council to pay him £900 in compensation.

Work was eventually carried out to replace Mr Sharpe's guttering in 2023 but he said the experience had affected his mental health.

"To be lied to by your supposed authority figures is something hard to put into words," he said.

"It made me feel dreadful, worthless and suicidal at the end of the day."

Mould grows in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes

The Housing Ombudsman recently published its Annual Complaints Review for 2022-23.

Norwich City Council was the only landlord with 100% of complaints upheld by the ombudsman.

It was the highest of any authority in England, compared with a national average of 55%.

Housing Ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, said: "Too often the basics are not being done properly, with straightforward communication or record keeping being missed, leading to problems becoming more severe.

"This is leading to residents being treated unfairly and experiencing financial detriment or losing the enjoyment of their home."

Information obtained by the BBC through a Freedom of Information request found that Norwich City Council had received 257 complaints of damp and mould since 2018.

It had also spent £874,000 on repairs.