Couple in mouldy Coventry flat fear for their health

Jordan said he has battled for two years to get the mould in his flat dealt with

The parents of a five-month-old baby said they were worried for their health living in a mouldy flat for two years.

Jordan and partner Latisha said there was black mould all over their flat in Coventry, but landlords, Citizen, had been unable to stop it returning.

They said they kept their baby in the middle of the room to protect her from fungus but Latisha was pregnant again.

Citizen said it took damp and mould "really seriously" and the family would be moved to a new home in January.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said Latisha had been prescribed an inhaler and might need tests on her lungs.

She said they had all been struggling with their breathing.

Jordan said: "Someone could end up dying basically. It's unliveable."

"Living in a rotten place like that gives you depression, especially when it keeps coming back," he added.

Door fittings are rotting, mould covers pipes in the bathroom and the fungus is spreading to the furniture

Jordan said he had tried for more than two years to get Citizen to deal with the mould.

He said the workers sent to deal with it did not finish a job to cover a wall with anti-mould paint.

He got a solicitor involved and asked local MP Zarah Sultana for help and said Citizen was "absolutely useless".

Landlords, Citizen, said it took the reports "really seriously"

In the past few days Citizen has given them a date for a house viewing, it also sent workers out to deal with the heater, install vents and to treat the damp and mould in the flat.

Jordan said they contacted the LDRS to tell their story after hearing about the case of toddler Awaab Ishak, who died after exposure to black mould in his flat in Rochdale.

Citizen said it had been unable to get access to the property when it was first contacted in November 2020.

It sent out repair teams in 2021, but said the involvement of solicitors from July 2022 had complicated matters and caused delays.

It said it proactively inspected its properties, but also relied on customers to report issues.