Housing association sets up helpline after mould and damp complaints

Mould on the window sill of a home rented from Gentoo

A housing association has set up a helpline to handle complaints from tenants living in homes blighted by mould.

Sunderland-based Gentoo said it would contact all its tenants in the wake of the case of Awaab Ishak whose death was caused by mould in his rented home.

Five households have reported domestic damp and mould having a detrimental impact on their health.

One man, who has a lung condition, said mould was affecting his breathing.

The man, who has lived in a Gentoo bungalow in Washington for 18 months with his partner, told BBC Newcastle he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The man, who did not wish to be named, said: "I've got COPD, bone disease and heart disease. I won't sleep in my bedroom, I just can't.

"I can't breathe in that bedroom. It's a killer.

"But I can't do anything about it. What life have I got living in a kitchen and sleeping in a living room."

Residents have complained of mould in their rented properties

His partner said all the property's bedrooms had damp.

"It makes the wardrobes black and damp, all of the clothes are ruined, " she said.

"My youngest son's bedroom is the worst and the only thing they tell you to do is bleach the walls."

She added that their roof was leaking and she wanted Gentoo "do their job" and fix it so her partner could "breathe properly".

Another tenant, who also asked for their name to be withheld, said she no longer lets her daughter sleep in her bedroom because of "unsafe" mould.

"My daughter's room is so bad I refuse to let her sleep in it as she suffers with her chest, so all the kids are sharing one room," she added.

Gentoo has set up a telephone helpline for those affected by mould and damp

She also said that after she complained about water was getting in through her front door someone from Gentoo came out to fix it.

However, she said that after three weeks the new wallpaper came off because the wall was so wet.

Nigel Wilson, chief executive officer at Gentoo Group said all tenants would be contacted in coming weeks.

"We are taking the recent coverage about the tragic impact mould and damp can have, extremely seriously.

"We have spent the past week increasing our resources to be able to provide a greater level of support to our tenants.

"We know some of our properties experience issues with damp and mould and we have a plan in place to manage these.

"We are contacting all tenants this week to understand if they have any concerns."

He said a dedicated phone line for reporting issues of damp and mould was already operational.

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said in a statement that it was "completely unacceptable that families were living in these conditions".

It added: "The Secretary of State has been clear that providers must improve and put tenants first.

"We are strengthening the powers of the regulator of social housing to tackle unsafe homes and make sure landlords do not ignore tenants, including issuing unlimited fines and making emergency repairs - with landlords footing the bill."