Former Northumbria University student in mouldy flat 'nightmare'

Hannah was unable to get rid of the mould using bleach.

A 20-year-old woman has said her rented flat was so mouldy it made her ill.

Hannah Turney, a former law student at Northumbria University, described "fighting with the landlord every week" over issues with the boiler.

Ms Turney said she was told to bleach the mould, which was "impossible to ignore", but had to buy her own bleach.

Accommodation provider Prem-Lets said it had responded to concerns and work was carried out.

Hannah moved into the property on Whitefield Road expecting a "comfortable place to come back to".

Hannah said the flat was "impossible to relax in"

However, persistent problems with the boiler, a leaking radiator and large areas of mould were "draining", she said.

"It was nice to have my own place, but you go in to the room and see mould and you have a nasty cough every other week.

"I moved in on 3 August and then about two weeks after that I noticed a bit of mould starting to build up.

"It's got progressively worse over the few months I've lived here."

"In September [the letting agent] came out to do a review of the flat. I mentioned it to her then and she told me it was probably just because the boiler had broken and it was cold in the flat and the walls had got cold.

"She told me to watch it and said it wasn't that bad,

"I kind of left it because she told us to watch it and then I emailed her after we figured out the boiler kept breaking and there was a leak on my radiator.

"She came back that same day and told me to bleach it, leave the window open on night-lock and just leave the heating on all day.

"She refused to buy me the bleach."

Hannah said she was looking for compensation as she did not live in "habitable conditions" but the request was refused.

'Clean the condensation'

A Newcastle City Council environmental health report last week found substantial mould growth at the flat, an inoperative boiler and windows in need of repair.

The report concluded that fixing these issues would help substantially reduce or eliminate condensation and resulting mould.

Hannah, who has left university and now works, hopes to move in with her girlfriend in a new house or flat.

In a statement, Prem-lets said: "We have responded to tenants promptly regarding this matter and will continue to work with them.

"We have had our maintenance team attend and clean the condensation and the landlord has agreed to release tenants from their tenancy."