'Unacceptable' waits for Edinburgh high-rise mould repairs

Tenants in high-rise flats in Edinburgh are waiting up to five years for mould-ridden homes to be fixed, a BBC Disclosure investigation has found.

Residents who live in the Moredun and Muirhouse areas of the city have said they are being left to deal with severe cases of mould and damp in their homes.

The flats are owned and let out by Edinburgh Council.

The local authority has admitted failures in dealing with the poor living conditions.

Council leader Cammy Day said: "I think these are not the majority of cases.

"There's thousands of repairs done to council homes every day and week across the city and they're primarily done right, let's accept that point.

"The ones that have just slipped the gaps are unacceptable and I put my hands up, that is unacceptable."

'I wish I'd never moved in'

Brett Hutchison, 24, from Moredun Towers in the south of Edinburgh, has Crohn's disease, an autoimmune condition affecting the bowel and immune system.

He has been waiting three months for help with the mould and damp currently growing in his fourth-floor flat.

The problem is so severe that the moisture in his bathroom has led to the wallpaper peeling from his walls.

Dampness and mould in Brett Hutchison's bathroom has caused the wallpaper to peel off the walls

He told BBC Disclosure that the mould, which is in every room, is affecting his mental and physical health.

Mr Hutchison said he wished he had never moved into the property. adding: "It's just been problem after problem."

The council told him that the damp was coming from the eighth floor of the high-rise building with his being the worst affected.

Volunteers with organisation Living Rent claimed the council was letting tenants down. It said communication from the council was poor and concerns were not taken seriously enough.

The group's Shafiq Ghafoor complained that tenants were not being listened to.

According to the city council's guidelines, the standard time for repair within council houses should be up to 48 hours for emergency repairs and no more than a few weeks for minor fixes.

Many tenants in Muirhouse and Moredun said they were struggling to receive communication from the council when they reported a problem.

According to the NHS, prolonged exposure to mould and damp can increase the risk of respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies, or asthma. Damp can also affect the immune system.

In 2004, the Scottish government introduced the Scottish Housing Quality Standard to ensure social landlords make tenants' homes; safe, secure, and energy efficient, and that homes are not seriously damaged, and have a kitchen and bathroom in good condition.

In 2018, £7.5m was pledged to renovate six blocks of high-rise flats in Muirhouse after tenants spoke out about poor living conditions concerning mould and damp.

In 2019, an investigation into Muirhouse carried out by Edinburgh Council found 90% of flats surveyed needed repair work done.

Tenants have been highlighting ongoing issues with mould and damp in their flats

Council leader Cammy Day said: "If there is anyone waiting more than four weeks for a repair to be done then they should contact me as a leader of this council immediately, and I'll make sure that it's fixed.

"For me, there is a change needed in the timescale that we deal with people."

University of Stirling students Stanislaw Stawowiak, Caroline Ring, Shoshannah Hull and Cameron Hutchison worked with BBC Scotland's Disclosure team on this investigation.

Watch the film: Is My Flat Safe? on iPlayer now.