Pensioners battle mould at flat for five years

Two pensioners in Kent who say they have faced issues with mould in their flat for five years fear their health has been impacted as a result.

Dave and Carol Higgs, from Coventina House in Ramsgate, said they had experienced numerous issues since moving in to the assisted living facility.

Mrs Higgs said her husband had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which was affected by the mould, while she "kept getting coughs and colds".

Housing association Riverside apologised and said it was "determined to resolve the issue as soon as possible and continue to offer [Mr and Mrs Higgs] temporary relocation".

Attempts had been made to alleviate the issues, including installing a dehumidifier, but Mr Higgs said the situation was a "joke".

Mrs Higgs said: "You pay your rent to these people and you expect them to come and repair something."

The couple said they spent 95 days in the building's guest room, including Christmas 2023, adding that they had not been satisfied with other offers, including staying at a hotel.

The pair, who said they had started looking for a new home, also received £250 to replace a set of curtains, but refused an additional £250 as they said they did not accept the total compensation as a fair settlement.

Mr Higgs said: "It gets you down because there's no light at the end of the tunnel."

The Housing Ombudsman said it was investigation the situation.

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: "It's absolutely vital that if people are experiencing problems that they are confident that they they can raise that with their landlord and their landlord will look into it seriously."

A spokesperson from Riverside said: "Last summer, we commissioned an independent technical expert to determine the root cause.

"We have visited the property on numerous occasions, and recently commenced intrusive works to expose the brickwork to conclude that it is a localised insulation issue as identified in the expert reports.

"We have been flexible with the dates for work to commence with the Higgs preferring for it to happen in January.

"Once we have further access to the property, we intend to finalise our recommendations and complete the work in co-operation with Mr and Mrs Higgs."

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