Mum’s home from hell to have walls knocked down for a THIRD time to stop damp
A COVENTRY mum is furious after living with years of mould and damp in her home. She says her landlord has already knocked walls down inside the house twice and is sending builders round for a third time.
Amanda Forward, 46, moved into the Hillfields property in 2015 with her two sons and says it has largely been a nightmare since. Amanda says water seeps into the walls and carpet and that mould is constantly growing on the walls. In 2020, she contacted her landlord about the damp problem.
Contractors knocked down the walls and plaster down to the brickwork, destroying carpet and parts of the interior. The mum thought the problem was solved, but the mould grew again and the builders returned last year.
Amanda spent hundreds of pounds redecorating her home after the last two builder visits and is livid she’s having to do it for a third time after the damp came back yet again. She said: “I suffer with mental health, I have depression and anxiety and the situation is just making it worse.
“This is not the first time they smashed up my house and have done it again for the treatment of damp. It’s really annoying me.
“I keep my house beautiful, I redecorated my house a year ago and a year later they’re telling me they want to knock it off again. I had to redecorate and replace carpets, repaint, and redo everything again.
“There is a problem with damp in the property. I’ve had two successful claims against my landlord with damp.
“They first finished works in 2021, they came in and knocked all the plaster off the wall in the front room, kitchen and end of the stairs down to the brickwork. They’ve done the floor
in my living room. A year later I’m back in square one.
“This is the third time I’m having to call my landlord for damp and mould, and this has been going on about four months so far. The landlord called me and agreed to do the works in my property.
“Their workers are coming in December which I’m not happy about because it’s two weeks before Christmas and they will knock plaster to the brickwork. My house will be in complete tatters during Christmas and I can’t invite anyone over or enjoy my time at home when the property is destroyed.”
Amanda claims her landlord proposed a compensation of £35 to redecorate each room - but the mum says this amount is far less than required. She added: “It’s absurd. Its cost me a few hundred, if not more, to redo the carpet, wallpapers and paint.
“Why should I let them come into my house to destroy the walls, they need to find the underlying problem and what is causing the damp. What they’re doing is not solving the problem and I’m back in square one years down the line.”
A spokesperson for Midlands Heart Property said: “In December 2020 working alongside an independent damp specialist we carried out works to address some issues at this property, at this time our customer confirmed they were happy with the work that had been done at their home.
“We have received no further complaints regarding damp from this customer until we recently received a legal claim. Our legal team are currently communicating directly with the customer’s legal representatives so we cannot comment further on this issue at this time.”