‘I feel like a prisoner in my own home’
‘RAT-INFESTED’ DAMP HOUSE ‘NOT FIT FOR HUMAN HABITATION’, CLAIMS SURVEYOR
A WEST London woman has said she feels like a prisoner in her own home because of the damp, rats and holes in the flooring of her council house.
Brentford resident Anita Tyrell is disabled and can hardly make it down the stairs – she said she has been waiting six years for her house to be made wheelchair accessible.
Ms Tyrell lives in Clitherow Road and said the damp has become so bad within the property that a surveyor has labelled the house ‘uninhabitable’. She also claims her sons have breathing problems because of the damp and a rat jumped out of a cupboard onto her young grandson.
She said: “I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I just want to lead a normal life.
“I have rats in my house. I have breathing issues as do my sons because of asthma, and the damp is making it worse.
“I have contacted the council for years about the issue. I just want a wheelchair and can’t have one because the council doesn’t sort out my house.
“My sons have bad breathing because of the dampness. A rat jumped out of the cupboard onto my grandson. I am so fed up and frightened.”
The family say they have taped material to the skirtings to disguise the crumbling wall underneath, as well as placing scented flowers, pots, candles and plants throughout the house in order to “mask the horrible smell of damp”.
There are reportedly holes caused by rats throughout the floors and ceilings, with Ms Tyrell fearing her home could collapse due to the damage.
She has osteoporosis, arthritis and breathing problems, among other ailments, and said the only time the council has had people over to try and do work on the house, they have turned up unannounced. On one occasion she claims they turned up to knock down a wall when her son was asleep on the other side.
Ms Tyrell said: “There are lots of problems with this house. I am a proud woman and I keep the house clean and try to hide all of the smell and damp walls. I can’t be expected to live like this. If they start knocking down walls with all the dust and rubble, and I’m still in this house, because of my breathing problems I could die.
“I need to be re-housed while the work is carried out or they at least need to give me some warning before they turn up and want to start work straight away without warning me.”
Ms Tyrell said the damp got so bad that she paid for a private surveyor to come round and assess it in July.
The conclusion of John Soulsby, who carried out the surveyors’ investigation, said: “The problems affect all of the rooms on the ground floor. Sorting this out will cause a huge deal of inconvenience and disruption.
“By normal standards the property is not fit for human habitation. This is due to the dampness, which requires urgent work.”
Ms Tyrell claims nothing has been done since this survey.
Cllr Lily Bath, the deputy leader of Hounslow Council, said: “Hounslow Council is committed to ensuring all of its housing tenants are looked after through high standards of service. On this occasion there is a backlog of repairs that need urgent attention at the property before any adaptations can take place.
“Our teams have ordered pest control services to deal with the tenant’s reports of infestation, and a surveyor will soon be on site to do a full survey this week. The council has been in regular contact with the tenant to advise her of the situation.
“The council is happy to rehouse the tenant if the surveyor, after completing a full report, feels it is necessary to move the tenant while the urgent works take place.
“We apologise for the backlog of repairs that are currently in our system due to the pandemic but we are doing our utmost to ensure that we are catching up and focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities.”
I have rats in my house. I have breathing issues as do my sons because of asthma, and the damp is making it worse Anita Tyrell