Nottingham Post

Landlord blames furious tenant for damp in flat

EMILIE SLAMS ‘SHOCKING’ STATE OF ‘MOULDY’ HOME

- By RUCSANDRA MOLDOVEANU

A NOTTINGHAM woman says she has been forced out of her flat because of damp and mould.

Emilie Musson, 26, who now lives in Colwick, said the flat was in a “shocking” state when she moved out on March 6, with mould covering her bedroom and living room and the walls visibly wet.

But landlord Rocco Labatte says the issues at the flat in Porchester Road, Carlton, were her fault.

The one-bed flat, where she lived for 15 months, was advertised by Johnsons and Partners on Rightmove for £750 a month on March 25 but has since been removed by the letting agency.

Ms Musson said: “I don’t want somebody else to move into the flat and go through what I had to go through. I couldn’t take it any more because I felt the flat wasn’t safe to live in.”

Her decision to move out followed a “really bad” chest infection.

She said most of her furniture was ruined by the mould and damp and had to be thrown away, and her mental health was also affected. She was signed off work for two weeks due to stress.

Ms Musson said the landlord “didn’t want to do anything” about the flat and that she had to buy a dehumidifi­er herself.

But Mr Labatte said: “The tenant did not put the heating on and she did not ventilate the place. I went there with a damp proofer and told her what to do and she did not take any of the advice. I can’t help tenants if they don’t help themselves.

“I revamped the property and spent a lot of money on things like double glazing, new floors, new windows and new bathrooms. I wouldn’t want that all to go to waste and I’m furious that she let my property get to that point.

“Other tenants in the building say the windows were never open. The damp proofer said it was an internal problem and it was the same guy who did the damp proofing five years ago.

“I put the heating on 15C and had the windows and the vents open and it’s completely dried out. The state she left it in was unacceptab­le. Before her, I had a tenant that lived there for three years and there were no problems.”

However, another tenant who previously lived at the property and wished to remain anonymous told the Post that their time at the flat was “terrible”. They said they had to use black mould remover “every few months” and that the landlord told them furniture should not be put against the wall.

They said: “Where else were we supposed to have our furniture? I’ve never heard something so ridiculous in my life. He was implying that we should have our furniture grouped together in the middle of each room.

“We’re not idiots, despite him trying to make out that we were. We were good tenants and we looked after the property.”

Ms Musson reported the flat to Gedling Borough Council but felt let down by its response due to “a lot of waiting around”. A council spokespers­on said: “Gedling Borough Council was contacted by a resident about an issue with damp and mould at a privately rented property, in February. We wrote to the landlord and advised them that they are required to respond within 14 days otherwise the council will arrange to formally inspect the property to ensure compliance with the Housing Act 2004. The landlord contacted the council to arrange an inspection. However, the tenant had since contacted the council to state they have moved out of the property.

“As the property is empty, the responsibi­lity of the property is wholly with the landlord. Gedling Borough Council has a statutory duty to investigat­e issues where properties have damp and mould subject to a formal assessment.

“All landlords have a duty to ensure their houses are safe for their tenants and if anyone has concerns about a property, they can contact us on 0115 901 3901 and we can investigat­e.”

 ?? EMILIE MUSSON ?? Emilie Musson (inset) reported the flat to Gedling Borough Council
EMILIE MUSSON Emilie Musson (inset) reported the flat to Gedling Borough Council

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