Mother wins £2.5k from council over 'living nightmare' house mould

A mum-of-three has won £2,500 after she successfully sued her landlord over the mould which plagued her home for three years.

Sara-Jae Gumbley, 36, was forced to endure a “living nightmare” during which she would buy as many as 20 air fresheners a month to mask the “unbearable” smell of her damp semi-detached house in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

She and her children – aged between five and 13 – were forced to share the same bathroom at their home due to the downstairs toilet being “black with mould” and unusable after a drainpipe leak.

Despite repeatedly reporting the conditions to her landlord, Eastbourne Borough Council, they did little to resolve the situation.

Gumbley said the mould “took over our lives” as she began to fear for the health of 13-year-old son Brandon, 11-year-old daughter Kaiya and five-year-old daughter Letti.

Gumbley said: "I felt helpless and ashamed. The mould took over our lives, and the smell was unbearable.

"I tried my best to hide it with all the air fresheners but, deep down, I knew it wasn't a solution...

“The kids couldn’t have their friends over because I was concerned they might touch something by accident, not to mention my embarrassment of the state the house was in.”

Gumbley eventually called specialist housing disrepair solicitors Veritas, who fought her legal case on her behalf and secured her £2,500 in damages – as well as ensuring the council carried out necessary repairs to the house, totalling £3,000.

She added: “We now have a functioning downstairs toilet after years of having to put up with awful conditions.

“My little one is delighted that she can now have play dates with her friends. It’s time to make our house a home."

In a message of advice to others living through similar harrowing ordeals, she added: "Don't suffer in silence. Take action and get the help you deserve.

“Reach out to organisations who can guide you through the legal process. Everyone has the right to a safe and healthy home."

Eastbourne Borough Council said: "We take all issues of damp, mould and disrepair very seriously.

“Advice has been given to Ms Gumbley on good ventilation in the property. We are pleased that Ms Gumbley is satisfied with the work that’s been carried out.”

What are my rights as a tenant with mould?

If mould in a privately-rented home is the result of a maintenance issue or structural problem – such as leaking pipes or broken extractor fans – the responsibility lies with the landlord.

Private renters may have responsibility to deal with mould if the problem is a result of activities including drying clothes on radiators or not ventilating bathrooms properly.

If landlords have responsibility they should organise an inspection and carry out repairs within a reasonable time – generally up to 28 days if the repair is not urgent.

Landlord association guidelines state that the issue should be dealt with in 24 hours if there is a "significant risk of danger to the health, safety or security of a tenant".

Landlords do not need to provide alternative accommodation during repairs but tenants should contact local authorities to step in.

Tenants in social housing should inform their landlord of mould and if the fixes are not done effectively then complaints should be made to the Housing Ombudsman.