Scots family living in 'uninhabitable' home two years after first reporting damp

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A Glasgow family are at the end of their tether after spending two years living in an "uninhabitable" home despite repeated complaints to the housing association about the dampness. Danielle Johnstone says the Wheatley Homes property is "riddled with mould".

The family moved into the property in July 2021 and Danielle and her husband John first noticed the damp just a few months later. The couple, who have four kids aged between 14 years and 10 months, have to put up with "furry mould" in various areas and living room walls that drip with water.

Danielle claims her kids have developed respiratory health problems she links to the damp property, and says that the family's physical and mental health had been affected by the conditions, especially John who has multiple sclerosis, reports Glasgow Live.

In October, the family were relocated to an Airbnb for two weeks as contractors carried out work to install thermal plasterboard and infra-red wallpaper at the property in an effort to solve the dampness issue. However, Danielle and her family returned to find the house “destroyed”, with damaged furniture, furnishings, and personal belongings.

A spokesperson for Wheatley Homes said the home had been fully tested and is safe and fit for habitation. They added that it treats 99.2 per cent of mould and damp cases within 15 working days and that traces of mould had been removed from the property.

The spokesperson apologised to the family for “stress and delays”, and admitted that the quality of plasterwork and decorations in the home “didn’t meet” the housing associations “high standards.”

Danielle claimed her concerns “were not taken seriously” when she first reported damp to Wheatley Homes in late 2022, and that she was told to “air out the house”, which she said the family was “doing anyway.”

“It kept coming through faster and faster,” said Danielle. “The next stage was anti-mould paint, and that didn’t work, and then they put up thermal wallpaper. We did everything they said and allowed them to come in."

Danielle has contacted the local housing director, but still feels she isn't "being taken seriously.” She added: “We have been ‘Priority A’ for being transferred to a new house since January. It’s not suitable, and they don’t have a long-term solution for the house.

“We’ve been back for three weeks, and on Sunday, we noticed that the walls in the living room are dripping with water and my son’s room has furry mould growing on it. The walls they insulated a couple of weeks ago are discoloured, so there’s water running back through.”

Danielle posted a video to TikTok complaining of the conditions. She said: “I don’t know where I stand, but what I do know is that this house is totally uninhabitable.”

Danielle is convinced the damp conditions of her home have caused her two youngest daughters, 4-year-old Remi and 10-month-old Nova, to experience respiratory problems. She said: “Evidently, we shouldn’t be living there.”

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A Wheatley Homes Glasgow spokesperson said: “We take reports of mould and damp very seriously, with 99.2 per cent of all cases treated within 15 working days. Our specialist teams removed traces of mould and fitted an infra-red heating system, which has dried the walls.

“We carried out tests today which showed the home is fit and safe to live in, but further repairs will be needed to fix these issues in the long term. Regrettably, the quality of plasterwork and decorations in the home completed by a third-party contractor didn’t meet our high standards.

“We’ve apologised and compensated our tenants for the stress and delays. We’ve offered the family temporary moves and homes in other areas of the city, but these were declined as they wish to stay in their community.

“A house in their neighbourhood became available this week [Wednesday] and will be offered to the family. They continue to have our highest priority for a move.”

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