Disabled veteran suffering from PTSD left in flat with mould, rot and mice for six years

A disabled veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been left in a house with mould, damp, rot and rodent infestations for six years, despite his repeated complaints.

Khalil Al-Khateeb, 58, of Earl’s Court Road, Earl’s Court, said the property firm Bidwells had ignored his complaints and said the conditions were “not fit for humans”.

He said: “Mice have died under the floorboards and I can smell it. There’s rot in my ceilings and floor and the fire alarm hasn’t worked for three years.

“My landlord is not following safety regulations, this property is not fit to live in.

“They just ignore me and they don’t seem to care.”

Mr Al-Khateeb is a veteran from the Iraq war. He was shot three times in the war which left him disabled and suffering from severe physical and mental health issues. 

He said the conditions he is living in are “worsening” his health.

Since 2017, Mr Al-Khateeb has lived with damp and mould issues, a leaking roof, no hot water in his kitchen, a faulty alarm system in the main building causing constant beeping, and rodents and insect infestations from holes in the floor and walls.

He said: “The damages are putting me at risk of physical harm or injury.

“The infestations make my home unsafe to live in and I can’t make full use of my home anymore.

“There is so much damage to my furniture and belongings.”

Mr Al-Khateeb explained that Bidwells had organised for some “minor repairs” to be made on the flat. But he said they never solved the real issues.

He said: “They only ever painted over walls but they never filled the holes or removed the mould and damp.

“They set mouse traps but didn’t fix the gaps in the floor that the mice are coming from.”

In 2018 an engineer was sent to the flat after Mr Al-Khateeb had reported a bad smell. The engineer concluded from his visit that “further investigations” were needed as the smell could be coming from an “open ended waste pipe” or “dead mice under the floorboards” and the floor needed to be taken up. 

But Mr Al-Khateeb said he heard “nothing” after the visit.

Since the disrepair began, Mr Al-Khateeb has also tried to contact Kensington and Chelsea council.

In 2019, Mr Al-Khateeb received a response from a councillor who said the situation was “clearly not acceptable” and investigations would be undertaken into his case, but four years later nothing has changed.

Mr Al-Khateeb said that a representative from Bidwell’s visited his house in March this year to take pictures of the disrepair but he has not heard from them since.

A spokeswoman from Kensington and Chelsea said: “Everyone deserves a safe and comfortable home and our environmental health officers can offer advice to private tenants, inspect private rentals and in some cases can take action against landlords to make homes safer.

“Officers have previously visited this property and had been assured issues were being resolved and the case was closed in 2020.

“However the images here show unacceptable living standards and we would encourage the resident to report directly to us so we can investigate again.”

Bidwells has been approached for comment.

Pictured top: From left, Khalil Al-Khateeb and disrepair to the walls in Mr Al-Khateeb’s flat (Picture: Khalil Al-Khateeb)