Mum and daughter, 7, suffer in damp mouldy Streatham home

By Sharin Hussain, Local Democracy Reporter

A mum says her and her seven-year-old daughter, who both suffer from asthma, have been neglected in their damp and mouldy flat after complaints to the council.

Zona Lovetta-Joof, of Barcombe Avenue, Streatham Hill, has filed a complaint against Lambeth council after, she claims, the authority failed to rectify the problem of mould and damp in her bathroom.

Ms Lovetta-Joof said: “When I reported it at the time, it wasn’t that bad, so, it was OK for them to rectify it before it got any worse, but because they’ve chosen to ignore it and not send contractors out to do their job, it’s got a lot worse now.

“I’m noticing that I’m getting black worms coming from behind the tiling and I’m assuming there’s an entry point from the outside of where it’s got so damp and moist, it’s encouraging insects and stuff to come into the property now from behind the bathroom because where it might be rotting.”

The 37-year-old mother has been reporting damp and mould in her two-bedroom maisonette since the beginning of this year.

She had contacted the council several times but says she was given no response.

The council had sent a surveyor and has had contractors go into the property, but  Ms Lovetta-Joof claims nothing has been done to resolve the issue.

A spokesman from Lambeth council said: “The repairs requested by Ms Lovetta-Joof had been assessed and scheduled and are being carried out. We’re sorry for any distress caused by the delay.

“Ensuring our council homes are safe and well-maintained for all our tenants is a priority for Lambeth council.”

“Mould is an issue that has affected a number of our properties and we know the distress it can cause for residents when it appears.

“We’ve now formed a project group to review the way we tackle damp and mould – with a zero-tolerance approach to these problems.

“We are putting in place 16 key preventative actions – including a detailed condition survey of our homes to prevent and resolve damp and mould issues early, making it easier for residents to report damp and mould and allocating dedicated staff to support residents through any remedial work.

Since the summer, 10 new firms and a new in-house repairs team have been working across the borough carrying out repairs and maintenance jobs to council homes – all as part of our drive to improve the service we provide to tenants.”