An East Belfast man is having to constantly wash the walls of his apartment with bleach due to an ongoing mould problem that has not been addressed.
Corey Carson, who lives in a Choice Housing apartment, said he has had mould problems in his property ever since he moved into it two years ago.
He says the mould problem can get so bad his furniture and walls can be left covered in it and he had to throw his bed away as the mould had caused the wooden frame to become unstable.
Read more: West Belfast residents group on mould fears over old houses
Speaking to Belfast Live, Corey said that he is desperate to leave the apartment as he is due to welcome twins into the world with his girlfriend and is worried about caring for newborn babies in a mould infested property.
He said: "When I first moved into the apartment it was during the summer so it was not for a couple of months that I started to notice the mould and it has been a significant problem ever since.
"The mould is covering my walls and furniture and it has got to the point where I am having to wash the walls of my apartment on a weekly basis with bleach in order to keep it away.
"I have had to throw my bed away because it became so riddled with mould that it started to fall apart.
"I have started noticing that I have been developing chest issues too since I started living here with my doctor even prescribing me inhalers.
"My girlfriend and I are preparing to welcome twins into the world and I can't bring them up in an apartment like this that has such a bad mould problem.
"I have asked the housing association to sort this out multiple times but nothing is ever done, except them telling me to ventilate the property. This is something that I always do and the windows are hardly ever closed, but still the mould keeps coming back.
"There is clearly a more serious issue here and nothing is being done to address it."
Choice Housing Association has said that it has inspected the property and says that the mould problem is a result of excess moisture in the property.
A spokesperson said: “The safety of our tenants and the wider community is of paramount importance to us and we are committed to providing secure, affordable, quality housing to meet the diverse needs of our tenants.
“In relation to a report of mould in this flat, a number of inspections have been carried out and it was evident there was excess moisture in the property which contributes to mould growth. Following an inspection mould was detected in two areas, appearing to be as a result of condensation.
"We arranged for our contractor to treat the affected areas and two additional wall vents were installed to assist with ventilating the property. A works order has also been raised to have a damp survey carried out.
“As the appearance of mould within this property is seasonal and due to condensation, we have issued guidance to the tenant advising that condensation can effectively be managed by reducing the amount of moisture in the air, through adequate heating and ensuring their home is ventilated.
"As such, it is important that trickle vents are opened to assist in ventilating the property, avoid drying clothes on the radiators where possible, and drying/washing down any areas where water droplets/mould are present.
"Further advice and guidance is available in our Repairs Handbook or a tenant can contact Choice Services Centre on 0300 111 2211 if they have any queries or concerns”.
READ NEXT:
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- Co Down mum left sleeping on sofa for months due to mould and damp issues
- Landlord told to make urgent repairs to mould and damp ridden property
- How mould and damp in your home affects your body and health - and what to do about it
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