A man has questioned how "a human can let another live like that" as black mould and damp plague the home of his vulnerable friend.
David Kelly claimed his friend, who the ECHO will only refer to as Ian, has lived in the Walton house for 13 years. But the house has been plagued with a litany of problems that have threatened the physical and mental health of Ian, including black mould, damp and leaks, no heating and defective fittings.
The number of issues resulted in Liverpool City Council's private sector housing team carrying out an inspection on the property. The inspection report, seen by the ECHO, details the extensive list of issues with the house.
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As well as the above, the issues include the staircase being "not structurally safe", "pooling water promoting disrepair to fitted floor and trip hazards," no copy of the gas safety record, no valid electrical installation report and no working smoke alarms. The house has also only recently had a new boiler fitted after years of it being broken.
The landlord said it has been refused access to the property to carry out emergency works, and has offered to move Ian to new accommodation.
Most worryingly, inspectors found the mould across the whole house including the front bedroom, rear bedroom, staircase ceiling, kitchen exterior wall and downstairs bathroom.
Mr Kelly told the ECHO: "I've been to see Ian and told him he cannot live like this. In recent years I estimate he has lost about six or seven stone. When you walk in the house the floor squelches because of a recent leak.
"There is black mould covering the house. He has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - a lung condition that makes breathing difficult for him. He cannot get up the stairs because of it. He was only diagnosed with COPD in 2015.
"I have visited and been forced to leave because you get a tickle in your throat. The conditions are horrible. I do not know how a human can let another live like that."
Mr Kelly, a former landlord himself, claimed Ian has been "an exemplary tenant" and has never been in arrears with his rent in the 13 years he's lived in his home. When the ECHO visited last week the conditions in the house were evidently poor. Pictures show extensive damage to areas of the house, as well as patches of black mould on the building's ceilings.
Mr Kelly, 56 and from Huyton, said Ian has a "fantastic" social worker who has supported Ian. He said she had instructed the landlord that the company has a "duty of care" to provide better support to Ian. Mr Kelly said he has also taken to a solicitor regarding the ongoing issues.
The ECHO understands the landlord, MGS Estates, has offered to move Ian into new accommodation. However, Mr Kelly said the options have included a property on a hill and a HMO, both of which would not be suitable given Ian's lung condition.
Landlord Paul Mahoney responded to the ECHO in extensive detail. He said the first issues were reported in January this year and initial repairs to a toilet and boiler were carried out the following day. However, Mr Mahoney claimed: "We have not been able to gain access until recently to rectify the problems."
Mr Mahoney claimed MGS Estates came up with a plan with Liverpool City Council but "on all occasions even when arranged we were refused access". The ECHO understands Ian has not granted access due to asking MGS Estates to go through his solicitor.
The landlord has been granted access to carry out "emergency works" on issues including the mould and a bath leak which has caused condensation. Mr Mahoney said: "The tenant has let the property go into a lot of neglect, living in a quite unclean environment which was also addressed by his social worker.
"He is also a hoarder and we explained this will need to be dealt with before we can carry out the works in his living room, although we believe we could possibly work around his things in the bedroom...I believe he is refusing access to make an already poor situation worse. I am available at two days' notice to go in and do the action plan we put forward."
The ECHO has seen an email from Liverpool City Council to MGS Estates confirming the breaches, detailed in the inspection report, will not be actionable at this time. The email said this is due to evidence being provided of attempts to repair the property. The tenant has also contacted a solicitor so the ongoing issues have become a civil matter.
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