A Midlothian mum says she has been living in a mouldy house for six years.
Laura Carruthers, 27, has described her situation as a ‘nightmare’ as her Danderhall flat has become covered in damp and mould – a problem she first raised with the council in 2017.
After enjoying her first year in the home, the full-time carer said she began to spot areas of mould in her son’s bedroom cupboard, which raised alarm bells. The problem has worsened over time, leading to dampness spreading across different rooms.
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Laura, who suffers from fibromyalgia, won a lengthy battle with the council to have a wet room installed to her property in 2019, after she says its floors and walls were decimated with mould.
Laura told Edinburgh Live: “We moved into the house in October 2016 and it was in a good state. After about a year, we noticed a mould problem in my son’s cupboard. It took about a year for there to be vents put in, which haven’t even helped because the holes are too small.
“Even just trying to email them recently, they’ve not gotten back to me. No one’s doing anything. It’s just a nightmare. It’s really affected my mental health. It’s affected my son – his schooling, his sleep. He’s got anxiety as it is, it doesn’t help with his autism.
“We can’t settle here, we don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know if the roof is going to come in. We don’t know if we’ve been affected by the damp in our chests. My son has a cough he can’t shift. I’ve got a sore chest I can’t shift. It’s just ridiculous.”
Although the option of temporarily moving away from the area while work is done has been suggested by the council, Laura says this is not an option for her autistic son, who needs stability and routine.
She said: “I know I could accept a house outside Danderhall, but we can’t. We need our support. Family’s here, schooling’s here, friends are here. Everything is here. I don’t see why we should have to move somewhere else for a failure on the council’s part
“My son’s scared to be in his room. I’m scared to be in the house. I’m scared in case the roof comes down.
“My mental health has taken a massive dip. I’ve thought that because there’s so much going on, that I’d just rather not be here for it. I say that’s how I felt, but I wouldn’t do that because I couldn’t leave my family, but it’s just where this whole thing has put me at.”
Along with the noticeable smell of damp in the property, Laura has been unable to beat the winter chill as her windows must be kept upon to improve ventilation.
She continued: `’It’s freezing in here. I have guinea pigs too, and I’m worried that one day I wake up and find they’ve frozen to death.
“The council need to listen when we ask for help. They need to listen to their people instead of just shunting us off. If someone had listened to me before and just had a look, I feel like we wouldn’t be having to move. We’d just be having some minor repairs, not the whole roof done.
“We’re paying rent for houses that are falling apart, and we’re falling apart mentally because of it.”
Laura’s dad, 49-year-old Scott, says he has also had issues with Midlothian Council, claiming it took more than 10 months for someone to investigate why the heating of his Woodburn property wasn’t working.
He said: “Your house is meant to be your castle, your safe space. I’d go and visit people and then sit in my car afterwards just to keep warm. Sometimes I feel like I’d rather be homeless again than having to deal with this.”
Midlothian Council has acknowledged the stress that has been put on Laura and her family by the situation. They have now been offered an alternative property in Danderhall, despite being told there were absolutely no properties fitting their requirements in the village less than 20 minutes prior.
A Midlothian Council spokesperson said: “Despite a number of repairs being undertaken at this address, such as installing vents to allow warm air to circulate in cupboards, installing new windows and a new wet floor, our property maintenance team identified an issue just prior to Christmas that will require more extensive and intrusive work.
“However, this flat is located within a mixed tenure block. This will require some time to progress with private owners. As a result, we engaged with the tenant to identify an appropriate property to move to and one that best met her needs in Danderhall.
“We will be doing all we can to help the family decant as we know this is a very stressful time for them.”
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