These are the horrifying conditions a mum claims she had to live with in her city centre apartment block for months.
Missy Koker moved into her flat in Albion Works Block E, in New Islington, in 2018. However, she has told the Manchester Evening News that she spent the last few months suffering with mould and water ingress in her home.
Missy, an architect, says she contacted her landlord via property managers, and building managers, multiple times. Building managers RMG have told the MEN that the damp was not caused by cladding remedial works, but instead was due to 'an historic leak from the apartment above'.
Despite ‘four or five’ contractors surveying the issue, Missy never saw the mould go away before she left her home earlier this month, she says. The mum has also warned that her neighbours are contending with similar problems.
“I am angry,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I informed my landlord seven months ago. The contractor said they would come and fix it. I am an architect and my guess is it’s coming from the roof.”
Missy also claims that her son was ‘ill’ because of the mould and that she was promised alternative accommodation.
“They told us they would take me to a hotel,” Missy went on. “They came four or five times. It was a different contractor, so the problem is they did not see everything because they removed the mould.”
Photos sent by Missy show a large mould problem on walls and in a storage unit. A spokesperson for RMG, the managing agent acting on behalf of the owners - who are, in turn, only responsible for the maintenance of the structure and communal areas of Albion Works - explained the cause of the issue.
"We are sorry to hear about this matter," the statement began. "Sometime ago we were contacted by a tenant for a unit who was suffering from damp within their home. They felt it may have been due to the cladding remediation project.
"It was investigated by the surveyor and contractor working on the project and they identified the damp was caused by an historic leak from the apartment above and not associated with the cladding project. The letting agent for this apartment agreed with this but we are not aware of what action they took.
"We have received no other complaints of damp caused by the cladding project. If we do receive any further issues they would be investigated by the on-site team."
Property managers Jordan Fishwick did not respond to the MEN's request for comment.
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