Lambeth Council has been ordered to pay £6,500 in compensation after it left a family in a damp and mouldy house with a leaky roof for six years.
The council attempted to repair the leak on several occasions and it made ‘limited’ repairs after the family took the landlord to court.
However, the leak continued, with damp and mould causing anxiety for the family who were concerned about their three-year-old who had severe eczema.
The Housing Ombudsman found the landlord did not appropriately respond to a safeguarding enquiry from the children’s school, which had reported black mould in the kitchen and red/orange mould in the living room.
The school also raised concerns over wood lice and a window pane held in position with sticky tape.
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: ‘It is intolerable a mother had to spend six years getting her landlord to respond to serious issues which were causing considerable anxiety for her family.
‘The landlord’s response was contrary to its legal obligations and its failure to engage with the damp and mould issue, despite the health and safety severity, was inappropriate.’
The Ombudsman issued the council with a severe maladministration finding for not dealing appropriately with the leak and for its handling of subsequent complaints.
A council statement said: ‘We acknowledge that our management of the repair was inadequate, and we recognize the need for greater proactive communication with our tenants.’
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