'I fear my children could die due to mould in home'

A begetter has said helium fears his children could dice due to the fact that of terrible damp and mould successful their privately-rented home.

Ahmed Abu Ali said his five-year-old girl often struggled to respire astatine nighttime successful their location successful Bolton, Greater Manchester, which has besides had rats.

An autarkic surveyor's study recovered the spot was "in immoderate respects unfit for habitation".

The landlord said it was "important to retrieve that determination are 2 sides to each story".

The lettings bureau has not responded to the BBC's repeated requests for information.

Mr Ali, 44, said his 4 children were perpetually sick owed to the authorities of the home, successful peculiar his girl Iftuu, who has Down's syndrome.

"I'm brainsick worried," helium told BBC North West Tonight arsenic helium showed them astir the chamber wherever the youngest children sleep.

One of the walls is achromatic with mould, which is besides astir the windrow framework and on the ceiling.

"I'm feeling my children could die. My children request help."

Mr Ali said each clip helium tried to cleanable the mould, it would rapidly instrumentality and that the flooring successful the family's surviving country was rotten.

He said rats had been getting into the location done the spread successful the floor, eating the furnishings and moving done the bedrooms astatine night.

"This location is not bully for children," said their parent Belaynash Banta, 35.

"The rats travel and nary of the children are sleeping. UK government, delight assistance me."

In a doctor's letter, seen by the BBC, a GP said Iftuu had been having "recurrent respiratory tract infections which could beryllium linked to the mediocre lodging information that she presently lives in".

"This volition interaction connected the wellness of each the occupants of the house, particularly Iftuu, who is particularly astatine hazard owed to her underlying condition," the missive added.

In different missive from the GP surgery, it said: "I would beryllium grateful if you would prioritise this household for relocation to a much suitable property."

Iftuu's paediatric advisor has besides written to enactment their exertion to beryllium rehoused.

The household person been assisted by the Bury and Bolton Citizens Advice Bureau, who commissioned an autarkic surveyor's study successful April 2022.

Inspectors recovered "severe diffuse mould maturation aspergillus niger" successful the chamber wherever the 2 youngest children sleep.

Severe mould was besides recovered successful the bath and terrible rising dampness successful the surviving room.

"The quality of mould is noted to beryllium prejudicial to the wellness of the occupants," the study added.

But 4 months on, the household are inactive surviving successful the aforesaid conditions.

The BBC has seen documents that amusement the landlord has antecedently treated the mould and made repairs, including to the room and installing immoderate caller carpets.

He has claimed the household have, connected respective occasions, refused introduction to some himself and workmen.

The household said it was advised by lawyers not to fto anyone successful until the surveyor had visited.

The landlord said: "At this time, I americium not capable to remark connected the specifics of the alleged issues astatine the spot owed to ongoing litigation.

"However, speaking generally, it is important to retrieve that determination are 2 sides to each communicative specified arsenic this one.

"A landlord is lone capable to enactment upon the items for which they are liable to repair, and which person been reported to them.

"No substance the prime of the ventilation, heating and insulation media successful a property, if the tenant fails to marque due usage of those installations, determination volition ever beryllium a hazard of mould and mildew growth.

"Similarly, if the manner of the tenants is 1 which allows discarded to accumulate wrong a property, determination volition beryllium a hazard of infestation and vermin.

"If specified issues are contiguous astatine a property, the landlord indispensable not automatically beryllium attributed with the blame, contempt however casual and fashionable specified an proceedings by nationalist sentiment is, and an due equilibrium connected the facts indispensable beryllium made."

The toddler died successful 2020 from a respiratory information caused by prolonged vulnerability to mould successful his location successful Rochdale.

While Awaab's Law has present been written into the statute publication to compel societal lodging landlords to inspect and repair damp and mould, this does not screen the backstage rental sector.

There person been calls from MPs to widen this extortion but the authorities said it had fixed councils beardown enforcement powers.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: "Everyone has the close to a harmless home, and we volition ever instrumentality enactment whenever the wellness of tenants are astatine risk.

"Our Housing Standards squad person been progressive with this case, moving with different agencies, the landlord, and the tenants to find a imperishable solution to the mould problem.

"We person antecedently supported the landlord to transportation retired a fig of repairs, but further enactment is needed.

"However, determination person been a fig of barriers to enactment progressing connected a timely schedule, and this has resulted successful the problems getting worse."

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