Tower Hamlets: Black mould forces 7-year-old boy to live apart from mum

A mum of three was forced to live apart from her seven-year-old asthmatic son due to black mould spreading in her home - three years after she first raised the issue.

Ashlee Toomey, 33, lives with her partner and children in a flat in Seven Kings, Ilford. The family were moved to the temporary accommodation by Tower Hamlets Council just over three years ago, after living with Ashlee’s mother in Poplar, and it was within a few weeks that black mould and damp began appearing.

While Ashlee said the issue was bearable for the first year and a half, as she was able to wash the mould off as directed by the council, it came to a head in December 2021, when the first of several big leaks hit her home.

The flat was flooded for around three days, she said, before the source of the leak beneath the kitchen was fixed.

“The water was everywhere, to the point where the bottoms of our feet were getting blisters because they were always wet,” Ashlee said.

“All the Christmas presents got ruined. It was one of the times I don’t want to go back to.”

Following the flooding, Ashlee had to take her youngest, who was a baby at the time, to hospital for breathing issues, where she was put on a nebuliser.

Around this time, Ashlee said someone from Tower Hamlets Council attended the property and told her they would get her and her family out. Two and a half years later, she said she no longer receives responses from the council, and the mould in her home has only gotten worse.

‘The family has been split up’

Since that first leak, Ashlee said the mould has spread around the home to a degree where she can no longer clean it off.

The family avoids putting furniture near the walls, and one of her sons is having to live with Ashlee’s mother, due to concerns about how the mould could affect his asthma.

Understandably, the impact on the family has been huge.

“Honestly, it’s been the worst experience ever,” Ashlee said. “My youngest boy, he doesn’t even live with me.

“The family has been split up.”

Ashlee said that while she has not lost her son, “when he comes home, he doesn’t have a room”.

“It’s really hard to have three children, but only having two at home.”

As well as the mould, Ashlee said the front door to her flat also does not open properly, meaning the family have to enter the property via the patio.

“I keep saying to the council, if anything did happen and the front door didn’t open, the kids have no exit.”

While she continues to email Tower Hamlets Council to try and find a resolution to her issues, Ashlee said she is struggling to see a way out.

“I have emailed everyone I can think of at Tower Hamlets,” she said. “I’m at a dead end.”

What should you do about black mould?

Since the death in December 2020 of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from exposure to black mould in Rochdale, there has been heightened concern about the threat of mould across the UK.

According to the housing charity Shelter, there are obligations on a landlord regarding resolving damp and mould in a rented home.

Landlords must fix the damp or mould if the problem is either caused by a repair issue, or is affecting the tenants’ health and safety.

An inspection must be carried out, and repairs completed in a “reasonable time”, Shelter adds.

Common examples of problems landlords must fix include leaking internal pipes, broken heating systems and cracked walls or rotten window frames.

As a tenant, Shelter advises ventilating the home and controlling moisture, such as by using extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms, and ensuring the home is well-heated if possible.

Recent City Hall research found £9bn is spent annually on rent on non-decent homes across England, with £3.5bn in London alone. Of that, £500m comes from housing benefit, with the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, calling the expenditure on poor homes a “scandal”.

Tower Hamlets

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “We have supported and been in contact with Ashlee throughout her time living in temporary accommodation. Officers have supported her with housing and rent advice, as well as providing support to address any barriers she may face in finding more settled and affordable accommodation, like access to work, training and maximising benefits.

“Ashlee is on our transfer list because the private landlord, who rents the property to the council for use as temporary accommodation, has requested its return.

“As the property is privately owned, any repairs and maintenance issues need to be reported directly to the owner. We expect homes to be of a good standard and have supported Ashlee with her complaints by chasing up the landlord when necessary and requiring confirmation of all remedial works carried out.

“We always try to respond to emails and phone calls in a prompt manner, but appreciate we don’t always get it right. We would welcome the opportunity to address any issues that Ashlee has and encourage her to speak to her housing officer in the first instance.”