Worcestershire: Woman says flat is so damp her bag is covered in mould

Dec 15, 2023

A young woman claimed she is suffering from chest infections and a wheezy cough because her new build home is so damp.

Gemma Wakefield, from Worcestershire, said her clothes and even her handbag have become mouldy.

The 24-year-old moved to the home in March 2021 and weeks later noticed condensation forming on her windowsills every morning.

She said the cold weather has made the problem worse, with mould spores now in all of the rooms.

‘Since moving into this house my asthma got really bad and I was close to having a couple of attacks,’ the dog grooming business owner said.

‘Now I am back on inhalers, and I always have a tight chest and I’m wheezy which is odd for me because I haven’t been like this for so long.

‘When my handbag and clothes are covered in mould, you know the situation is really bad.’

Gemma reported the issues to Rooftop Housing but has been told the flat is brand new and has the highest energy score.

The housing association hired ventilation experts AirTech to investigate, who said mould build-up has been caused by builders failing to install trickle vents to help air flow.

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Gemma says her boyfriend Zach, 23, who occasionally stays at the flat is also suffering and found his bag full of mould.

She said: ‘My boyfriend is very healthy, he goes to the gym and boxes but he is constantly waking up with severe headaches.

‘He is fed up with it now.

‘We have to keep the windows open all the time, even now in November when it’s freezing to try to sort out the severe damp mould in every room.’

Responding to the claims, Lisa Nicholls, executive director of operations at Rooftop Housing Group, said: ‘Miss Wakefield lives in a newly built home that has an energy performance rating of band A.

‘This rating means it is highly efficient, very well insulated and airtight and therefore ventilation fans must not be turned off.

‘If these fans are not used condensation can form and cause black mould to build up.

‘We always advise our customers to wipe surfaces where any condensation may build up, ensure that fans are working, and to ventilate during cooking and bathing to reduce the chance of mould.

‘We have no reason to believe that there are mould build-ups in any of the other apartments built to the exact design specification on this development.’

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