A Darlington woman has called on her landlord to act after a leak eight months ago spiralled into damp and mould problems that have left her sleeping on the sofa.
Ania Sierakowska has lived on Fenby Avenue since 2012 but began to have issues in October last year when a valve in the bathroom was faulty.
Despite believing the issue was fixed, damp and mould in the kitchen and bathroom began to spread, including to her bedroom, where she says she is unable to sleep due to the smell.
Ms Sierakowska has now hit out at accommodation provider, Home Group, for "shocking service" and "months of misery" in her home.
"Water is coming from the bathroom, and even though plumbers have tried to seal it, it's still an issue," she said.
"I can't sleep in my bedroom because there's damp and water under the bed and on the walls."
Mould and damp in the bathroom
(Image: ANDY FUTERS/NORTHERN ECHO)
Ania, who moved to the UK from Poland in 2007, only discovered the build-up of mould and damp in her bedroom after getting a suitcase from under the bed, only to find it was "sodden" and starting to fall apart due to the water.
She says she has complained numerous times to Home Group over the last few months, with contractors coming out to the property several times.
Home Group has said it is "aware of the issues our customer is having in their home and are working to address them".
But Ania has insisted that the issues could lead to something more serious and says being asked to use her contents insurance to replace damaged carpets and soft furnishings isn't good enough.
Mould and damp underneath Ms Sierakowska's bed
(Image: ANIA SIERAKOWSKA)
"It's a shocking service from them. They wanted me to use my contents insurance, but it's their issue to fix," added Ms Sierakowska.
"It's given me months of misery, where I haven't been able to use my bedroom.
"Home Group came last week to seal the bathroom, but there are still issues. I don't know what the solution is, but I just want it fixed.
"I need new carpets, and the walls and floors are marked and stained with damp and mould.
Damp on the floors underneath the carpets of the bedroom
(Image: ANIA SIERAKOWSKA)
Mould and damp underneath a roll of carpet
(Image: ANDY FUTERS/NORTHERN ECHO)
"I have to keep the doors open at all times because of the smell; it's giving me headaches and nausea.
"I'd say if someone can't sleep in their bedroom, that's amounting towards an emergency, but they're not rating it as an emergency.
Katherine Hernandez, regional director at Home Group, said: “We are aware of the issues our customer is having in their home and are working to address them. We apologise for the time this is taking.
“Many of the recent issues have stemmed from a leak related to a valve in our customer’s bathroom, and we recognise this has had an impact on other rooms in their home.
Mould and damp underneath a roll of carpet
(Image: ANDY FUTERS/NORTHERN ECHO)
The seal on the bathroom tiles
(Image: ANIA SIERAKOWSKA)
“We attended our customer’s home and fixed the original leaking valve, and inspected the damage caused by the leak. We found some of the chipboard flooring needs to be replaced, which we still need to do, and advised the customer to contact their contents insurance about the soaked carpets in the bedroom and water staining on their kitchen ceiling.
“Our customer later made us aware of some electrics in the bathroom which were tripping, and an electrician attended the same day to isolate and repair the affected area.
“We have also replaced a defective rear door and repaired an additional leak in our customer’s kitchen, which were allowing separate water ingress.
Read more
Remains of six neglected dogs found in Chilton couple's home with 'smell of death'
Darlington home with games room and snug could be 'perfect for family living'
Quirky café just off the A1(M) praised for ‘best breakfast’ and amazing cakes
“We take damp and mould very seriously, and we have checked for evidence of black mould during each visit.
"The smell in the bedroom may be from the staining, but we encourage our customer to continue to reach out to us if they have concerns.
“Our housing manager has also attempted to visit the customer today while in the area, and we will continue to be in contact with our customer to see what additional support we can provide.”