Mum’s fury at leak from flat upstairs turning her home mouldy and making her kids ill – and council won’t fix it
Limara Cullum, 24, says Southampton City Council 'don't care' about her children's health in the flat in Weston, Hampshire
A FURIOUS mum is worried for her kids' safety after a leak from an upstairs flat left her ceiling on the verge of collapse - and the council won't fix it.
Limara Cullum, 24, says the damp problem is making her kids feel "ill and unsafe" after mould spread at the family's home in Weston, Southampton.
The situation has been getting worse over the last seven weeks and is now so bad that water drips down from the ceiling.
Despite having had no issues with the Southampton City Council flat over the last three years, Limara is now fearful the damp is harming her son Troy, 4, who is asthmatic.
She told The Sun Online: “He has been ill and getting worse and soon he’s going to be back in hospital and back on oxygen because the council don’t care.
“I have two young kids and a ceiling falling down on my son’s head.”
Limara said she and her partner have also both felt “tight chested” after breathing in the mouldy air.
And she claims she has even lost weight due to the stress of “constantly being on the phone” to try and sort the problem.
Limara first reported the issue when she came home from hospital after giving birth to her second baby boy, Noah, less than two months ago.
Southampton City Council apparently told her to look for the leak herself – but she told them she was unable to do as it was coming from upstairs.
She also told them it wasn’t practical for her to do their job while trying to look after her two young children.
She claims plumbers did then come to look at the mouldy ceiling - but dismissed it as being too small of a problem to bother with.
Limara said one of them told her she was “wasting his time”, while another said: “There’s nothing we can do until the electrics go bang.”
She said she is now exhausted by her persistent complaining and is fed up the council won't help her.
What to do if your council flat has a leak
The first thing you should do is contact your local council.
Most authorities have a specific hotline for housing repairs which will be listed on the council website.
If possible, try to identify the source of the leak before calling - they will need to know if the problem is with the roof or pipes in the building.
In most cases, it's the council's responsibility to make sure problems concerning the structure of flats is kept in good condition, including the walls, ceiling, roof and windows.
And if the problem is really severe then the council is compelled to ensure the problem is fixed under the scheme.
This covers urgent issues affecting the tenants' health, safety or security.
If you need to complain about the problem, you can email the Housing Ombudsman or call 0300 111 3000 to escalate the complaint.
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A Southampton City Council spokesman said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, we always encourage tenants to work with us to report cases of damp and leaks and liaise with our team on repair appointments.
“We make every possible effort to ensure any situation that arises is rectified as quickly and safely as possible. We also support tenants with identifying appropriate insurers to make sure they have adequate cover in place.”
“Damp can be caused by a variety of reasons, and Southampton City Council’s Damp Reduction Initiative helps to ensure tenants have access to preventative advice, which provides essential support to everyone as we enter the colder winter months.”
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