me my partner and 3 kids are having heatlth promblems from the mould we have in our house eg: my partner has sereve asthma and is allergic from the mould spornes should the council move us its been going on for 2 years now

sue, February 2010

Your situation sounds both severe and desperate - if you can a visit to your local MPs surgery (does not matter how you vote) or to Citizens Advice - or both might do some good - you have nothing to lose except your health!

The meter will just be a dampness meter - if you've got mould the meter adds no value - the mould says enough.

For about £5 you can get a cheap Relative Humidity meter for greenhouses from a garden centre - it will give you data you can use in your negotiations - the argument NO Money to fix the front door is not valid.

If the children's health is at risk social services may be interested but it's a dangerous last resort.

You may have been dealing only with the Housing people - contact Environmental Health - your place sounds as if it's unfit for habitation

For the cost of a stamp a letter to

John Healey MP - Minister of State for Housing & Planning - House of Commons - London SW1

might stir things up and focus the attention of the local council towards fixing things - use the expression Unfit for Habitation.

Make us fuss - but do it gently.

Continuing good luck...

Peccavi, February 2010

thank you for getting back to me . we have done everything the council have asked us to do we have also decorated the bathroom 5 times in the past year we are forever cleaning the mould and its also attacked our front door which the inspecter said is warped but they have no money to replace the door so our front door is basiacally rotting away !! we have been put in an instacor fan but has not worked . also i have been to the doctors about nose bleeds i have been gettin everyday and it turns out that my nose is imflamed possible affect from the mould and we have had doctors letters to the council but still no luck another inspector came round and used his machine thing on the mould which went red for danger but still we are being left like this im worried for the kids it can cause all sorts of promblems . is there anything saying they have to move us we even have bugs like slugs in our house ? many thanks sue

sue, February 2010

Your question is in the Cars category - but no matter.

Mould comes from damp - all houses can get damp if there's not enough ventilation. A winter problem if we keep the heating up and the windows closed.

You can do some things yourself...

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/05/10103020/30217

http://www.diydata.com/problem/condensation/condensation.php

http://healthandenergy.com/mold_prevention.htm

The council may be sympathetic to your situation but they will expect you to try to eleiminate the problem yourself - they may argue that the mould may well be caused by the way you run the house (i.e. you breathe in and out with the windows closed) and that the mould problem may well follow you to any new place - and they would probably be right.

It will do no harm to contact them - Housing Department or Environmental Health and they may offer practical help and advice - you never know - you may even get a new place - but be gentle with them - a note from your partner's doctor (may cost you) might help support your case.

You must, however, be able to show some evidence of having tried to solve the problem yourself.

Good luck...

Peccavi, February 2010