Kingsclere: Woman left to live in mould infested house

Michelle Stillings and her her husband have been living in a Vivid flat in Strokins Road since 2011 and said they have been faced with the problems since they moved in.

The 34-year-old, who is self-employed, said that the pair have had big problems with mould in the kitchen.

She said: "The mould in my kitchen came all the way down the wall and behind the dishwasher. There is also fungi growing in the kitchen and the bathroom."

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She continued: "I hate mould and I just can't stand living with it, so I keep cleaning it off. It is so stressful, and I am now really fed up. It is really affecting our mental health now and I keep getting ill. We just shouldn't have to live like this."

She told the Gazette that she has also had problems with broken windows and crumbling walls, meaning that the flat is not properly heated.

She said this has been especially hard to deal with through the winter.

Michelle has contacted the housing association but said the issue is yet to be resolved. She said she thinks the problem is caused by a leaking roof.

Carolyn Munns, head of property services at Vivid said that following an assessment of the home it was found the cause of the problem is a slow leak.

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She said: “We have a dedicated team in place who work with our customers to resolve damp and mould issues in their homes. We want to ensure it is treated as soon as possible, sometimes identifying the root cause can be difficult and more than one visit is needed.

“We've been working closely with Ms Stillings to resolve the issue together."

She added: "We have ordered the parts required and instructed a repair to be completed this week. We will continue to work with Ms Stillings to ensure their home is safe and offer ongoing support and advice if needed."