Pensioner Slams Council Over Damp and Mouldy Home Impacting Health

Elizabeth Gough lives in Johnstone. She said her flat is damaged by water, and is now battling with the council about it. This is affecting her health, as damp, mold, and mildew are on her walls in her two-bedroom flat.

She believes the source of the water is the flat above hers, which belongs to the council. Elizabeth, who is 72 and owns her flat, says she has fought the council to fix the water problem.

Now, the roof may need repair, and all owners could face a large bill. Elizabeth is worried she cannot pay and needs help with the costs. She is on anti-depressants because of this situation.

She needs new floors and plaster, and her flat needs redecorating. It will cost thousands to fix everything, with problems having initially started four years ago. The water has severely damaged her home.

In 2020, she was told gutters were blocked from pigeon droppings. Due to lockdown, nothing happened, and a man only partially cleared the gutters later using a cherry picker.

The upstairs flat had a tenant until 2022, who contacted the council. The council condemned that flat in 2022, but did not inform other tenants about it.

In 2023, her flat was again severely damaged. The bedroom and living room had mold, and water constantly ran into her flat. The upstairs flat was empty then, and she said the council did not respond well.

Contractors came in 2023, with water stopping from late 2023 to late 2024. However, water dripped at a retail unit below her on Christmas Eve, prompting her to call for an emergency plumber.

Workmen looked at her flat and the one above; now, the building’s roof needs work. Elizabeth argued with the council, telling them about the problems for years, and the roof repair is needed now.

She believes the guttering is the real issue. The upstairs flat has no ceiling in the bedroom, nor any floorboards; the living room has half a ceiling, and half the floorboards are gone with only brick remaining on the walls.

After fixing the gutter, they had a dry year. Now, owners may pay £73,000 total, while the council says the water enters from the roof, quoting the Scottish Tenants Act.

She does not know why they quoted it, as owners must pay for the roof in 28 days. She does not have that much money and experiences panic attacks when it rains, having even needed ten buckets for water inside.

The council’s communication has been poor, responding mostly when newspapers get involved. Councillor Chris Gilmour visited her flat and hopes that they find a solution.

He contacted council officers about it, seeking to ensure her home is safe and urging them to do the work quickly. The council said they are a minority owner and cannot do repairs without other owners’ agreement.

They are getting a roof repair quote and will consult with the owners, proposing a whole roof replacement. A past proposal failed in 2023.

The council sympathized with Elizabeth and stated they will work with her and other owners, seeking to carry out all needed repairs.