Sheffield mum demands landlord moves her to new property after damp in flat makes her daughter ill

A Sheffield mum says the flat she shares with her two young daughters is uninhabitable and is demanding her landlord move them to a new property.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Tina Hickinbottom, aged 38, who lives on in Handsworth, says the Guinness Partnership operated property’s walls are ‘full’ of black mould, and so cold and damp it is making her youngest daughter ill.

The housing association say they have attempted to fix the problem once, and visited again this week, but Tina says enough is enough and is now demanding a move before the situation gets any worse.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: “The flat is so cold, damp and miserable and we're on a pre pay meter so it is costing me a fortune.

Tina Hickingbottom with her daughters Cara-Tian, 9, and Charley-Mae, 13.Tina Hickingbottom with her daughters Cara-Tian, 9, and Charley-Mae, 13.
Tina Hickingbottom with her daughters Cara-Tian, 9, and Charley-Mae, 13.

“Me and my girls are never warm so we have to wear dressing gowns with clothes underneath and socks and slippers on.

“I wash the girls clothes and when they go to their dads at weekends they’re still damp and cold and smell.”

Tina said Guinness have now visited the family twice, once before Christmas and the other last week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The first time they did nothing and were only here 20 minutes,” she said.

Examples of the damp in Tina's flat.Examples of the damp in Tina's flat.
Examples of the damp in Tina's flat.

“Then last week they said it was condensation so they're going to drill some holes.

“I'm just so fed up I want to move.”

Tina’s mum, June Feetham, contacted the Star last week after becoming frustrated at the housing association’s lack of action.

She said that the situation was bad enough already but had become more urgent as a result of nine-year-old Cara-Tian’s chest problems.

Examples of the damp in Tina's flat.Examples of the damp in Tina's flat.
Examples of the damp in Tina's flat.

“It is 2020 - nobody should be living like that,” she said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"They can’t wait another two weeks. It was reported to them months ago.”

A spokesperson from the Guinness Partnership said: “We are sorry for any inconvenience caused to Ms Hickingbottom with the problem of damp she has been experiencing at her property.

“Our operative visited the property on Monday and carried out the necessary external work to stop the cause of the damp.”