A Latvian couple living in Dundee say they are concerned for the heath of their daughter in a council flat covered in mould.
Liara Staka and Evgeniy Kacanovskiy say they have been pleading for help with damp in their Balgarthno Terrace flat in Charleston for nearly a year.
And despite raising concerns over the impact on their 11-year-old daughter, Rebecca Kacanocska, they say Dundee City Council has so far failed to carry out repairs.
Moisture around plug sockets
The couple, who speak little English, say moisture has seeped into the walls and even around plug sockets in Rebecca’s bedroom.
They also claim Rebecca has developed a consistent cough after months of living in the conditions.
Ukrainian Andriy Sukhodub, who acts as a consultant and translator for many people from eastern Europe living in Tayside, has been trying to help the family for about six months.
He says the conditions have left him shocked and that nobody should be forced to live in such a poorly maintained property.
“They are effectively homeless,” he said.
“They are living somewhere that is not safe and not suitable.
They are not living in a developing country here… it is embarrassing.”
“They are not living in a developing country here. It is embarrassing.
“Rebecca is such a lovely and talented young girl and to see her living like this is really horrendous. She’s being cared for well by her parents but she’s being neglected by the council.”
Andriy claims the electricity in the flat is not safe and fears it will cause a “disaster”.
He added: “I just want to help but I don’t feel like I have achieved much so far.”
‘Our friends are all in shock’
Mould can be seen around many of the windows, including in the bedroom, and the couple say a large amount of water enters the property during heavy rain.
Factory worker Liara, and handyman Evgeniy, also say the drain in the bath regularly blocks, producing a foul odour.
Speaking through Andriy as translator, Evgeniy says they have lived in the flat for about 10 years but have only recently faced serious issues.
He said: “Our friends are all in shock when they see the flat.
“We don’t understand how the council can take rent payments from us — which are all up to date — without doing a thing to fix the issues.
“We are worried about Rebecca’s health but the council don’t seem to take notice.”
Andriy, who is also a private landlord, says he plans to put in a complaint to the Scottish Housing Regulator.
“The time taken to fix these problems is beyond any reasonable timescales,” he said.
“As a landlord myself, I try to fix issues within days. This has been almost a year.”
Lochee councillor Charlie Malone has also been trying to get the problems fixed after taking the couple’s case on.
House conditions ‘appalling’ says councillor
He said: “There is black mould all round the windows and walls – it’s even around the sockets.
“It’s the worst I have ever seen. It really is awful. It’s in a child’s bedroom.
“I raised this in May 2021 and I can’t believe nothing has been done. I have called on officers to investigate why it is taking so long. It’s appalling.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “Council officers have recently inspected the property and are preparing to carry out repairs.
“The council will discuss decant options with the family for when the work takes place.”
