A pregnant couple say the council are “playing roulette” with their unborn child’s life as they look to move out of their mouldy and damp flat.
Shanaya Wood and her 18-month-old child moved into a one-bedroom flat in Sheerness six months ago, with the mother and daughter’s move and rent being paid for by Swale Borough Council (SBC).
However, just weeks later, they became plagued with mould and damp – with the landlord and letting agents placing the blame on her for not having the windows open in the middle of winter.
A spokesman for the council says they have instructed the landlord to work on the issues.
But for now, Shanaya and her partner Charlie Inder, who lives in a separate shared accommodation in the town, have warned Swale housing officers they are risking their children’s lives by keeping them there.
Charlie told KentOnline: “They’ve quite literally just thrown her into the doghouse, thrown her into the deep end.
“It was absolutely pristine when they moved in, but the pictures you’re seeing are an accumulation of 42 days’ worth of mould.
“Mid-January, we start mentioning these things, and the landlord starts to push the blame back, he claims that the mould is due to Shanaya’s unwillingness to use a space heater.
“The heaters didn’t work properly; it was as good as a big old doorstop.”
In emails sent to Charlie and the landlord, seen by KentOnline, an electrician confirmed the property required a lot of work, saying the heaters didn’t work properly, it didn’t have a fire alarm and taped up sockets next to damp walls.
A council inspection in May also revealed inadequate insulation in the loft, ventilation being “below the required standard”, and the heating “has been intermittent and inadequate during the colder months”.
However, the same inspector said it would only be possible to do a follow-up inspection in the colder months.
Charlie added: “They seem to get away with it with their head held high, which is unbelievable.
“Quite simply, they are playing roulette and they’re gambling with my child’s life.
“My partner and her child woke up wet every day for two months in the winter.
“A one-and-a-half-year-old seemingly has survived it, obviously, but a two-month-old? I’m just not so confident.”
While the council have offered alternative accommodation, the offers force them to choose between living with mould or living with no hot water.
With the pair unable to get a place together, Charlie continues to live in his shared accommodation in the town while they save up.
A separate email reveals that the landlord and the estate agent managing the property told Shanaya to go to charities for help with heating the property.
“This flat, despite being in good condition in December 2024, within less then two months of the current tenancy, excessive problems have arisen, which clearly indicate that the tenant is not maintaining a healthy and appropriate living environment,” reads the email from February 26.
“Thus, potentially causing serious damage to herself to her child and to the property.
“We strongly urge the council to urgently step in and look after this young family to provide financial assistance for the much-needed heating or alternative housing support.”
A spokesman for Swale Borough Council said: “We had an individual present to our prevention team following a family dispute which put her at risk of homelessness.
“As always with priority need cases, we worked hard to help her get into appropriate accommodation.
“We helped the tenant apply for a discretionary housing payment (DHP) from the government and assisted in finding privately rented accommodation.
“We received the necessary certificates from the landlord, and the tenant inspected the property before moving in.
“The tenant then contacted our private housing team due to issues with damp and mould and, following two inspections, we instructed the landlord to do works to address these issues.
“When access was possible – their contractors replaced the windows and treated the mould.
“We have also offered advice on what actions they can take to prevent the build-up of damp and mould, and we are monitoring the property to make sure the issues are resolved.
“If further work is necessary, we’ll continue to work with the landlord to resolve them so the tenant can live in a comfortable environment.”
