Hey lovelies, I’m Imogen — and if you know me, you know how hard this is for me to say… But I need help. We need help.

My partner Stuart, our cat, and our pack of dogs are trapped in a small studio bungalow that is beyond dangerous and falling apart around us!! We’ve lived here for 6–7 years, and every year it’s gotten worse. The damp, mould, and rot are no longer just inconvenient — they are actively dangerous.

The spiders, flies, rodents are problem enough without adding also multiple damp issues (rising from clay soil and improper foundation, wall due to no damp course and insufficient guttering, a lot of windows which are all blown, roofing problems inc flat roofing and bowing roofing / structural issues etc..), electrical issues inc blackouts - some times for days due to water getting into the electrics, loss of multiple electric extensions and even electrical fires!! The landlord and letting agency keep making promises: new heating system (which is not only incredibly old but has faults, the radiators are too small and insufficient amount 4 tiny radiators in 6 "rooms", French drain to deal with water-logged / flooded due to compacted clay soil garden, replacement of blown windows, guttering and drainage - especially where there is non, fixing the bathroom which is a litteral rotting shed, extractor fans in bathroom, toilet and kitchen, the sewage pipe fixed… the list goes on. But nothing is ever done and the rare few jobs that were done were not done properly and have caused us more problems..!!

We’ve spoken to CAB, housing, council, letting agency etc and involved environmental health, and they’ve confirmed the property is unsafe. There’s likely no damp course in the walls, improper foundations, and the bathroom — a literal shed added on to the property — is falling apart, letting in rodents, water, and cold air.. They suggested 1. We move. 2. An extractor unit in the attic with pipes going to each room constantly sucking out moisture - both costly to buy and run!! 3. We take official action but warned this may make us homeless!

The landlord’s response? “Open the windows, put the heating on, and stop breathing.” - Yeh, I wish I was joking!! He isn't prepared to do that!! And what's more now instead of fixing the problems he uses the excuse he's looking to sell this place (which won't pass surveys and will be deemed unhabitable and again make us homeless). We have been assured by the letting agency that they can't do anything if the landlord says no, and pressing further will render us in tenancy termination if this place is as bad as I claim!! - again making us homeless!!

We had an inspection by the letting agency and they're insisting I have too much furniture and this is the problem. It's not. And I have a regular amount of furniture just this place is tiny.

Anyway.. Really this place is a ticking time bomb of which is going to happen first.. We're made homeless or we die due to mould / fire issue!!

Add to this the fact this is a cobbled together granny flat in the back garden of a much bigger property. That property became a nursery school a couple of years back which encourages not only learning through exploration - which means 52 children have garden access 8am - 6pm Monday - Friday but it also means they're encouraged to scream, howl, bang and make as much noise as they like/can.. Which is triggering my PTSD and the dogs!! Not to mention my drive constantly blocked access!! - The council and government are gaslighting me and the neighbours who are all complaining (and/or moving)!! The children also throw things over the 8ft fence which are choking hazards for my dogs!! And the children like to put things down the toilet causing backed up sewage issues!! - Another problem we resolve because the letting agency are so bad!!

Ultimately though the main issue with this property is over the years it has got worse and worse with damp, mould and rot. We replace things as we can.. Or need.. We get on with what we can.. But I'm trapped here 24/7 with my health and additional health issues due to this environment. Not to mention my parter also suffers when home especially on weekends with migraines most likely linked to mould..!! And I dare not even think what's happening with my animals, I'm so fearful of loosing!! - Having lost my cat to heart issues!! I digress.. The last 18 months has seen us replace all our kitchen electrical goods, most of our bedroom furniture (multiple times), half our living space furniture.. And nearly all our soft furnishings and a lot of clothes to not only to mould but rot!! The walls are cold and damp and in the bedroom, bathroom and toilet the walls are litterally wet causing electrical issues with lights and sockets, damp mouldy towels, toilet roll and just generally unhygienic. Replacing bedding monthly.. We're trying to constantly move our home round and implement things to make things more survivable.. But at cost of money we don't have, more debt and very little happiness.. Extreme fatigue.. Trying to pretend it's not a problem when expensive tvs/computers/games consoles or even white goods and other electronics stop working due to damp... - this week I've lost both my laptop and my pc (they won't turn on)!! Food goes rotten quicker (or the electrics stop working for days causing loss of frozen food). How the place is so small and having to live hap hazard to make do. And having to do daily laundry just to have clean clothes and towels.. Things everyone takes for granted. At the cost of over £150 electric and over £250 gas a month for this tiny studio place.. Plus the £210 Council Tax and yes OK we are lucky with the water £34 because they can't separate us from the main house - but when kids flush toys it backs up the sewage into our garden / toilets. Yes we luck out our rent is only £520 and never been raised.. And there's a garage that I struggle to access since landlord put on a motorised door but refuses to pay for the motor (the one job he actually did and again cut corners).. - the boiler is in there and we have to go in almost daily to put the pressure up on the boiler. And yes I push my luck with my number of pets - the letting agency knows about them..!! And yes I've always paid my rent on time, resolved a lot of the issues myself / paid myself and generally been a great Tennant. But things are now at a new low. In the last few months our electric has been knocked out due to water getting inside the electrical systems and having to wait days for it to dry out leaving us with no / some lights, garage electrics and nothing more. Most of this house is wired onto the same one electrical switch!! - How this keeps passing electrical inspection I don't know (or I do, they use the same shoddy handy men who are shit). The official gas guy is amazing and keeps reporting the same problems that are never resolved 6+ years. It's a struggle that's impacting our quality of life. The electrics are also dodgy most of the sockets don't have on/off switches and we have had multiple small electrical fires - which I luckily caught early!!

This is no way to live. It's not even living. It's barely surviving. It's having deep impact on our quality of life. Never going out, feeling guilty buying leasure supplies for hobbies, never going away, just existing - badly. Tools are rusty. Everything smells. It's horrible. But the alternative is being homeless.

And now the landlord is wanting rid of this property, if seems he's put it up for auction a few times and is close to liquidation. - A survey will not pass this property as livable let alone lettable.. Which means we're most likely facing homelessness ontop of trying to make ends meet. - Our grand plan was wait it out another 2 and a half years till we've paid off our debts occurred during Covid (when our house purchase fell through due to loss of his job). And then we save for a house.. A nice house at that!! But now it looks like we will have to get a "better than this place house" or more to the point a "better than being homeless and losing our animals house" - but rent or buy (we'd like to buy) the deposit will cost us the same (actually more for renting and pets will be an issue).. So we got a mortgage in principle, we just now need the 5% deposit. - cross the removals bridge when it comes to it!! But for now.. The deposit.. Can you help us?!

Imogen, Stuart, The Cat and The Pack.