Man's teeth damaged by 'mould-related acid reflux' from beetle-infested flat

04 January 2024 , 08:21

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Gordon Warrender, 32, moved into his flat in November 2020 (Image: Glasgow Live)

A man was forced to live in a flat riddled with beetles, damp and mould as well as leaking water pipes for two years.

Gordon Warrender, 32, moved into his Wheatley Homes-supplied flat in Scotstoun, Glasgow in November 2020 and immediately began struggling with numerous issues that plagued him until September 2022. The mould and damp, beetles and issues with the water tank led to serious health conditions for Gordon, as well as damaging the property.

Gordon is now fighting for compensation from the housing association. Wheatley Homes offered him rent credit instead of money, but Gordon claims he needs cash to replace his damaged teeth caused by mould-related acid reflux. He used to work in sales but is now unable to work due to his health conditions, including struggles with his mental health. After moving into his flat, Gordon almost immediately noticed a nasty smell, found that the running water appeared dirty and that there were beetles and mould in multiple rooms.

Gordon shared his ordeal with Glasgow Live, saying: "I was homeless at the beginning of COVID and staying with friends. I was offered this house in November 2020. When I came into the flat they had all the windows open but they said it was because the walls had just been plastered, which I accepted. When I first signed for the flat, there were slight issues; little yellow marks in ceiling corners. It wasn't feeling damp but it had clearly been damp so I highlighted that to get it sorted."

Gordon described how the situation deteriorated: "Things got worse and worse. You couldn't paint a wall without ripping chunks out of it. The water cupboard was falling to pieces, the water in the tank was brown and sludgy and when I turned the taps on, there was a sewage smell coming out. I had to buy bottled water to drink. My plumbing never worked; people from Wheatley would come with a plunger and say it was fixed and then in a couple days it would all start again. When they came with household paint, they painted over the mould so within a couple weeks it pushed through the paint."

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Gordon also battled a beetle infestation in his flat, with insects found in his cooker. The issue took a year to resolve and Wheatley Homes did not move him into a habitable property during this time. He added: "The beetles were in my cooker, my washing machine - they were everywhere. They came in, sprayed the flat with a fumigation spray and told me I couldn't mop. The guy who did it asked if I was being decanted because I shouldn't have been there but Wheatley refused to decant me."

Mould and damp issues in the walls (Glasgow Live)

The dirty water coming out of the bath taps (Glasgow Live)

He continued: "They also never sprayed the water cupboard so the beetles just came back. Eventually they had to do it again with a six-month spray. They made me stay here for all of that time. That's a year I was living in a flat with fumigation spray when I shouldn't have been."

In the summer of 2022, Gordon was temporarily moved into a different flat. Wheatley finally carried out the repairs to the water cupboard, plumbing, heating and walls that he had been asking for nearly two years. After three months, his flat is now in a good state but now Gordon suffers from several health conditions, including asthma, depression and insomnia.

Before moving into the flat, Gordon was active, doing martial arts and playing rugby, and had no health issues. Now, due to respiratory problems and poor mental health, he can't work or enjoy the hobbies he used to love. He shared: "Just under a year after I moved into the flat, I had to go to the doctor because I was waking up choking until I was sick. I was diagnosed with asthma which I've never had in my life. I've also had to stop working. I was working full time before but then I had to go on Universal Credit until the doctor signed me off as being incapable of work."

While Gordon has been awarded over £4,000, this money must be used as rent credit which he's not happy about as he's not able to use it for his dental work.

Marianne Tambini, a spokesperson for Living Rent, stated: "We all deserve to live in mould and damp free homes. It is unbelievable that Gordon had mould and damp in his flat for so long. We know the effects of poor-quality housing on people's health. Wheatley has a responsibility to ensure people's homes are in a livable condition. If England can legislate against mould and damp, so can Scotland.

A spokesperson for Wheatley Homes Glasgow stated: "We've carried out all of the repairs in the home and fixed all of the issues raised by the tenant. At no point was the tenant without clean water or heating. This work included treating the infestation, replastering and decorating the home, installing new storage heaters, fitting a new kitchen and replacing the furniture. We also offered to compensate Mr Warrender for any inconvenience, but this offer was rejected. We'll continue to keep in touch with the tenant and offer any support we can."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Laura Ferguson