Damp and a vulnerable child

[ByCalmBlueWriter]

It’s a long story but I’ll try to make it short.
We have had a leak for 4 months. 8 reports, stage 1 complaint and escalation to MP, I am told the damp behind my tiles is a small wet mark on the wall.
My toilet ceiling is peeling off, the biggest leak in the toilet is 80cm short of our electrics and I am told that I have a small wet mark despite my tiles nearly falling off the wall.
It’s not a small wet mark, is it? As recollections may vary so do definitions of small wet mark but I might as well be unreasonable as I have been in this for so long.
PS: DC is super vulnerable often requiring A&E interventions and hospitalisations on oxygen.

How often is your bathroom window open? I think it might be a lack of ventilation problem.

All the time. There has been a leak from upstairs so the water comes from above.

Your child may already be suffering from asthma.....
We have a lot of damp in winter, has leaks, I have asthmatic lungs but so far not a single issue with my health in recent years.

Don't worry, use a dehumidifier, and fix the leak! We fixed so far 4 leaks

Contact the people above and see are they private owners, might be their duty to fix it....might be the HA - good luck and don't despair, there are millions of people in this country living with fair amount of mould

i cannot fix it as it is from the property above. My point is that I am not being taken seriously and told its a small water mark.

My husband actually found right now a 6th leak in the boiler cupboard. For us is like endless. But we are happy and deal with things, so don't worry please - life is to be lived and managed

I have raised it. I have kept on top of it and whilst I understand I’m not the only one I don’t think I should.

This is outside my control and it affects my child. I do live and am trying to manage my life.

Are you in social rented housing or private sector?

I mean, it does look like a leak and more than a small damp mark but generally people do not spend very long in bathrooms. And they are prone to spores generally.

It does need fixing especially if your child has breathing issues, though. Have you contacted environmental health?

This is serious OP especially for your child.
Who is responsible for the leaking ceiling, eg is it your landlord, the landlord of the flat above, the owner of the flat above? Are you in a Housing Association flat?

So after 4 months they fixed crumbled grouting and missing bath seal but it came back 10 days later exactly as before. Without inspecting it again, they told me it was a tap this time and the 50 cm of damp behind the tiles is a small water mark. I suppose I will have to be wading in water for them to take me seriously.

Who told you this?

Housing association in my stage 1 outcome.

Who owns the flat above with the leak and what have you done to contact them and explain your situation and needs? You’re best laying it all out here so you can get some advice, rather than making everyone pull teeth.

It is owned by the HA and all has been raised with them through official channels, photos provided and problem escalated. Medical report was also submitted.
The bathroom above was in a state of disrepair but that is their problem and they have 28 calendar days to fix a leak.
We have run heating and dehumidifier round the clock so it is managed but with winter impeding I do not know how long I can stay on top of it.
They struggle with access to the property but that again is not really my problem and just close it down without inspecting again.
I do not think the damp behind the tiles is a small water mark and that is really what my question was.
I know what to do next and how to manage my child’s condition which is not asthma and also am aware of what next steps I can take.
I know that people get flooded much worse than me and that they have mould but I do not think that what I still have is a small water mark.

I understand the inaction to fix the leak is annoying but it doesn’t look too serious and if you’re doing all you can by chasing the HA to get the leak fixed and keeping the window open to avoid mould then I don’t think your child is in danger.

Okay.. so… [aside from wondering how far you are into the 28 days, and assuming you know whatever escalation process you’d need to follow if the flat above hasn’t sorted out the leak within that time]… I’m not sure why you’re getting hung up on the definition of a small water mark… It’s a problem, it’s not healthy for your child or anyone, and that’s that.

Can you pull a couple of tiles off the wall so you can get a proper look at the damage to the wall behind? If the tiles are peeling away from the wall anyway, it’s not going to put you in a worse position to try. Assuming you find mould or more wet behind, it’ll give your case more weight (take photos as soon as you take the tile off). And (depending how bad it is) you could possibly surface treat any mould behind the tiles to make it at least a bit safer, and having the tiles off the walls will at least get the dehumidifier reaching it.

If you’re just wanting to have a moan here and express how frustrating it all is, that’s totally understandable.

Sorry. It’s not all pieced together and in various posts. It has now been 4 months as I stated in the initial post.
I am getting it fixed, have regrouted bathroom due to damage but our flat is small and it will affect us.
I am in the process of getting quotes to have it fixed but there is a £500 insurance excess so before I undertake any works I want to know that it has been fixed.
i am fixated on their description of the problem because it allows them to shut it down without properly investigating.
All I want is for them to fix it as I don’t fancy another trip in an ambulance to resus because winters are hard for us as it is.
So I feel like I am being hushed and my problem is not seen as serious because we are not swimming.

Thanks, I wasn't sure about the situation.
A friend of mine in a Peabody flat had an almost identical problem with a leak from upstairs, until her ceiling eventually came down. Peabody told her to sort it out with the upstairs neighbour although this person would not speak to my friend. It's appalling behaviour by the housing association and I hope you will follow every complaint procedure you can and also get the local paper interested. Why should you pay rent for this rubbish service.

We are in a flat and under the attic. We fixed 5 leaks so far some would go downstairs if we didn't.

As for your case, I would move. You literally have no control when you are under uncooperative people

We however, discovered 6th leak now. So getting ready to fix that one too

Environmental Health office

Just for clarity- are you both HA or one of you? When you say they struggle for access, is that the HA you aren’t letting in? Awaab’s law goes live this month so HAs should have a clear way of remedying damp in properties they own.

I am a leaseholder and the property above is a freehold owned by the HA whose tenant will not cooperate and allow entry.
I have contacted the regulator and whilst I can make a referral about the HA not handling the situation, they cannot help me advocate for us as Awaab’s Law is primarily intended for social housing only. They did encourage me to submit all the evidence I have as they look at how HAs handle all complaints as an indicator of good practices.

That is not on the cards due to various factors. Also if I am to sell, the leak needs to be sorted.