Orbit housing tenant in Norwich falls ill due to black mould

Marni Snelling, 20, has been living in her Catton Grove flat since August 2022 which is managed by housing association the Orbit Group.

A few months later she realised that her bedroom had developed a huge issue with black mould which, despite a year of complaining to Orbit, she says is now making her seriously unwell.

Marni has been living with the mould for over a year and is now unwell (Image: Denise Bradley)

"I have had a really tight chest for weeks but didn't think anything of it," she said.

"I started to have trouble breathing and thought I had a chest infection.

"When it didn't go away, I went to a walk-in centre, where the doctor said that I was having an allergic reaction to the black mould in my flat and prescribed me some medication. 

"They are going to run more tests in the weeks to come."

The mould has destroyed several pieces of furniture, as well as many of Marni's clothes (Image: Marni Snelling)

Marni has been sleeping on the sofa in her living room for months after the problem became so bad that she had to move out of her bedroom. 

She continued: "The mould destroyed my chest of drawers and my bed, and I've had to throw so many clothes out that have been damaged.

"Orbit has compensated me for the new furniture but it is all ruined again."

One of the contractors sent by the housing association to have a look told Marni that someone had treated the flat for black mould before, but not fitted the correct plasterboard to prevent the problem from returning.

The mould has become so bad that Marni has been sleeping on her sofa in her living room for weeks (Image: Marni Snelling)

"They seem to just be removing the plasterboard from the properties rather than just dealing with the actual issue," said Marni.

"A bricklayer came to see the property last year who said the issue was being caused by rising damp.

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"My neighbour is having the same problems with black mould that I am and she had a drain survey done which showed that the drains are all blocked and in need of repair.

"There is no insulation in the walls either."

Marni fears that her housing association is not dealing with the cause of the mould (Image: Denise Bradley)

The Orbit Group has acknowledged the complaints but says they believe the Rackham Road property being "underheated" is a contributing factor.

A spokesman for Orbit said: "We take reports of damp, mould and condensation issues extremely seriously and have a damp, mould and condensation policy and procedure, which ensures reports of this nature are referred for inspection and diagnosis.

"We have listened to the concerns of our customer, and since May 2023 have carried out three inspections of the property which involved intensive checks both inside and outside the property including moisture checks of walls and floors.

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"Whilst these inspections did not find any significant issues with the property that should lead to mould, we checked the guttering, arranged for a CCTV inspection of the drainage and for window sealants and an extraction fan to be replaced. We will also be returning to the property soon to replace a storage heater in the bedroom and to install wall insulation.

"The meter readings taken during the inspections suggest that the property is being underheated. We have advised the customer of the importance of keeping her home warm and well-ventilated and have offered her extra help via our Better Days programme which offers a range of free support to all customers including energy-saving advice.

"Since the last inspection in November, we have visited the property on three further occasions on January 22, February 5 and March 21 to monitor any changes and we encourage the customer to remain in contact with any new concerns."

Orbit Group manages the building that Marni is living in (Image: Denise Bradley)