Gosport couple win £8,500 for mouse droppings and mold in home

A couple have been awarded £8,500 in compensation after taking legal action over mold and rodent droppings in their home.

The couple, who wish not to be named, have endured the mess at their two-bedroom terraced house in Gosport, near Portsmouth, for years.

Mold was found in the bedrooms where their two young children aged 2 and 8 slept, as well as in the hallway, kitchen and bathroom, where there was also a broken extractor fan and mouse droppings.

A leak in the bathroom leaked into the kitchen ceiling, while another in the roof leaked onto the landing and living room, leaving the carpet damp.

The family had unsuccessfully lodged complaints with their housing provider Vivid Housing Limited since December 2019 before seeking legal advice in August 2020.

They settled an initial claim in May 2021 for £2,500 to bring living conditions up to legal standards within two months.

However, when that didn’t happen two months later, her lawyers pursued a breach of contract suit.

The case was close to court but a £6,000 settlement was reached days before the trial.

The couple accused the housing provider of half-heartedly trying to fix some of the issues, adding: “We are genuinely disappointed in how we have been treated by Vivid Housing.

‘From everything that gets swept under the rug to deadlocked work.’

“The stress they caused us was incredible and now that we’ve won our case, instead of fixing things, they’re evicting us.

“It’s a shame how big companies can treat people who just want to live in a moisture-free home.”

Her solicitors, High Street Solicitors, said: “No one should have to live in a house with ramshackle apartments, let alone with two young children. After complaining for over six months, the couple rightly sought legal advice.

“They wanted a solution and we made sure they were compensated and then made provision for the property to be brought up to legal standards.”

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