Resident is asking to relocate

[lana_sh]

Good morning,

One of our almshouses had an underfloor leak in March. We have eliminated it, and now the property is waiting to be refurbished. However, the damage from the leak was substantial — a few walls were affected and are now mouldy. We have had a dehumidifier for two weeks. The humidity in the walls went down to 25%, however, to start refurbishment, the humidity must be around 12%. The floor covering in the kitchen where the leak was will be removed this week to allow it to be dried, and all black mould will be wiped.
Apologies for such a detailed report, but perhaps you have encountered a similar situation.

The resident has asked to relocate for the time being while the property is drying out due to unhealthy conditions, and it is dangerous to her health as she has many respiratory diseases.

The builder and the plumbers do not consider the conditions dangerous to health. All the walls are dry to the touch, but not dry enough for the replastering etc. The leak was in the kitchen only. The rest of the house is in good shape as it was renovated two years ago.

Would it be appropriate for us to ask the resident’s GP or other doctors to provide written confirmation that the living conditions are hazardous to her health? Or what will you suggest?

Kind regards,
Lana

[thesmac]

Hi Lana
Not an easy one I think.
The local authority should have a health and safety advisor and, unless I am mistaken, they do not charge for their visit. Maybe you could get in touch with him/her to get their views and ask for an inspection of the premises?
Would the resident have a family member that could house him/her until such time that the place has dried out a bit more?
If the walls are mouldy, this is definitely a risk to health, whether one has a medical condition or not.
The thing is, do you feel the resident is being unreasonable? Do you/the Trustees want to take the risk of the resident’s health being jeopardised or ending up with a lawsuit?
Sorry, no clear answer here…
Good luck!
Anne

[emmapannell]

Hi – we had flooding in 2 of our properties a few years ago, and the residents did move out (staying in a very local travellodge for several weeks). The damage to the properties was extensive, an insurance claim was required – and the relocated residents’ costs were included (reasonable costs including daily food etc) as part of the claim.

Do you have insurance that might cover this eventuality?

Emma

[lana_sh]

Dear All,

I thought I will report back. We had to relocate the resident based on the damp surveyor report and further extensive work. Luckily, we had another property available ready for renovation so we did relocate the resident to our own property. We have involve the insurance so I expect the some revenue loss will be reimbursed.

Kind Regards,
Lana

[Author]

Posts