The 'shocking' failures which left mum and three young kids stuck in 'uninhabitable home' full of damp and rot

Manchester council has been ordered to pay more than £5,000 to a family who were housed in an 'uninhabitable home'. The Housing Ombudsman has made three findings of severe maladministration relating to how the property in Manchester was let in such a poor condition, resulting in 'significant distress and inconvenience' for the family with three young children.

Despite being aware of a rotten kitchen floor and damp in four rooms, the property in Wythenshawe was signed off as ready to let, the ombudsman said. When the family moved in, they complained about mould on the walls as plaster peeled off when trying to decorate the home.

Soon after moving in one of the children tripped in the unsafe garden path resulting in a cut lip, according to the Housing Ombudsman. The property was previously managed by Northwards, however, the housing provider is now run by council directly.

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According to the ombudsman, the housing provider failed to investigate the underlying cause of the damp and mould, demonstrating a disregard for the family's wellbeing and safety. In a report, the ombudsman said the landlord did not appropriately consider whether the property was fit for habitation and did not investigate these matters for several months when put on notice.

This lack of action resulted in the resident handing the keys for the property back to the housing provider and staying with relatives in an overcrowded house while issues were looked into, including a roof leak which took 67 weeks to fix. The family was not offered alternative accommodation by her landlord, according to the ombudsman.

And despite the resident