I just need my home back, says desperate mum living in 'rotten' flat

A woman says she just wants her home back after living in a "rotten" flat for two years.

Melinda Ban and her teenage sons live in a block of flats in Llanishen, Cardiff, where a fire broke out in one of the apartments in 2024.

Ban, 41, said her home suffered water damage resulting in mould and damp.

She owns her flat, but Cardiff council owns the lease, which means it's responsible for the land and structure.

Ban said: "I had to replace all of my children's furniture. Their wardrobes were ruined. I had to buy them new beds because they used to have bunk-beds but the beds were ruined."

A council spokesperson said an independent survey did not find structural damp or water penetration.

Photographs appear to show mould in the kitchen and bedrooms.

Ban said: "This is my everyday life: I wake up, I look at the mould, I clean the mould, I email the council... they don't listen to me."

She said the damp and mould "is constant" and "I just need my home back".

The mum said family life has been negatively impacted.

"My boys don't want to bring people back to the house, it's like our lives are on hold," she said.

Ban's youngest son has asthma, and so she has moved his bedroom into the living room.

She said: "We've got no space anymore to socialise like family. I hate my property, it's disgusting, and I feel suffocated because I can't sell it like this."

Ban said: "I'm sick, I'm emotionally drained. It literally feels like a fight I'm not winning at all.

"I just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel."

A council spokesperson said: "We recognise the frustration and disruption the resident and her family have experienced and understand the impact this has had on their daily lives."

It said the council had investigated her concerns on a number of occasions and found some black mould but "no evidence of structural damp, water penetration, or building defects" and found the roof to be in satisfactory condition.

"As the small amount of mould was because of lack of ventilation in the property this was a matter for the leaseholder to resolve," they said.

"Unfortunately there have been some issues with communication, however the council has worked to provide a clear and coordinated response, including appointing a single point of contact to support the resident and her family.

"The council remains committed to responding to residents' concerns and will take appropriate action where investigations identify the need for further work.

"Any matters relating to compensation, damaged possessions, or fire reinstatement would need to be pursued through the relevant insurance or legal processes."