Glasgow nan with arthritis sleeps on air bed to avoid mould

Rona McGlynn claims she can’t access rooms in her property without wearing a mask because of severe dampness caused by a leak in the roof.

The 67-year-old, who lives in Govan, has a permanent chest infection which she believes is being caused by the mould which started five months ago.

Wheatley Homes Glasgow have investigated the building and found “major repairs” are needed on the roof.

Rona now sleeps on an air bed in her living room (Image: Colin Mearns)

Rona said: “The mould in my house is disgusting. There are big green, black and brown spots on the walls.

“I have had to buy an air mattress to sleep on because the dampness is so bad in my bedroom, I can’t even go in there without a mask.

“It isn’t good because I have arthritis so I would rather sleep in my bed, I also have a permanent chest infection now.

“My housing association has come out and washed it about five times, but that is not dealing with the problem of a leak in the roof.

“They come out and treat it but it comes back within a few days, I have been living with this since October.

“The situation is making me feel really stressed and frustrated. I want it sorted before my health gets even worse.”

Rona McGlynn claims she can’t access rooms in her property without wearing a mask (Image: Colin Mearns)

Rona hopes she can sleep in a bed again soon (Image: Colin Mearns)

Since being contacted by us Wheatley Homes Glasgow have revisited Rona and treated the mould again, but warned the roof must be fixed to get rid of it long term.

However, they cannot begin work on the repairs until they come to an agreement with the homeowners about payment for the overall bill.

The housing association told the Glasgow Times they now plan to offer Rona a temporary move in the meantime, but Rona claims she is still waiting on this offer.

The damp is being caused by problems with the roof (Image: Colin Mearns)

A Wheatley Homes Glasgow spokesperson said: “We’re doing everything we can to help our tenant and get this issue fixed quickly.

“Our repairs team have been out regularly since October and treated patches of mould each time.

“We’ve since carried out a full inspection and major repairs need to be carried out to the roof of the block to fix the problem once and for all.

“Unfortunately, we need the majority of homeowners in the block to agree to pay their fair share of the bill before work can start on the roof.

“We have not yet received this permission and we have no legal authority to make the homeowners agree to this work.

“We’re visiting the tenant again today to see what else we can do to help and we will offer her a temporary move while we continue to talk with homeowners.”