If you've gone through an experience of a mice infestation, floods of insects, the spread of mould, or leaks into a fuse box, you'd expect your council or landlord to fix the issue or rehome you.

However, a deaf mum-of-three, Stacey Watson has had to put up with all of these issues simultaneously for years, and remains in a flat considered 'uninhabitable'.

Stacey was placed in her privately rented Ealing flat over a decade ago by the council. Some 13 years later, the flat, which is in a council owned building, is at risk of an electrical fire from leaks. Stacey believes she isn't taken seriously because she is deaf and can only communicate via sign.

'We had to call the fire brigade'

A mouse trap in the flat (Image: Stacey Watson)

The leaks caused by a burst pipe in the building affect every part of Stacey's ground floor flat, with one room in particular causing a number of issues. In a tiny room with space only for shoes and perhaps a hoover, is the fusebox, constantly a hazard for the deaf mother and her children.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "You can get an electric shock just from turning the light on. Once, my oldest, Leona, went to the toilet and turned the light on… it kind of exploded. We had to call the fire brigade, it was the early hours of the morning. It turned out that the leaks had damaged the wiring."

Stacey's landlord, Hsing Tu-Lu, told the LDRS that this is for Ealing Council to repair. He said: "The damage is caused by an external pipe in the building, which the council owns. They need to cover the repairs… I've done everything I can, but no one will touch it till the council fixes the cause of the problem."

'The council say can't she just turn the phone up'

Stacey with her mother Patricia

(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

Stacey, who now suffers from depression, lives with her three children in a two bedroom flat. Hunter, 4, Bella, 8, and Leona, 14. Hunter is autistic and Leona has begun to struggle with depression and anxiety.

Leona told the LDRS that she's always happy to support her mum in any way, but it's starting to take a toll on the teenager. She said because the council doesn't send a sign language interpreter, she has to stay off school when they visit.

"I'm used to it. I've helped from a young age, it can be difficult with school. It's hard to look after yourself in a way because I am worried about the flat, it's stressful – I struggle to find time for myself.

"Sometimes it does feel like a lot of pressure. If the council is coming to visit, they don't bring an interpreter. So there have been times I've had to stay home and miss school."

Patricia Thompson, Stacey's mother, has been involved in trying to get the family moved. However she believes there are obstacles for her daughter that don't exist for people who aren't deaf.

She said: "A lot of these issues come from dealing with people in authority. I've explained to the council that she has given me authority to speak on her behalf because she can't communicate via phone.

"Once they said 'sorry we must talk to her, can't she turn the phone up so she can hear us?' Stuff like that happens a lot."

Ealing Council disputes the claims. A spokesperson told the LDRS: "In relation to the tenant's individual needs, the property has been adapted to enable easier interactions for the resident.

"This includes things like a doorbell that has a visual alert function. Previously, the council has provided BSL (British Sign Language) interpreters to accompany officers. However, during our most recent visit, the resident wanted her mother involved, and she can provide BSL interpretation."

'We're constantly cutting our feet on the floor'

Flooring in Stacey's flat

(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

The leak and water damage meant flooring in the flat had to be taken up. However, repairs still haven't been made, and the family continue to walk on exposed flooring.

Stacey's mother said despite raising this with the council and landlord, no one has helped. She added: "She is really overwhelmed. She wants to move. Her bedroom is in the living room and she has to think about the kids. She is on antidepressants. The landlord and council haven't helped once. The floor has been torn up because of the leaks, and now people are always cutting themselves."

Ealing Council say they have served the landlord with improvement notices, however admit these repairs are still outstanding. Despite this, they had made no effort to rehome the family.

Once questioned further by the LDRS on why they aren't doing more to support the family, despite acknowledging the hazards, the council said: "Repairs within leasehold properties caused by communal issues are a matter for our building insurers, and we are speaking to them and the landlord about this issue.

"Our surveyor has deemed the property as uninhabitable, and we will be in contact with the resident today to discuss temporarily rehousing her and her family while her landlord makes repairs to the property, via the building insurer. We will do everything we can to source her a suitable alternative place to stay which meets her needs."

Stacey feels this is not good enough for the family, and believes they should be rehoused elsewhere permanently. She said: "I need to move and start a new life, not a B&B, my son has autism, my older daughter is struggling, I am deaf. I need a new house"

'We were infested with mice and we had to foot the cost'

Stacey's toilet

(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

Stacey had to pay £1000 for repairs in the flat caused by the damage. When her mother notified the landlord, expecting some compensation, she was shocked by his response.

Patricia told the LDRS: "I thought since it is his responsibility he'd cover the costs of repairs, but he didn't. He told me 'why would I pay for a decision you made?' It feels like we're taken advantage of."

The flat was also infested by mice in the summer of 2024 for a period of three months, and continues to be infested by insects. Stacey was embarrassed at first and attempted to fix the issue herself. Once the family got a professional involved, it was discovered that there were holes in the wall that were allowing for vermin to get in. The family paid over £220, a cost their landlord refused to cover.

Patricia said: "There were dozens, it was awful. The council actually added this as an issue for the landlord to fix, but he didn't, he said it was you who called them in, therefore it is your cost."

When this was raised with the landlord, he refused to comment specifically on the conversation. He told the LDRS: "It's not safe for them to be living in there, because of the water leaks, and the council knows that… I've been trying my best to get the problem fixed.

"I went to the council themselves and said that to them. The council has been saying yes, yes, yes, but it's still leaking at the end of the day."

'Our surveyor has deemed the property uninhabitable'

A fly trap in Stacey's flat (Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

Despite a number of visits prior to enquiries by the LDRS, the property had not been considered uninhabitable by the council, nor did they make an effort to rehome her.

A spokesperson for Ealing Council said: "We're sorry this resident is having difficulties with her tenancy. The conditions she has experienced in her home as a consequence of leaks are unacceptable. She privately rents her flat from her landlord. Although the flat itself is privately owned, it sits within a council-owned block. That means that while the landlord is responsible for the condition of the flat itself, the council is responsible for maintaining the block's communal spaces.

"After extensive investigations, the source of the leak has been found to be a communal waste pipe that runs internally through the building. It is therefore the council's responsibility. The pipe has now been fixed and is being reinspected today to ensure the fix has worked and there are no further issues. Repairs within leasehold properties caused by communal issues are a matter for our building insurers, and we are speaking to them and the landlord about this issue.

"Our surveyor has deemed the property as uninhabitable, and we will be in contact with the resident today to discuss temporarily rehousing her and her family while her landlord makes repairs to the property, via the building insurer. We will do everything we can to source her a suitable alternative place to stay which meets her needs.

"Our property regulation team has served the landlord with Improvement Notices for the flat and carried out several visits to the property. On the last of those in late November, we found that some of the issues raised had been addressed. The remaining issues – for example, the carpeting and flooring – had not yet been addressed as the communal area leak was still being repaired.

"Now that the leak has been repaired, further visits will be arranged to carry out any outstanding works from the Improvement Notice, and the landlord will be pursued to complete any other works to get the property back to a suitable standard.

"In relation to the tenant's individual needs, the property has been adapted to enable easier interactions for the resident. This includes things like a doorbell that has a visual alert function."

The family remain in the flat considered uninhabitable at the time of writing.