A MUM has told of her housing nightmare after being placed in a temporary council flat infested with cockroaches. Enya Doyle, 21, and her three-year-old son Johnny left their previous privately rented flat because it was allegedly crawling with mice, mites and fleas. The mum-of-one said managers of the first property, 3-D Property Management, initially […]
A MUM has told of her housing nightmare after being placed in a temporary council flat infested with cockroaches.
Enya Doyle, 21, and her three-year-old son Johnny left their previous privately rented flat because it was allegedly crawling with mice, mites and fleas.
The mum-of-one said managers of the first property, 3-D Property Management, initially helped sort issues of damp and fleas – but as they worsened, she felt she had to leave.
Enya went to Coventry City Council for help, and was given temporary accommodation in the city.
But her housing hell continued as she and Johnny now “watch cockroaches go up and down the walls” in their new 15th floor flat.
She told CoventryLive: “I’m so glad he’s oblivious to bugs.
“[The council] have said I do have the other property, but both properties are uninhabitable, they’re just not liveable for me or my son, because the things that are ongoing, it just affects your health…. look how scared I was to even touch [the cockroach.]
“It brings out a phobia that you don’t want to have, you know. But, I think what it is, the bugs for me, I can’t deal with these bugs, it does affect me a lot, a lot.”
I can’t deal with these bugs, it affects me a lot.
Enya Doyle
The mum says she has been told by Coventry City Council through a housing review that her private accommodation is habitable.
But when CoventryLive visited the flat, they reported seeing live cockroaches crawling up the kitchen cabinets, and an assortment of cups turned upside down to, along with traps to kill any remaining bugs.
The council told the paper they are working closely with Enya to get her back into appropriate accommodation and tackle the cockroach problem.
But Enya says the stress and upheaval of her housing situation caused her to have a miscarriage last month.
She also said since her housing problems started in late 2020, she has lost five stone in weight.
Enya is now in the process of moving her things out of the council flat and her privately rented house.
She said: “We need that stable home, that stable place.
“I lost a baby because of the stress of no home.
“[My son] is the reason I put up a fight – he’s my reason to keep living.”
The occupier moved into the property in April and we are working with her to ensure she can safely return to her previous home.
Coventry City Council
Enya said that moving forward, she needs her landlord to serve her notice so she can access priority council housing and find a stable home.
A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: “We received a complaint about cockroaches from the 15th floor of Caradoc Hall and our specialist team quickly responded to treat the affected flat and will carry out preventative work elsewhere.
“The managing agent confirmed that there has been no other reports from any of the flats in the 126-unit building. However, we are doing further investigations to find out how they got into the building.
“The occupier moved into the property in April and we are working with her to ensure she can safely return to her previous home.”
Of the first, privately rented property, Damian Daar of 3-D Property Management said: “Yes, the tenant did call regarding a damp problem in November 2020. Dampco were sent out to do a report the following week.”
He said the report came back and there was no damp in the property – “only condensation damp which creates mould on the walls and ceilings”.
Mr Daar confirmed Enya called about a mice problem four months ago.
“We arranged for the council pest control department to go out within a week or so,” he said.
“They treated the property and we heard nothing further from the tenant.”
Mr Daar also said that when the council pest control department revisited, they did not find an active pest issue.
“We are currently just waiting for the latest report to action any
further maintenance issues,” he added.
“We are currently pretty much in limbo. We cannot start eviction
proceedings for arrears until the council enforcement case is closed.
We can’t have the case closed until we have actioned any issues that
the report might raise.”
