A horrific pong in their home has forced a Peckham family to “sleep with blankets over their noses”, despite raising the issue with the housing association several months ago.
Althea Sinclair, who lives in Dayak Court on Brayards Road with her 12-year-old son, has had a “smell so bad it knocks you down” inside her flat for the past six months.
The odour, which resembles stagnant water, comes from her bathroom, toilet and washing machine, leading Althea to believe the trouble is caused by a fault with the plumbing inside her flat.
“It is worse at night,” says Althea, “sometimes I am just lying there crying, I cannot even sleep and I have to put blankets under my nose.”
Althea has raised the issue with her housing association Notting Hill Genesis “several times”, yet she claims they have so far failed to fix the problem.
She has spent nearly £100 of her own money on special chemicals and a private plumber to try to address it during this time, alongside having continually to burn incense to keep the terrible smell at bay.
Notting Hill Genesis has claimed there is no issue at Althea’s flat.
“In addition to our contractors, our surveyors and housing officers have visited and no smell was noted,” said a spokesperson for the housing association. “We have given the resident advice on how to contact the local environmental health team in case they can help identify the smell and provide us with any information on whether further work is needed.”
Althea claims she first complained to Notting Hill Genesis – one of the largest housing associations in London – in September 2020, however it was not until January this year that they attempted to fix the fault.
Notting Hill Genesis contested this: “Repairs were initially carried out in September 2021 to replace an area of pipework and remove a blockage from the kitchen sink. A further repair was carried out on Wednesday as the toilet was draining slowly. This was unblocked and left in working order.
“The resident has made further repair requests which we are now reviewing. We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time,” they added.
Althea and her son’s clothes have begun to stink due to the stench in their house, she says, and this is causing their family much distress and upset.
She also claims that her complaints have been met with dismissal and she herself has been blamed for the plumbing problems inside her flat.
“I am not stupid,” says Althea. “They are trying to blame me by saying I am dirty. They even said I needed to go to see a doctor.
“It is outrageous,” she added.
Althea says there has been “one problem after another” during the twelve years she has lived at the property, including issues surrounding the state and security of her building.
One morning her son found a collapsed man in front of their door, which she claims happened because the front door to the building was not properly secured.
“This is not about money,” she said. “I pay every month and am an exemplary tenant. But we are suffering here.”