Croydon family's 5th winter with mouldy walls and no fix

Books and comics line the shelves of the box room at her South London house where she spends a lot of time, as a voracious reader. However, the room has also become a source of worry and anger for Caitlin in recent years.

A persistent mould problem causes her walls to drip with water and cover her possessions in a blotchy dark green film.

The summer brought some relief but with colder, wetter weather setting in, she fears a fifth winter of ruined possessions and worries about her health.

“I found mould on my grandad’s stuff; he only died last year. I was able to wipe it off, but when I saw that, I was fuming,” Caitlin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) during a visit to her house in Roffey Close, near Reedham.

“When I’m taking selfies, I zoom in so people don’t see the mould. It’s crazy, but if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.”

Caitlin’s bedroom has an exterior-facing wall, which means she experiences the sharp edge of the mould problem that has plagued the family home for the last five years.

Caitlin’s mum, Lorraine McGrath, feels that the deteriorating exterior wall is making Caitlin’s room particularly prone to mould.

Caitlin added: “My pillow was getting wet all the time from droplets coming from the ceiling. I had to change to the other side of the bed after I kept being woken up by this.”

Despite Lorraine’s ongoing communication with Croydon Council and their repair contractor, Wates, a permanent solution to the mould problem has yet to be achieved.

Lorraine told the LDRS that more than 10 workers have attended her property, but only to carry out temporary mould washes. With works on a permanent fix delayed over the summer because of rain, she now fears her family will face another winter with mould.

This prospect, combined with what she feels has been a lack of engagement from the council, has left her frustrated. “They wash it, but then the mould comes back in a month or two. It gets even worse in the winter,” she said. “We buy dehumidifiers in bulk now because they fill up so quickly. Surely it is costing them more money to keep coming out and doing these washes again and again.”

Lorraine has been a Croydon Council tenant for decades and has a long history of communication with the council regarding repairs to her property. The council first responded to Lorraine’s complaint about mould at this property in 2023 and in March this year they installed extractor fans, but she says they have made little difference.

The issues extend beyond mould, with the family also experiencing patchy water coverage, leaks and draughty holes around their windows, which they have had to stuff with tissue paper.

However, Lorraine and Caitlin both say these are nothing compared to the mould, which they see as the key priority. Lorraine said: “The other stuff we can deal with, but I worry about the mould’s long-term effect on [my family’s] lungs.”

Caitlin, who has asthma, joked: “I like to breathe every so often.”

As soon as the LDRS entered Caitlin’s room, our reporter noticed the heavy moisture and four dehumidifiers positioned throughout the room.

The family has contacted Chris Philp MP, who they say helped with some of the smaller fixes. However, Lorraine said the delays to sorting out the underlying causes of the mould had become “genuinely laughable”, adding: “You shouldn’t be getting excited about the prospect of another mould wash, it’s not normal.”

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “We are sorry to hear about our resident’s experience and recognise how challenging issues relating to damp and mould can be. We take reports of damp and mould very seriously and have been supporting our resident with their housing needs over a number of years and we will continue to do so.

“The reports of damp and mould have been dealt with in line with our damp and mould policy. The first report of damp and mould was received in November 2023, and we carried out repairs and mould washes. Further reports of damp and mould were received in 2024, and two visits were undertaken to the resident’s home to complete repairs.

“A further report was received in March 2025 and our team carried out a survey of the home and installed two additional new extractor fans to improve ventilation. As part of our process, we are due to the visit the home again in the next month to assess whether the extractor fans have helped. We are arranging an appointment with the resident.”

The spokesperson added: “Tackling damp and mould is a key priority for us.

"We have set up a specialist team dedicated to resolving these issues and we have introduced a new housing management system to improve customer and repairs information. Specialist contractors are now working with us on damp and mould remedial works to help resolve issues more effectively.

“To ensure long-term improvement, we are also delivering ongoing training across our workforce to highlight the potential health impacts of damp and mould on vulnerable customers. We remain focused on taking meaningful action and placing customer feedback at the heart of our service improvement approach.”