NHS midwife left homeless after landlord evicted single mum and son from flat in Faversham Road in Kennington after flat flooded
Published: 00:00, 29 September 2014
Updated: 14:26, 29 September 2014
A single mum has found herself homeless after her landlord served her with an eviction notice six weeks after her flat was badly flooded.
NHS midwife Amanda Joynson, 43, and her 10-year-old son Isaac were staying in temporary accommodation after their private-rental flat in Faversham Road, Kennington, was flooded twice by freak storms at the end of July.
But Ashford Borough Council and Ashford Lettings deemed the house livable and the damage not severe enough to rehouse them.
The pair, who both suffer with asthma, moved into temporary accommodation funded by Amanda’s contents insurance and put their belongings into storage.
She said: “We were staying with my sister straight after the flood because we really could not live in the house.
“All our stuff and the carpets were wet and there was a thick mud over everything. We didn’t even want to touch anything.
“The letting agent provided me with a humidifier but all the flooring needed to be pulled up and that should have been done immediately.”
Ashford Lettings manage the property on behalf of the landlord Owen Evans who lives abroad.
Manager Hayley Webb said: “I have served a section 21 eviction notice on behalf of the landlord because he has decided to sell the property as, due to the issues, he believes he is not in the best position to have a buy to let property in the UK while living abroad.
“It is his choice to sell the property and we have done everything that we can to repair the damage.”
After 10 weeks of upheaval the pair still do not know where they will be staying from one night to the next.
She continued: “I have found myself in a really awful hole though no fault of my own and I feel helpless.
“It’s affecting our health, my job, my son’s wellbeing. Its just a snowball, things keep getting worse and no one seems to be able to help.
“If could have just left and found another property I would have but there is nothing around.
“I am worried that the landlord is just going to move someone else into the property without the proper repairs and flood defences, and they will go through the same awful ordeal my son and I have been through.”
An Ashford Borough Council spokesman said: “We have been in regular contact with Amanda and have reviewed her application, in the light of information provided about the timescale of work required on the private rented sector property.
“We will accept a homelessness duty to her and hope to place her in temporary accommodation as soon as possible.”
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Vicky Castle