A woman who narrowly escaped serious injury after her apartment ceiling collapsed on her head claims her landlord ignored a water leak for more than a month.

Em Harman, of Toronto Road, Gillingham, was using her washing machine in the kitchen when she was hit by falling rubble.

The collapse happened on Friday, January 27, with the 29-year-old saying she had warned her landlord, Jarnail Singh, about a problem with water coming through the ceiling from the flat above on December 13.

She said: "It's just been a constant battle.

"I'd been reporting that there'd been a really bad leak for the past month and he hadn't bothered to do anything.

"Occasionally all he'd say was that he'd tell the upstairs flat to fix it, which they couldn't obviously do.

"Then he said he was going to get someone out but it was too late and it finally collapsed on top of me."

Em, who has OCD, depression and anxiety, has lived in the flat for seven years.

She said: "I was putting washing in and then the ceiling just collapsed on top of me.

"I called an ambulance out and they sent me home with painkillers and told me to keep an eye on the situation because I've still got a big bump on my head."

Since the leak began in December, Em says she has watched water drip down her walls and into plug sockets.

She said: "It's leaking outside too. There is a big puddle under the leak and it drips all onto the outside electric boxes as well.

"My washing machine has been damaged by the water.

"I live on my own and when I complain my landlord threatens me with eviction."

Em says she is desperate to move out but due to being unable to find a guarantor, other landlords have refused to take her on.

In messages seen by KentOnline, Mr Singh, whose wife owns the property upstairs, replied to Em's concerns about the leak via Whatsapp.

When she first raised the issue of water coming through he contacted the tenants upstairs to ask them to look – but the issue was not resolved.

Em, who had warned "the ceiling would come through", sent Mr Singh the pictures of herself and the damage when it did come crashing down.

In response, he sent her the number of a plumber who he said could fix the situation while he was away.

However, the plumber was not available so Em was left to deal with the leak and hole in her ceiling for four days until Mr Singh visited her on Monday, January 30.

Mr Singh said: "Our handyman went to the property on Tuesday, January 31, however Ms Harman did not want to let them inside without seeing their qualifications.

"Our material and everything else were there to make the repair.

"As they were only doing plasterboard work we didn't need to show the credentials like we would with electrical and gas repairs.

"The water leak came from the upstairs bathroom which is owned by my wife [Mindo Kaur] who is also a landlord.

"She has repaired upstairs but I need to do additional work in Ms Harman's flat.

"If Ms Harman lets our workers in to do the work then we are happy, she should be happy.

"I don't like people living in mess and in damaged property."

Mr Singh did not say why he left the water leak without attention for so long.

Em says she does not want to let her landlord's builders into her home without seeing their qualifications.

She added: "My radiators are held up with cable ties and there have also been previous leaks in my bathroom.

"I just want to see the builders' qualifications so I know the repair will be done well."

Mr Singh said that if Em does not let him and his handymen in to make the repair there is not much else he can do.

He said: "I am now talking about eviction and will be getting my solicitor involved.

"I am unable to take any risk, we tried our best with this repair but as she is not letting me look at the damage I have no other option."