Edinburgh family's council flat still stinks of urine two months after moving in despite floorboards works
Overbearing smell split-up Edinburgh family for months
An Edinburgh family’s council flat still stinks of urine two months after they moved in - despite the floorboards finally being replaced last week.
Full-time mother-of-four Bree-anne Williamson, 27, moved into her Portobello flat with her kids and partner on April 13, after being in temporary accommodation in Drylaw since October, 2024.
Excited to be getting a permanent family home in the Portobello area. where her partner is from and her kids go to school, Bree-anne’s joy was short-lived as it became clear immediately when she first entered the flat that one of the bedrooms stunk of urine.
She said: “When I viewed the flat I was told the floor in the second bedroom would be ripped up and replaced because of the smell of urine. I couldn’t put the heating on when we first moved in as it made the whole house smelly.
“I actually had to call repairs to get it fixed at the beginning of April once I moved in because my housing officer sent me a text to say I would have been better to phone and get the repair done myself. There were also other problems including the skirting boards that needed fixed.
“This all took until last week to be repaired after getting the keys on April 13. The guys that came out had to wear masks and gloves as the smell was so bad. It took five or six hours to replace the floorboards.
“Now that the floor has been replaced, the council are now trying to make me relay my own carpets, as the room still reeks of urine.”
This issue has led to Bree-anne’s children having to stay with her mother-in-law, and her sleeping in the living room with her partner, while they waited patiently for the works to be carried out.
Despite the floorboards now being replaced, Bree-anne and her family are still not happy in their new home.
She said: “It’s actually probably smelling worse now than it did. I think the urine has seeped through into the joints under the floorboards. So this has just exposed the smell more.
“I’ve actually not been able to move into that bedroom yet with my partner, we’ve been sleeping on our mattress on the living room floor. We have a new bed to build but can’t do that until the room isn’t stinking.
“My kids had to stay at my in-laws as all our stuff was stored in their rooms. Which meant they couldn’t sleep in there, plus the smell was too much for them. I have four children, one has asthma and two are autistic - they were struggling with not being able to stay in the flat with me.
“With the works now carried out I’ve brought them back here. But with the smell still horrendous, I leave the bedroom window open and door shut all the time. It’s a no-go zone for now still.
“No one at the council will call me back. I’ve been told for two days in a row that the team leader for repairs will call me but I’m still waiting.
“We just want this issue resolved. My partner grew up here and my kids go to the local school, so it’s the perfect area for us. We are hoping to stay here, just without the awful smell.”
Bree-anne added that she previously had issues at the temporary council accommodation in Drylaw she and her family lived in for a year and a half before moving to Portobello, particularly with the boiler always needing repaired, leaving the family freezing cold.
A City of Edinburgh Council spokesperson said: “We’ve been in touch with the tenant directly and regret that the work carried out so far has not fully resolved the issue. We apologise for the ongoing inconvenience and are committed to finding a resolution as soon as possible.”