Edinburgh mum 'frightened' her bathroom floor will cave in due to leak in Council flat

A mum living in an Edinburgh council flat is scared a leak in her bathroom could cause the floor to cave in.

Gemma Gordon, 39, who lives in a Council flat in Muirhouse with her two children, has had issues with water leaks and damp since she moved into the property eight years ago. She claims she has reported the leak to the Council countless times, however, the issue is yet to be fixed.

In August, a Council worker visited her house and told her she needed a brand new bathroom. However, since then, she has been told there is no report of this.

"I’m frightened to use the bathroom”, she said. “When you step into the bath, you can actually hear it creaking”.

Two Edinburgh mums have been living with bad damp in their Council flat bathrooms.

Gemma and her neighbours have experienced other issues with their flats, which were built in 2014. She said: “It seems like they employed a bunch of cowboys to build them”.

Shawnie Pollock, 28, who lives below Gemma, has seen water pour out of her ceiling, walls, extractor fans, and even electrical sockets. “Every time upstairs flush the toilet, it drips”, she said. "I can actually hear the dripping.”

Like her neighbour, she also fears that her bathroom ceiling could cave in, hurting her and her two children. She is particularly concerned for her 4-year-old son, who is autistic and has learning developmental delays.

While she often goes to friend’s houses to shower, she is unable to avoid using the bathroom completely.

The mum-of-two has asked to be moved out of the property, as she feels it isn’t safe for her and her kids. However, she doesn’t trust that the local Council will help them. “They’re a joke”, she said.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “I’d like to apologise for the time it has taken to resolve this issue. We’ve been in touch with the tenant and officers will attend the property today to repair the leak from under the bath.

“We’re continuing to assess the damp issue and will contact the tenant next week to discuss any proposed works and a timeline to have these completed.”