A mother says she and her young daughter have been left living in a damp and leaky home in Hook Norton — despite a housing association’s claims that repairs have been completed.
Natalia Meade, who lives in a Sanctuary Housing property on Bourne Lane, says she was placed in a house with “severe mould problems” in 2023, and that despite a lengthy battle, the issues remain unresolved.
Ms Meade told the Banbury Guardian she was forced to move out earlier this year into temporary hotel accommodation in Chipping Norton while Sanctuary carried out remedial works. However, she says mould has reappeared as soon as the weather turned damp — and a leaking roof is now allowing water to drip through the ceiling.
“I came to the Banbury Guardian in desperation,” she said. “This has been going on since October 2023.”
The property, she says, had been neglected for years, with decades-old woodchip wallpaper still on the walls when she moved in. When she removed it, she found extensive mould hidden underneath.
“I tried to fix a lot myself, but it wasn’t enough — and I couldn’t afford more. I asked Sanctuary for help, but nothing was done until it became a legal disrepair case. Eventually they moved me out in January and put me in a hotel, while my daughter had to stay with my father in Banbury because she was so unsettled.”
She added: “I wasn’t allowed inside to check the work, but looking through the windows, it didn’t look like much had been done. I felt like they were dragging the job out.”
Ms Meade says she was eventually moved back in after six to seven weeks. At first, things seemed better — work had been done to repoint the exterior and new seals had been added to the windows. But those seals didn’t hold, she says, and the problems returned.
“Now that it’s colder and raining, the roof is leaking again. There’s water coming through the ceiling, and parts of the house are badly moulded. I’ve reported it, but it still hasn’t been fixed,” she said.
Ms Meade is considering legal action again, but says all she really wants is for Sanctuary to complete the repairs properly — without further delay and without needing lawyers involved.
“It’s just a waste of money — doing a job so badly it needs to be done again,” she said.
Sanctuary responds
In response to the Banbury Guardian’s questions, a Sanctuary spokesperson said:
“Significant repairs have already been completed at this property and we remain committed to working with our customer — through her legal representatives — to resolve any outstanding issues to the satisfaction of all parties.”
However, Sanctuary did not respond to specific questions about why Ms Meade and her toddler were placed in the home despite its condition, or why previous repair works appear to have failed.
Damp and mould crackdown under new law
From this month, new legislation known as Awaab’s Law comes into force, requiring social landlords to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould issues within strict time limits. Emergency hazards must be addressed within 24 hours.
The law was introduced following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, who died after prolonged exposure to damp and mould in a social housing flat.
Banbury Guardian, September 2025
