Pregnant woman needs inhaler due to mouldy home

A pregnant woman has claimed she now needs an inhaler as a result of living in a flat with mould.

Shania Brannigan of Maghull, in Merseyside who is 13 weeks pregnant, said since moving into the flat, she needs an inhaler for asthma due to the mould which has become so bad she has moved out.

The 24-year-old said the mould "is all over the property" and her clothes "are getting ruined" because of it.

MCR Homes which manages the property as leaseholder has said it is "actively pursuing the freeholder and managing agent to progress the works" and "recognise the seriousness of the concerns raised and are treating the matter accordingly".

Shania said when she moved into the flat in January 2025 she had no reason to suspect there would be any issues with mould.

"It looked perfect," she said. "We were excited to move in, it was probably the best day of our lives getting the keys."

Shania said within months, mould was "coming up against the wall".

She said she has been reporting the issue to MCR Homes for over a year, but claims no site visits have been made to professionally remove the mould.

A spokesperson for MCR Homes said all reports of damp and mould are taken "extremely seriously, particularly where residents raise concerns about their health, wellbeing or living conditions".

They added: "MCR Homes manages the residential accommodation at Westway and Central Square.

"The issues raised are linked to ongoing roof defects and water ingress affecting parts of the building.

"The permanent roof repair works sit with the building freeholder and its appointed managing agent.

"We have been actively pursuing the freeholder and managing agent to progress these works and obtain clear timescales for approval, commencement and completion.

"We share the urgency of the matter and have made clear that the freeholder and managing agent need to treat the permanent roof repairs as a priority, given the impact ongoing water ingress is having on residents."

After six months of living in the flat, Shania said she began to develop a persistent cough and chest problems.

"I never had any cough problems or breathing issues before," Shania said.

"Just since I've moved into the flat. I started coughing loads and I said to my boyfriend, 'this isn't normal'," she added.

After visiting a doctor Shania says she was diagnosed with asthma.

She has since been prescribed with an inhaler.

"I bought mould spray and tried to go over it," she said. "But it's all over the blinds, it's all on the wardrobes, it's in terrible condition.

"On the ceiling, there's a big hole in it now and when it rains, it's come through and the moulds expanded all over the ceiling, it's coming through the hallway too."

Despite trying to find a new flat, Shania said she feels unable to move out, as the deposits required elsewhere are "too expensive" and she does not have a suitable guarantor.

She added her physical health is not been the only issue to have arisen due to the mould.

"It makes me feel depressed, and I've been put on antidepressants," she said. "I've never suffered with depression before moving to the flat."

The mum-to-be said she has now moved out of the property, leaving her partner still living there, due to concerns of how the issue might affect her pregnancy.

Shania said she has contacted Sefton Council about the issue and said she has been told to speak to council's environmental health team.

The BBC has contacted Sefton Council for comment.

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