Whanganui mum of six just wants a healthy home for her family

Linda Ford lifts a ragged curtain away from the mould-covered window frame where the window is nailed shut to stop the glass from falling out.

"Look at the state of that," says the Whanganui mum.

"I'm supposed to look after these curtains."

Ford is charged $260 a week for a rental house in Aramoho that she says is unhealthy and hazardous.

When the Chronicle visited, there was black mould on walls and ceilings, several holes in the floors, peeling wallpaper and daylight could be seen through the gap between the wall and the floor in one bedroom.

Linda Ford has been living in a sub-standard property with her six children.

The rental property is now the subject of an investigation by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment which is responsible for New Zealand's housing regulations.

Ford, who has been searching for a better home for herself and her six children for some months, said: "I've moved the kids' beds into the lounge because it's not safe for them to walk to their bedrooms.

"My son, Blake, was sleeping in here and he has a heart murmur."

The floor has rotted under the hallway carpet and thin sheets of plywood have been laid over the gaping holes.

Holes in the hallway floor are just one of the problems with this Aramoho property.

"The hot water cylinder was leaking and I was getting huge power bills," she said.

"Now there is an airlock in the shower and it either doesn't work or we get scalded."
She has been renting the house since June 2016.

There were few properties available that were big enough for her family, limiting her choices.

"I could see there were things wrong with the property and I issued the owner with a 14-day notice to remedy soon after we moved in. But he never carried out the work."

The state of Linda Ford's rental home is unhealthy and hazardous, she says

The management of the property was given to Harcourts in September 2016, and Ms Ford said a Harcourts property manager had carried out inspections, but none of the repairs had been done.

Harcourts has now issued her with a 90-day notice to terminate the tenancy and advised her that the company is no longer managing the property.

She has until May 16 to find a new home.

Paper is peeling off the walls.

A spokeswoman for Harcourts said the company could not comment until the investigation by the ministry's compliance and investigations unit was complete.

"Harcourts NZ is fully co-operating with the investigation," she said.

The owner of the house is reported to have been admitted to a residential care facility and his family are understood to be seeking power of attorney to manage his affairs.

Ford has not been provided with contact details for the owner's family.

Her doctor, Kathleen Going, said Ford and her six children have health problems that can be attributed to their housing.

Mould is apparent in many parts of the rental home.

"She presents almost every month with symptoms of a chest infection and general respiratory complaints, as well as sinus and throat concerns that would seem to be due to the excessive mould in her house," Going said.

"All her children frequently present with respiratory and ear, nose and throat concerns."

Ford understands why some landlords may consider her a risk because six children cause a bit of wear and tear.

But she said she was a good tenant.

"My rent is paid directly from Winz and I do keep things clean and tidy."

She wears a moon boot on her right leg after surgery and says the house is so hazardous she keeps hurting her foot while doing household chores.

Cracks and other damage is clearly visible.

After being contacted by the Wanganui Chronicle, Harcourts did arrange for some repairs to be done.

A Whanganui property appraiser of many years experience in the city estimates around 300 Whanganui properties may be in a similar state.

"There are a lot of overseas and out-of-town buyers purchasing Whanganui properties on the internet and they don't even come and look at them," said the appraiser who did not wish to be named.

"They will sit on them for years and then get annoyed when they are told they need to spend money on them."

Jennifer Sykes, of Housing & Tenancy Services, said landlords had to provide and maintain their rental properties in a reasonable state of repair and for them to be habitable.

"This means making sure they're safe and healthy to live in," she said.

It means keeping the plumbing, electrical wiring and anything to do with the structure of the house safe and working properly.

Windows are badly patched up.