A Dundee City Council tenant has been living with no heating or hot water for four years after his boiler broke down and the local authority failed to fix it.
Brian Donachy, 57, from Coldside, told the Tele he has also tried to get the city council to inspect damp at his third-floor flat in Hepburn Street for seven years.
Brian said: “It’s now got so bad I can’t face another winter in my house. It’s damp and cold and I have no hot water or central heating.
“It’s got so bad that when I wake up in the morning the bed covers are actually wet because it is so damp.”
Brian said he moved into his flat around 10 years ago after living in homeless accommodation for 12 years prior to that.
He said: “I was so delighted to get my own home. It was my little palace and I loved it.
“I keep it clean and neat but the dampness and lack of heating and hot water means it is always musty and has plaster and wallpaper falling off the walls.”
Brian said that the property had been damp for around seven years, and four years ago his gas boiler broke down.
He said: “The broken boiler means I have no hot water and had to carry pans of hot water from the kitchen to the bathroom just to have a bath.
“And because there is no central heating the flat is always damp and cold.”
He said the toilet cistern was also broken, meaning he couldn’t flush the toilet but had to pour buckets of water down it.
“I have reported all of this to the council on many occasions over the years, and while workmen have been sent round nothing has been done to fix any of the issues.
“I can’t go on like this any longer as it’s having a massive affect on my physical and mental health.
“I suffer from mental health issues anyway and the added stress of living like this is just making things worse.”
He added: “I feel I have nowhere left to turn and am desperate for help to get things improved.”
Coldside Labour councillor George McIrvine said: “It’s disappointing Brian has had no response to his continued complaints from others he has approached.
“I will be visiting Mr Donachy to see first-hand the substandard living conditions he is subjected to.”
A Dundee City Council Spokesperson said: “Due to Covid-19, we have only been able to provide Emergency and Urgent Repairs Response.
“This is to protect our tenants and our staff to prevent the spread of the virus and in line with guidance.
“We are now starting to progress through a backlog of external repairs as restrictions in the construction sector have been eased.
“This work will be carried out as soon as possible. We would like to thank our tenants for their patience and understanding during this time.
“If the tenant would like to contact us directly we would be happy to discuss their concerns with them.”
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