A mother has had to live with mushrooms growing out of her walls for 10 months due to a crack in her ceiling and roof.

Serena, who lives in Dalston, said the cracked roof has been an ongoing problem since 2012 when she moved into the property, which is owned by housing association Peabody.

She said that in August 2020 she noticed that both the ceiling and roof in her son’s bedroom were cracked.

She said: “Standing in the bedroom, you could actually see straight out – you could actually see daylight through the ceiling crack.”

The crack was large enough in the ceiling and roof of her son's room that Serena could see daylight through it. CREDIT: Supplied

Serena says she has made several complaints over the years and Peabody has sent surveyors to her home on multiple occasions.

Hackney Gazette: Serena believes the mushrooms were caused in part by the cracks in the walls being affected by water leaks in the houseSerena believes the mushrooms were caused in part by the cracks in the walls being affected by water leaks in the house (Image: Supplied)

But while the cracks have been temporarily fixed more than once, each visit to her property has never led to a permanent solution as the cracks have reappeared.

She said that in February 2022, she noticed mushrooms growing out of the cracks in the ceiling and walls in her son’s bedroom and in the hall.

Serena said: “My family were left in a home for 10 months with these mushrooms coming out…

“My son at the time was in his final year of college (17 years old) and it was… during Covid.

“When he was in his final year, everyone had to work remotely, and so that obviously affected his health and wellbeing.”

Green Party councillor for Dalston and Hackney Zoë Garbett commented on the issue on Twitter, saying: "no-one should live with mushrooms growing on the walls of their home".

As a key worker in the NHS during the pandemic, Serena said she found the state of her home increasingly stressful.

She said: “I’m trying to be this positive person within my own profession and then I’m coming home and having to deal with stress and depression…

“[I’m] having to carry the weight of working and coming to a home and the home is the way it is.

“When the roof was leaking, we had water flies flying around the house as well – with the mushrooms…

“I’m coming into a home from a pressured job and obviously your home is meant to be your domain where you can relax.

“But… I don’t want to be in the house because I’m not comfortable because of the [lack of] safety.”

Hackney Gazette: Serena said the root cause of the mushrooms has still not been addressedSerena said the root cause of the mushrooms has still not been addressed (Image: Supplied)

Serena has been given £300 in compensation by housing association Peabody.

A spokesperson for Peabody said: “We are sorry for the time it has taken to fully resolve the issues raised and have paid compensation to the resident by way of apology for the delays. 

“We understand that the situation is frustrating, and we will be inspecting the building and looking at what more we can do to stop the problems from reoccurring. 

“There are some outstanding repairs still to do and we have agreed with the resident that we will complete them by mid-June.”