A COUPLE say they were forced to flee their St Helier flat and temporarily live in a hotel after their landlord failed to address a “dangerous” hole in the ceiling above their bed.
Paul McCann and his wife Melissa Cabe have accused property managers Bull & Company of failing to provide safe accommodation after their one-bedroom home was affected by damp, water leakage and black mould.
Mr McCann said he first noticed the ceiling deteriorating more than five months before sending the company a photograph of the “gaping” hole on 11 August.
The married couple were “forced to take refuge” in a nearby hotel owing to “genuine” concerns that their ceiling was on the cusp of collapse.
“We thought, what’s going to happen, is that it’s going to drop at some point – it’s a matter of when, not if,” explained Mr McCann.
After what he described as more than a week without action, the couple contacted Environmental Health, which inspected the flat on 19 August.
“The officer from Environmental Health actually stood on my bed,” he said. “And there was so much debris from her just going up there and looking at it.”
The couple said Bull & Co refused their request for alternative accommodation because the flat was considered too untidy. They are now seeking reimbursement for their hotel costs.
Additionally, Mr McCann described their tenancy as being “blighted” by large clusters of black mould in the cupboards. He said that this issue has also not been addressed by the landlord, who told them to “just paint over it”.
Their lease, signed in November 2024 and seen by the JEP, states that Bull & Co is responsible for keeping the flat “wind and water tight during the period of this lease”.
Mr McCann said that the government “should start taking more action” to address problems faced by tenants across the Island.
“I feel as if landlords are not taking accountability for their actions, and leaving tenants’ accommodation in bad states,” Mr McCann told.
“As long as they have your rent paid to them, you are classed as a second thought. I believe the Jersey government should start taking more action [to address these issues].”
Bull & Co managing director David Letto said there was “always a back story to issues like this” but confirmed that the company was notified about the hole on 11 August.
He said staff inspected the property on 17 August and traced the leak to the flat above, where a builder “immediately” renewed silicone sealant behind a sink.
Mr Letto said Environmental Health contacted the company on 21 August and demanded that the ceiling be repaired within a day.
He added that a builder was available on Saturday 22 August but was “stood down” because the couple could not provide access to the property. The ceiling was repaired on Tuesday 25 August.
In an email, Mr Letto added that he had “set aside” time to address reports made by Mr McCann and Ms Cabe of black mould in their cupboards.
The latest allegations follow court proceedings involving PIOS Limited, of which Mr Letto is a director.
The company was fined £3,000 in July after admitting that it had failed to comply with notices ordering it to tackle damp and mould in two other St Helier flats.
A month later, residents alleged that the required work had still not been completed, prompting Scrutiny chair Deputy Hilary Jeune to question the effectiveness of enforcement processes.
