Couple's property ladder nightmare

IT WAS a dream come true for Nathan Bentley and Vicki Favell when they moved into their first home together..until they found the only way in and out was climbing ten feet up a LADDER.

Climbing the property ladder took on a new meaning for the couple after their front door fell off its hinges.

Now they have been forced to barricade the door and the only way they can get in and out of their £100-a-week rented first floor flat is by using a ladder to climb through the window.

The couple’s dreams of sharing their first home were shattered when the door fell off a week ago and Vicki fell through the floorboards, but they claim their pleas for help went unheeded.

Now Nathan and Vicki from Kimberworth have had to resort to a drawbridge mentality when they leave home.

Every time the desperate pair go out, they have to barricade the door from the inside and then climb out through the window.

Then they reverse the bizarre procedure when they return home.

Nathan (20), said: “It’s like having to pull up the drawbridge every time we leave the house and the situation is causing us a lot of stress.

“The door would not open properly so we had to pull it and it just came away from the frame.

“We’ve tried to ring and text the landlord, but no-one seems to be doing anything about it.

“We just wanted to get our first house together but it’s been a nightmare. I can't believe what we are having to do to get in and out of our home.”

But the door is not the only problem that the couple have experienced since moving in three months ago.

They have also complained about loose floor boards, damp throughout the flat, problems with the electrics and doors that will not close.

Nathan added: “The house is a death trap and it is not acceptable for someone to live in.

“Vicki has fallen through the floorboards and hit her head and there’s mould everywhere, which is giving me a bad chest.

“We’ve even had Environmental Health in who found nine different problems. It's £100 a week and that is not cheap.”

The couple found their flat with the help of the RoBond Guarantee Scheme Ltd, a registered charity set up in 1997 to provide help and support for people who are homeless or about to become homeless.

A spokesman for RoBond said that data protection and client confidentiality prevented the charity from commenting fully on the situation.

But he did confirm that RoBond had “largely found Nathan and Vicki unavailable.”

He said that they were working with them to find another property which should be available from November 20.

He added: “The couple stated they were living in a tent prior to the above tenancy.

“RoBond will support homeless people and potentially homeless people to minimise risk in their lives.”