Municipalities around the country state in a survey carried out by SVT and Hem & Hyra that they have had problems with more than 100 landlords in the past year. Erik Lauréns Fastigheter AB is one of them, which is singled out by Vingåker municipality after being banned from renting out the apartment where Maryan and her family lived.
“Dangerous to children’s lives”
After the visit to the apartment, the municipality’s inspector writes that “the situation was so serious that it was directly dangerous for the children to live there, and they needed to be immediately moved to safe accommodation”.
The inspector also noted that there were broken windows, loose electrical wires and bedbugs. Now the deficiencies must be rectified.
– We wish the family well and are trying to resolve the situation, says property owner Erik Laurén to SVT.
He believes that the situation was partly due to the fact that the family was too large in relation to the size of the apartment – the ventilation was therefore not sized for all the showers and all the cooking that took place there.
According to Maryan, the mother of the family, nine people lived in the 95 square meter apartment. She does not believe the host’s explanation.
– He knew how many of us there were when we moved in, and there are just as many of us now, she says. The family is still living with Erik Lauréns Fastigheter, now temporarily in two apartments next to each other, while the former home is being renovated.
“Strange smell in the house”
The municipality’s requirements apply to the renovation of a single apartment. But when SVT visits the apartment buildings, it turns out that many of the residents experience major problems in the property.
– It’s cold from all the windows. It is damp and smells strange in the house and the floor slopes in the wrong direction in the bathroom, says one resident.
– When I report something wrong, I am told that it was me who broke it. I can’t bear to fight. I’m looking for another place to live, says another tenant.
Erik Laurén believes that the company has ongoing maintenance.
– We want to make sure that everyone is as comfortable as possible.
Have you been there and watched lately?
– I am there continuously. We are following our plan. I wish you could do everything faster.
The municipality must review
Despite the situation, no one except the children’s family has contacted Vingåker municipality with a complaint. But now that there is an ongoing case in one of the apartments, the municipality will take a closer look at the rest of the property.
– We will follow this up and do more supervision, says Karolina Rosta, construction and environment manager.