A SINGLE mum of two young children has told how she faced being left homeless after her landlord defaulted on mortgage payments.

Tenant Lynn Conway has been turfed out after her landlord failed to pay his housing bills at a ground floor flat in Brisbane Road.

Ms Conway told the News that she had been left freezing in the property after the boiler broke down with no heating during midwinter.

After complaining to her landlord about the situation, she claimed that the tradesman who arrived at her door was not properly registered - and refused them entry.

She then says a debt collection agency turned up at her door, followed by sheriff officers, because the mortgage hadn't been paid.

Lynn is on housing benefit and pays £425 a month to live there as a tenant and contacted Councillor Ian Murdoch for help.

The family have been placed in temporary accommodation in Ardrossan until the situation is resolved with a tribunal taking place in early February. Lynn faces a wait to get another property on the housing register.

She says that the whole situation had been very unsettling for her and her young family, adding: "I moved in about a year ago last February but the front door didn't even have a proper handle and then there were problems with the boiler.

"It was at the end of November that the boiler finally broke down and it was freezing.

"When we moved in we were told there was a problem with it and somebody would come to fix it - but it never happened. I had to keep banging it to get it to work.

"Someone was sent out to fix it but it wasn't a registered tradesman so I refused him access.

"The boiler completely packed in around a month ago - so I have had no heating or hot water during this period."

Lynn became aware there was a problem in the mortgage payments when she got a chap at the door.

She said:"It was a company called Ascent Contact - a debt collection agency - and I had to explain my situation to them that the house wasn't under my name.

"I spoke to North Ayrshire Council Housing and they spoke to the landlord and I was told the house wouldn't be repossessed and I was told to ignore it.

"And a month later, sheriff officers arrived with an eviction notice saying that I had to be out of the property by 5 February. They said the mortgage hadn't been paid and at that point I realised I was going to be made homeless.

"North Ayrshire Council have now put me and my two children in temporary accommodation.

"I am keen to warn other people to be careful as I don't want others to be left in the same desperate situation as myself."

Lynn has been forced to take son Declan, seven, out of Largs Primary due to the wrangle, while Jodie, four, has had to leave nursery.

She said: "I don't want any other single mum with children to go through the same problems I have faced."

Lynn thanked Councillor Murdoch for his assistance liaising with North Ayrshire Council.

She said: "He has been a great help. It has been a very unsettling period and everything has been up in the air."

A spokesperson for the landlords said: "The property is no longer under repossession.

"The reason mortgage payments were missed was due to Miss Conway being in arrears with her rent along with a shortfall that she is required to pay under Universal Credit.

"If tenants are not paying their rent then the landlord cannot pay the mortgage indefinitely.

"Miss Conway refused a local tradesman entry to the property. The individual was a reputable person who has expertise in many areas of housing maintenance. He was visiting the property to see exactly what the problem was, and if it required a Corgi registered engineer, we would have appointed one."