A pregnant mum-of-three desperate to be moved by Kingston Council said she is at her wits' end due to "dangerous" mould in her home and claims she has been waiting months for it to be treated.

Sarah* (who is a domestic abuse survivor, with her name changed for publication) said she has been sleeping on a sofa throughout her pregnancy and can't use one of the bedrooms at the Kingston property due to the mould – although it has "started to grow" in the living room too.

Sarah has asthma and fears for her family's health because of the conditions in the three-bed flat, which is owned by a private landlord – with her kids already missing school because they are "constantly ill". She is worried the mould could impact her pregnancy as she has pre-eclampsia and claimed she struggles to get responses from Kingston Council.

The mum told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the family is eligible for a four-bed and needs to be moved urgently as one of her sons has autism and needs his own room for safety. An independent medical advisor has told the council the family needs an extra bedroom on medical grounds.

Sarah reported mould in the flat to the council in November last year but the contractor's appointment to treat it is not until March 23. She believes the mould will return even if treated as the home is "wet" and has "no insulation".

She said: "I want the mould sorted. I really need that more than anything just so I know… for my peace of mind and the children. I've got to bring the baby home in May and I can't physically put the baby downstairs because it's starting [to grow mould there] and I can't put the baby upstairs because it is horrendous."

She added: "I'm worried. What if something happens and I'm breathing this in? I don't know how long it was in my room really before, obviously, I noticed it, and now I'm thinking is there going to be something wrong? Is the baby going to have problems?" 

Sarah* next to the mould in her home (Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga)

Sarah said the contractor could not find an earlier slot due to staff shortages. She claims the council has not been "pushing it" and it should be treated sooner because "it is life-threatening". She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she can't stay in the flat while the mould is being treated and added, that she "can't be exposed to strong chemicals".

Sarah said the bathroom was "covered in mould" when she was moved into the flat, which is classed as long-term temporary housing, by the council around four years ago due to domestic violence. She had to replace carpet downstairs and claimed the concrete underneath was "completely wet and absolutely stank".

She said: "That is obviously the source of where the mould is coming from so I've now… got that in my bedroom but on that same wall downstairs it has started. I've got it all on my skirting boards and the wallpaper's started to peel off the wall downstairs which is where I'm sleeping at the moment."

The family was using a room in the loft as a bedroom until last year, but Sarah claims there was a problem with the staircase and she was told she can't use it. She has been sleeping in the living room since, while her two sons share one bedroom, her daughter is in another and her old bedroom lays empty due to the mould.

The Kingston mum has said the mould is continuing to spread throughout the flat (Image supplied)

Sarah said the contractor who came to assess the mould told her: "Do not come in here [the bedroom]. Do not disturb it, it is dangerous. You cannot sleep in here."

She said: "It is horrible because obviously, I thought I was doing a good thing in coming downstairs but then now it's started to come downstairs and obviously I can't sleep on the sofa for the rest of the pregnancy. I'm six months in and it's causing knee problems and my back pain, neck pain and my asthma's playing up.

"I'm scared for the children because it's upstairs and you can walk halfway up my stairs and you'll smell it, so it's still floating around upstairs – you can smell it from the second or third steps. I just feel like I'm at my wits' end. I feel like crying all the time."

Sarah has had to throw out books, clothes and bedding due to mould growing on her belongings. She said it even grows on the toilet, adding: "It is disgusting. I feel like I'm living in a hostel."

About the council, she said: "They don't respond to me, I've emailed, called, left messages so many times to allocations and they do not acknowledge me. They do not respond to me. They do not answer my messages." 

A Kingston Council spokesperson said: "We are committed to providing quality housing for residents and ensuring people in the borough have a safe and comfortable place to live.

"The tenant is on the waiting list for social housing and is currently in temporary accommodation which the council leases from a private landlord. We are very concerned by the issues she has raised. As soon as we were notified of the mould in November 2022, we asked our contractor to attend. They visited the property in December to assess the work needed, however, we recognise there has been a significant delay in them undertaking the necessary actions. Work is due to take place on 23 March and we are working to try and bring this forward.

"We have been in regular contact with the tenant throughout this period and have been able to take some remedial action to improve the situation. In February 2023 we arranged for a new front door to be fitted to address the downstairs draft.

"We recognise the tenant's request to move to another 4-bedroom property is reasonable but due to the extreme shortage of larger properties available for the council to rent as temporary accommodation, and the lack of larger properties in our own housing stock, we do not know when we will be able to meet this need.

"There are more than 3,000 households on our register for social housing, many of these are families or key workers. We need more affordable, family-sized homes in the borough and are working to address this through work such as our small sites programme, which will deliver over 100 new council homes, and the regeneration of the Cambridge Road Estate, which will deliver 2,100 homes, including 767 council homes – 114 of which will be additional stock."