Mould made my baby boy ill - we must bring in Awaab's Law for private tenants

It was perhaps the worst time - when our young family was acutely vulnerable - to discover a mould problem in the main bedroom. While we had our concerns, I don’t think we were fully aware of the physical dangers that mould posed to our unborn child and myself as a pregnant woman with an inevitably weaker immune system. And then there was the additional stress it placed on the shoulders of a new mum already in crisis.

No matter how often we reported the hazard to our letting agent, the issue remained. Our lifestyle was blamed, despite having the window open throughout winter and using a tumble dryer 99% of the time.

Our fears came to a head when our infant son developed a nightly cough, and the doctor, blaming the mould, prescribed him an inhaler. Still, the letting agent did not resolve the problem despite our continued reporting. When a specialist inspected the property, they advised that structural work was needed to fix the problem. But the letting agent refused to carry it out.

Any parent will tell you how awful it is to feel helpless when your child’s health is suffering. From the moment you first hold that tiny bundle in your arms, you promise to be their protector, their warrior. And so, nothing is worse than feeling you are failing your child.

To be ignored, to have our concerns for his safety and wellbeing dismissed and trivialised as merely being down to lifestyle choices was not only insulting but also dehumanising.

There are, of course, many fantastic landlords out there. And I empathise with them: they have a lot of responsibility, especially with rising mortgage rates and the spiralling cost of living. They may also be feeling the crunch. Some rented houses in the UK probably require significant investments to sort out structural issues. And, of course, there are bad tenants out there, too.

But no parent should be left to shout into the void when it comes to their children’s health.

And we were one of the lucky ones. When we moved our son into another bedroom free from mould, his cough disappeared overnight. He has never needed an inhaler since and is now a healthy and thriving three-year-old.

The family of Awaab Ishak, however, faced heartbreak when the two-year-old boy died of heart failure due to living in a mouldy and poorly ventilated flat. Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, which owned the flat where he lived, continually dismissed their pleas for repairs, leading to his death.

Despite this tragedy, I still hear people automatically blame the tenant for their lifestyle choices, as though the issue is as simple to solve as opening a window when you shower. It makes me sad for those who have lost someone to mould and damp that parts of society still do not realise how serious they are. These hazards can kill.

Since Awaab’s death, we've discovered that our young family was in three of the Government's most at-risk categories for mould and damp.

These are:

1. People living with a mental health condition;
2. Pregnant women, their unborn babies, and women who have recently given birth, who may have weakened immune systems;
3. Children and young people whose organs are still developing. They are more likely to suffer from physical conditions, such as respiratory problems.

While mould and damp are harmful to anyone, and should be dealt with urgently, these groups are also more vulnerable:

• People with a pre-existing health condition (like allergies, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, other lung diseases, and cardiovascular disease);
• People with a weakened immune system;
• Older people;
• People who are bedbound, housebound, or have mobility problems.

It was inspiring to see the Manchester Evening News campaign for Awaab’s Law with support from Change.org, Greater Manchester MPs, and homelessness charity Shelter to stop other children living in social housing from dying from mould and damp.

But I also knew we couldn’t be the only ones in the private sector struggling with the same plight. And that’s why I am campaigning for the next government to extend Awaab’s Law to private tenants.

I’ve heard from parents with children who suffer from conditions like asthma and eczema and say their doctors have warned that mould is contributing to their ill health. And tenants who feel depressed and anxious because they are being forgotten about. Who fear their landlord will make them homeless by serving them with a no-fault eviction notice if they complain about disrepairs.

I don’t want any parent, or anyone for that matter, to worry about being put on the street because of these hazards in the home, or see their loved one suffering because the walls around them that are supposed to protect them, are killing them.

Sign Laura’s position on the Change website.