A mum claims she and her three children have been forced to sleep on a sofa bed for months because of the harmful mould in her home.
Latesha Banton from Wandsworth, London, claimed her children's bedding and wardrobes have been destroyed by the mould.
The mum-of-three said the mould began to show on her living room walls within a week of moving into the flat three years ago.
Latesha said she has informed Wandsworth Council of this - adding she has tried resolving the problem with mould wash and anti-mould paint - but her efforts prove ineffective as it "just grows back again".
The mum is now sharing a sofa-bed with her three sons - aged five, two and four months, reports MyLondon.
She said her eldest child falls asleep at school sometimes because of how they have been forced to sleep since last September.
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said the council is aware of the issue and is committing to fixing the issues.
Her other two children have both developed eczema at just a couple of months old and Latesha claims the black mould in her home irritates and causes it to flare up even more.
Latesha said: "It doesn't matter how much I cream their skin, I do it all day every day - but the eczema just doesn't seem to go away."
The mum-of-three claims her already overcrowded property means her only bedroom is out of use because the mould has turned her walls black and destroyed her curtains in the process.
She says she cannot keep up with the cost of replacing items such as mattresses and pillows and has asked the council for compensation.
The impact of Latesha's living situation has played a toll on her own physical and mental health too, as she suffers badly from arthritis.
She said: "I shouldn't even be sleeping on the sofa bed, my bones are eroding.
"I suffer from arthritis which affects my hip bones so I'm going to have injections in my back, but the council don't take any of this into consideration or the effect it has on your mental health.
"They just think, 'you've got a home and you should just be happy with whatever we put you in.'"
Latesha claims that despite providing the council with pictures of the mould and letters from her children's doctors explaining the severity of the situation, she has been told she is causing the problem and it is down to her lifestyle.
It doesn't matter how often she opens a window or paints over the mould, it just returns again, she claims.
The mould now grows so fast it is now infesting Latesha's sofa, where she and her three children have to sleep at night, the mum-of-three alleges.
She said: " I don't really know where to go anywhere anymore, it's draining me and I've had enough.
"They [the council] told me to open the windows, they say I cause the mould due to my lifestyle.
"They say I made myself overcrowded because I've had two more children since moving into this property, but my personal circumstances shouldn't come into us living in a mould infested property."
Latesha claims the council is not addressing the "root of the problem", as she believes the mould is caused by the way the block of flats were originally built.
On Wednesday (March 9), Latesha said a member of the council visited the property, offering again a mould wash treatment and that they would fit a PIV system in her home.
However, the mum said she is not satisfied with either of those outcomes.
Latesha added: "I feel like they're doing the bare minimum and say, 'oh we will just wash it away', so they feel like they've done something about it when they haven't.
"I personally think it's a structural issue that's to do with the building but the council is saying it's not.
"I don't even want to take legal action. I just want my kids to live in a safe environment.
"Black mould is toxic. It releases bad toxins into the air and if I'm wiping it off I'm releasing it into the air for them to breathe in, so it's a no-win situation."
Latesha says she has asked to be moved into a safer, larger property that can accommodate her and her three children - but was told she won't be moved into a new one until her eldest children turns 10.
A spokesperson for Wandsworth Council said: "We are aware of the problems this tenant is experiencing and are in contact with her to arrange for works to be carried out that we believe will help to resolve this issue.
"We are committed to taking action to help improve the situation."
