Members of a family of 13 stuck in a mold-ridden flat that has just one toilet have reported becoming unwell with nasty coughs after moving in.
Wahidullah Safi, 35, and his pregnant wife, Bibi Safi, 45, moved into their Canning Town home after Mr Safi's family arrived in the UK from Afghanistan with the help of the British Army in 2022.
The three-bedroom property became their permanent home following a year-long stay in Central London temporary accommodation, but their experience has been less than smooth.
Being more than a dozen members strong, the flat is far too small to accommodate everyone comfortably, and Mr Safi has said his wife's health is being affected as they expect their 12th child's birth “any day”.
But the couple has found that neither of the councils that helped them find accommodation will accept responsibility for their case.
Mr Safi – who has lived in the UK for seven years and works as a delivery driver – has complained that he, his wife and children have all developed chesty coughs from living inside the home.
He told MyLondon that mold consistently grows on the property – which is privately rented and managed by agency Freshview – and that it is ridden with mice and only has one toilet and shower.
Pictures provided by Mr Safi show a fungal mass growing up a white wall, coating it and part of the ceiling.
The father of 11 said he initially raised the matter of the mold with Newham council, which, despite sending someone to take pictures, is yet to remedy the situation.
He said: “Newham Council has done nothing. They sent a person to take pictures of the damp, who said 'this is very dangerous for the children, we have a team we can send round'. Since then, I have not seen anyone .”
Mr. Safi has claimed that, because the property is located in Newham but found by Greenwich Council, neither will take the case seriously.
A spokesperson for Newham Council said it was aware of the issues and was in the process of liaising with the property landlord.
They said: “Mr Safi and his family were helped to move into this privately rented property in Newham by the London Borough of Greenwich.
“We are aware of the substandard conditions in the property. As this is a privately rented property not managed by Newham Council, our private rented sector housing enforcement team has been liaising with the landlord to address the disrepair.
“The landlord has informed us that some improvement works have been done to rectify some of these issues, but we are aware that the overcrowding in the property still remains an issue of concern.
“We are currently working with the London Borough of Greenwich to resolve the situation and we are in direct contact with the family to discuss their housing options.”
A Greenwich Council spokesperson said officials were working with Newham Council.
They added: “We are currently working with Newham Council to resolve the situation and we are in direct contact with Mr Safi to support him in finding more suitable accommodation, however, it is harder to find larger family homes.
“Unfortunately, there is a housing crisis in London and we have more than 27,000 households on our housing waiting list, and more than 1,900 households living in temporary accommodation.
“With homelessness sadly at record levels, it is a huge challenge for local authorities across the capital and beyond.”