One of the UK's largest housing providers has been accused of neglecting a young family, forcing them to live with a chronic bed bug infestation and dangerous mould for nearly four years.
A Home Turned Hellish
Jade Sullivan, her husband, and their three young children moved into a Sanctuary Housing maisonette flat in Pimlico, south London, in February 2019. The couple claim the housing provider was aware of the severe pest and damp problems within the property before their tenancy began but failed to address them adequately. Sanctuary Housing did not deny the allegations when contacted.
Almost immediately after moving in, the Sullivan family discovered the entire building was overrun. They have since endured daily bed bug bites and deteriorating health, which they directly attribute to the hazardous living conditions. Their complaints over the years have, they say, been inadequately handled.
Severe Impact on Health and Wellbeing
The family's health has suffered dramatically. Mr Sullivan required urgent medical treatment for a serious chest infection believed to be mould-induced. Mrs Sullivan, who lives with bipolar disorder, fears an episodic breakdown, exacerbated by relentless sleep deprivation. "I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in over 45 nights," she told The Independent. "I feel like I’m going to die! This is torture - we’re living in hell."
The children, 10-year-old twins and a seven-year-old, now bear permanent skin scars from the incessant bug bites and are struggling at school due to extreme fatigue.
The family has been temporarily moved out of the property three times in as many years for damp and mould work, but they assert these are only stopgap measures. Specialist heat treatments for the bed bugs have also failed to solve the pervasive issue. The pests continue to invade through air vents and walls around the clock.
A Cycle of Stress and Loss
Mrs Sullivan describes being trapped in an endless cycle of washing blood-stained bed linen and trying to salvage mouldy, damp clothing, calling the ordeal a "24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year" nightmare. The couple, vintage collectors and Sanctuary tenants since 2006, say they have lost thousands of pounds worth of treasured possessions to the damp conditions.
"My wife suffers with bipolar disorder and has relapsed into depression due to the continual stress of dealing with this," Mr Sullivan said, noting the crisis is affecting his career as he takes time off to care for her. "This is putting strain on everything - from our relationship to the kids."
The Sullivans say at least three neighbours in the building reported the same issues before they moved in. Sanctuary acknowledged in an email that the problem is affecting other residents.
In a statement, a Sanctuary spokesperson said: "We are in regular contact with Ms Sullivan and can reassure her that we fully understand her concerns and are committed to resolving them as soon as possible." They cited ongoing weekly pest control treatments and scheduled investigations into the damp and mould, strongly refuting allegations of discrimination.
The case emerges after Sanctuary's CEO earlier this year apologised to Conservative MP Grant Shapps for the "unacceptable treatment" of tenants in his constituency.
