Couple claim untreated mould left them sleeping in the garden of their rented house in Nutely

The pair moved into the two-bedroom flat on High Street in March this year and said the smell from the property was ‘unbearable’ – leading to one of the tenants having exasperated asthma-related issues – such as pains in my chest, wheezing and tightness.

The tenant said: “We first noticed the smell when we saw the property with the letting agency on the day of key handover.

“It was a strong musty smell throughout the whole of the property. After airing this out for one month, deep cleaning the property, and purchasing an air purifier we managed to remove the smell from the property except the bedroom located at the back of the property next to the garage.”

The property was rented to the couple through East Sussex estate agent Lampon Lets – who arranged for a carpet cleaner to help rid of the smell.

The couple said the cleaning did not get rid of the smell and one of the two bedrooms became off-limits, after a friend of the pairs came to stay and suffered from extreme headaches and vomiting after sleeping in the room.

The tenant said: “We have been paying for a two bedroom property when essentially we have been only had the use of one bedroom.

“The previous tenant that was staying in the property before us got in contact and stated that the property had bad damp, bad enough that he was experiencing health issues from this.

“The previous tenant has forwarded on an email that he sent to Lampon Lets on March 23 informing about the damp issue / no ventilation within this property.

"He also informed me that he mentioned to Lampon Lets when returning the keys that they should fix the issue prior to moving anyone else into this property.”

In response, Lampon Lets said: “Although we could not define the smell, the Landlord did agree to have the carpets re-cleaned.

"The tenants later reported some level of dampness. Again, we immediately attended and both property managers felt the problem was with condensation. This usually arises if a property is not ventilated and heated properly and we advised the tenants accordingly.”

On June 16, the couple found black mould in the spare room on their belongings and the walls, both inside and out.

The damp became such an issue for the tenant's breathing – the couple said they were forced to sleep in a tent in the garden, with all of their furniture and clothes stacked up outside in stables.

On removing items from the house, the two tenants found their clothes, personal belongings and furniture covered in mould.

On June 27, a report ordered by Lampon Lets found there was no ventilation anywhere inside the property and mentioned that the render on top of the walls didn't allow the brick to breathe, which allowed the damp to go inside of the property.

The estate agent said: “Inspection of the black mould in the corner of the rooms noted surface moisture readings of 20% WME to the plasterboard surfaces, but when the pins of the meter were extended past the surface and into the substrate, 0% WME were noted, which is totally dry.

“There is very little doubt that when the humidity rises within the rooms (particularly after use of kitchen appliances and the bathroom has been used condensation forms on the very cold offending surface.

“The tenant showed our surveyor photo footage of black mould on leather shoes and on clothing which again is absolute classic condensation characteristics.”

However, the tenants were unsure about the validity of the company chosen to carry out the damp report.

The tenant said: “We requested the Lampon Lets sourced the damp specialist making sure it was a private company, rather then being chosen by the landlord.

“When the damp specialist arrived, he came with the Landlord's son who posed to be the damp specialist companies 'Archer Specialist Treatments Ltd'.

“They were there for 4 minutes, didn't seem interested at all, the guy was taking readings from the top of the walls and didn't do much of an investigation.

"When we asked for their names and phone number they got defensive.”

Lampon Lets stated Archer Specialist Treatments of Wivelsfield Green’s surveyor was a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Builders and a Certificated Surveyor in both Remedial Treatments and Structural Waterproofing.

The estate agent said: “The tenants later reported the problem again. Although we still felt this was due to condensation, the Landlord was concerned and because of the age of the property we recommended they commission an independent damp proofing report.

"Archer Specialist Treatments made no further recommendations, except that the tenants should read, understand and implement the contents of their condensation leaflet.

"A representative of Wealden District Council’s environmental health department also visited the property. We contacted her and she independently concluded and advised us that it was a condensation problem.

“However, in light of the tenants’ statements, she recommended that the Landlord make minor additions to the double glazing trickle vents, upgrade the bathroom extractor and, even though the kitchen has a window, install an extractor.

“She also recommended cutting back some foliage around one of the external walls. The Landlord accepted these recommendations and instructed the works to be done.

“We have no previous knowledge of Sussex Damp Experts/Genesis Incorporated Limited who prepared a report on the tenants’ behalf.”

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The couple, who have now moved out of the property, claimed it is ‘unfit for human habitation’ and are concerned for anyone moving into the property.

The tenants said: “I really don't want anyone to move into this property. Especially children as it is extremely dangerous.”