Black Mould: The Silent Killer in Our Homes – And How to Fight Back
MOULD IS POLITICAL INDEED
What are The Health Dangers of Black Mould?
After months of black mould and damp in her home—especially in her daughter’s bedroom—our member took action. Food & Solidarity stood with her, demanding urgent repairs. No one should have to live in unsafe conditions!
Black mould is a familiar fungus found in every home where moisture or condensation presents itself. Its regular hosts are bathrooms, window frames, ceilings, walls and any other areas where leaks, dampness or lack of good ventilation occurs. It can spread rapidly, making removing mould from walls a never-ending battle.
However, as harmless as this fungus looks, it can wreck a home. Investigations carried out have generally shown that fungi can cause respiratory illnesses, infections, allergies or asthma and can worsen health conditions. Children, the elderly and people with health challenges are more prone to the risks involved in mould.
Though it may not kill immediately, it can be a time bomb that can tick away into death if not quickly addressed. This was the case in the incident of 2020 that involved the two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died of the infection caused be black mould. The death of the innocent boy was a shock that ripped through the heart of the country. It became the height of tolerance that people could give to the fungus, as it served as a wake-up call to the silent killer that UK residents had hitherto innocently harboured. To show that the joy-killer has been taken more seriously, the Awaab law was passed in 2023 to fight it. This law is expected to take effect soon. The reason for the delay for the law to come into effect is one of the areas that have made the mould political.
Thus, black Mould is one danger that many British homes fear so much. It is an unwanted guest nobody ever wants to receive in his or her home. Hence, it creeps in stealthily to steal joy away like a thief at night. The dangers inherent in black mould were adequately captured in the Film entitled 'Mould Is Political'. It was produced by NEF as part of the Homes for Us alliance. It exposes that at the time the film was produced, 2 million people in the UK were co-residents of the black mould in their homes. Black mould removal is not just about keeping your home clean—it’s about protecting your health.
Living with Mould: Getting rid of Mould, a tenant's nightmare
You could thus imagine my horror the day I noticed that the black mould had crept on the wall of my bedroom. I thought the world would collapse around me. I was in shock and could not immediately determine what to do to eliminate it. How would I be sleeping with an enemy? I asked myself. Having survived the initial bewilderment, I hurriedly contacted my landlord. In his response, the landlord had a quick fix, the usual anti-mould paint!
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Black mould is a common household fungus thriving in damp areas like bathrooms and window frames. Exposure can lead to health issues such as:
Sneezing and runny nose
Red or itchy eyes
Skin rashes
Worsened asthma symptoms
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Babies and young children (due to small airways).
People with asthma, allergies, or eczema.
Those with weakened immune systems, who are at higher risk of fungal infections.
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Fix moisture issues: Repair leaks, reduce humidity, and improve ventilation.
Clean affected areas: Small mould patches can be treated with antifungal solutions, but professional removal may be required for carpets, ceilings, and walls.
Avoid cover-ups: Painting over mould is ineffective without addressing the root cause.
Black mould removal is essential for health and safety. If you're struggling with mould due to landlord neglect, take action today.
But the awareness of the issue made me know that anti-mould paint would not solve the problem. Interestingly, my landlord was also aware it would not provide a permanent solution. Thanks to an email forwarded to me in error by the estate agent. This email served as evidence that the landlord also knew it would not solve the problem. Getting rid of mould on walls isn’t as simple as a fresh layer of paint.
Because of the email that was not meant for me, I was at least able to push back against any suggestion that I was responsible for the mould problem. This is often the message from agents and landlords who will say that tenants are at fault, that they should not dry washing indoors, or that they should keep the windows open all year round, or that tenants just need to stop showering so often and using the stove so much.
And I did not feel that I could do much more than accept the ‘solution’ presented. Never mind the water coming in through the roof downstairs or the fact that the bathroom extractors actually did not work and the vents led nowhere. I took some more anti-histamine, scrubbed the mould off the furniture and wall once more, moved everything out of the way and made myself busy elsewhere while my room was painted with anti-mould paint.
The mould came back. This time, it appeared in the other corner of the bedroom, sneaking around the corner of the window and behind the wardrobe. And before I realised what was happening I began to bump into it in the living room, thick and black this time, moving up the wall from the floor. But I could not afford to move out, and I was afraid I would be given a Section 21 notice if I complained.
But, all this happened to me before I joined Food & Solidarity (F&S). As a Food & Solidarity member, I have been part of direct actions in similar and far worse cases. One of such actions involved Food & Solidarity members delivering a presentation about the dangers of damp and mould for the benefit of a Dubai-based landlord (a Paediatric Doctor, in fact!) who was ignoring the damp in his UK property he let to a family of five, including a baby.
Why Landlords and Politicians Won’t Fix Mould
It has been stated that over 2 million people in the UK are living in homes with black mould, which is a serious risk to their health and wellbeing. The problem is, it is not tenants who have got us into this situation — it is our politicians. For too long, politicians have prioritised landlords' wealth over people’s health; now people should come together and say enough is enough.
Food & Solidarity, an organisation that is alleviating the sufferings of the people in its neighbourhood and beyond, is already championing this cause. It recently won a case of repairs for a member suffering from longstanding disrepair involving water leakage through the ceiling of her kitchen and causing damp and black mould in the rest of the property.
This kind of story will be familiar. The reason Food & Solidarity is encouraging all the people to come together and fight this evil that is being promoted by the politicians. If we refuse to fight for change, politicians and profiteering landlords are not ready to give it to us.
Join the Fight Against Black Mould
✅Black mould clean up shouldn’t be the tenant’s responsibility when it results from poor maintenance. If you’re facing mould problems, you don’t have to fight alone.
✅Landlords and politicians won’t change unless we force them to.
✅If you’re living with black mould and unsafe housing conditions, you don’t have to fight alone.
✅Join Food & Solidarity today and take action with us. Together, we can demand safe, healthy homes for everyone.
