A young London family have told how they have been left stuck in a “house of horrors” so bad that their baby has been regularly bitten by bed bugs.
Antonia Wall and Rafael Oliveira Freitas say they have had to battle bed bugs, mice running through the halls, mould and silverfish since they first moved into the studio flat in Beckenham in May 2022.
The issues have gotten so bad that the couple said their one-year-old son Zion, who has lived his whole life in the flat, has been bitten all over his body by the pests.
Meanwhile, mould has spread across the ceiling in the home and the communal areas, “are so filthy they feel dangerous,” Mrs Wall explained.
To make matters worse, the family have been left without hot water for months, the 24-year-old told the Standard.
The mother said: “Since I moved here there have been no repairs. The hot water isn’t working in my bathroom. I have no shower at the moment, so I can not even wash my baby.
“There are bed bugs that have spread across the communal areas. They have been here since July 2024. That’s when I first noticed them. I kept on getting these bites on me.”
She continued: “Everywhere in the building has bed bugs. They have spread from the communal areas and the laundry room. My son gets bitten all the time. It’s really heartbreaking.
“He has been bitten on his arms, his legs, his belly, his hands. It’s horrible seeing my son covered in these bites.
“I don’t sleep at night because I’m scared they are going to come and bite him. I’m scared they are going to be crawling towards me.
“I haven’t even got hot water to sanitise properly.”
Mrs Wall added that her shower has not been fixed for three months and that she is being forced to heat water on the stove.
The family have been left covered in pink bites where they say they have been bitten by the bugs.
Other pests have also spread around the supported accommodation block, which is managed by Southern Housing, too and the family says it has been “met with silence” when they have asked for help.
Attempts have previously been made to clear bed bugs from the building but the animals have managed to return, Mrs Wall added.
She also told the Standard: “There are always mice, there are rats, silverfish. There are some horrible pests here.
“There are people in this building with Autism... They can not handle these things. It really impacts their mental health. It has devastated everyone here.”
The mother explained that she has been on the priority list for housing since 2021 but has not yet been offered a new home.
She is not hopeful that a new property will be found for the family since some of her neighbours in a similar position have been waiting 10 years to be moved.
Mrs Wall started a petition calling for a full investigation into housing associations working with Bromley Council, as she felt invisible “even when crying out for help”.
A Change.org petition set up by Mrs Wall has already amassed over 21,000 signatures since it was launched on April 14.
In a letter sent to her MP Liam Conlon, that has been seen by the Standard, Mrs Wall complained that “Southern Housing - and others working in partnership with Bromley Council - have failed to meet even the most basic standards of care”.
She added that other residents in the block are being left without essential repairs, hot water, and live in “unsafe, pest-infested environments”.
In a statement Southern Housing said: “We’re sorry about the issues Ms Wall has faced within her home and are working hard to resolve these.
“Our heating contractor is attending Ms Wall’s home tomorrow (Wednesday 23 April)to address any outstanding problems with the hot water.
“Initially, an appointment was scheduled in February which Ms Wall cancelled. A subsequent appointment was arranged, however Ms Wall was unhappy about the date. We acknowledge there was confusion around the appointment dates and apologise for this.
“Our pest control contractor visited the building to carry out treatment on 15 April following reports of bed bugs and mice. They are due back on 6 May and 3 June to complete the treatment and Southern Housing will cover the full cost of these visits.
“We’ve received no reports of mould from Ms Wall, but would urge her to contact us immediately if she has any concerns. We take reports of damp and mould extremely seriously and our specialist team can work together with Ms Wall to successfully tackle any issues found.
“The housing waiting list is managed by the local authority, however, we’ll continue to support Ms Wall with her request to move home and the other issues she’s raised.”
Bromley Council have been contacted for comment.
