BBC flagship news programme Panorama has investigated damp and mould problems within the private rented sector ahead of Awaab’s Law going live in March or April this year.

During the programme, Panorama interviewed a number of tenants in properties that have been badly affected by mould, including the home of Rotherham couple Christine and Paul Brown.

The elderly couple have lived in their privately rented home for more than 50 years but the BBC found damp in every room, peeling wallpaper, wet walls, large black mould patches and an overpowering smell.

The couple already had serious health issues – he is diabetic and she has asthma, angina, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the damp is making things worse.

Conditions deteriorated

The couple began complaining about the conditions in their home to their managing agent, Savills, in 2022 but conditions have since deteriorated further and their home now requires several thousand pounds worth of repairs.

Although the Browns had regular contact with Savills, they had no idea who their landlord was. When the Panorama team investigated, they found it ultimately came under the ownership of £1bn financing and real estate company William Pears Group.

The company belongs to the Pears brothers, one of whom – Mark Pears – is a trustee of the British Museum and is reported to be worth £3bn. Another,  Sir Trevor Pears, has been knighted for his charity work.

Very sorry to learn that Mrs Brown believes that her complaints have been in any way ignored”.

When the BBC approached the company, it said their managing agent – Savills- was “looking after day-to-day repairs and that they always responded to requests for more expensive repairs quickly” but added Savills would visit the property shortly to re-inspect it.

Savills told the BBC it is “very sorry to learn that Mrs Brown believes that her complaints have been in any way ignored” and that the company “always tried to address problems in a timely manner and has completed 13 different inspection and repair works to the property between 2023-2024”.