Housing: Damp, mould and rats plague renters in Leeds

The charity’s chief executive, John Hume, believes as many as 160,000 families in the region are in similar situations to Sarah’s.

He said: “Having good housing is a fundamental building block of health. Damp and mould produces spores and toxic substances which can result in really serious respiratory conditions.”

Mr Hume says the People’s Health Trust wants the next party in power to address “no-fault evictions” and protect tenants who are afraid to complain about their living conditions.

The charity wants more regulation of standards in the private sector, and funding for local councils to enforce legislation.

Mr Hume added: “Without tiers of legislation and enforcement, you’re not going to see things change for people like Sarah, and we’re going to see another generation of people whose health is blighted by this.”