Prevention of future deaths report issued after death of child in home with ‘thick and black, knee-high mould’

In June 2025 the children were diagnosed with chicken pox. On 20 July, Ali was found to be non-responsive by his father and sadly passed away despite the resuscitation efforts of staff at Homerton Hospital, east London.

Ms Lee concluded that Ali died of natural causes, with the cause of death being encephalitis due to chicken pox. 

However, due to the photographs and police body-cam footage of the mould in the property shared as part of the coroner’s investigation, Ms Lee said “the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern”.

She added: “The mould in the property is extensive, thick and black. On the walls it is around knee height, it extends up the walls in the corners and around the ceiling where the ceiling and walls meet.

“It covers the curtains and furniture where soft furnishings and furniture is in contact with the walls. I am concerned that mould in the property, and mould and/or other disrepair in other properties renovated and managed by Granddwell Estates, may pose a risk that future deaths could occur.”

Grandwell Estates’ website says it specialises “in helping investors like you unlock the potential of HMO [houses in multiple occupation] investing”.

It describes this as a “smart and lucrative way to invest” that can “result in increased cash flow and a higher return on investment”, at a time when “demand for affordable housing is on the rise”.

In response to the PFD report, the private landlord said: “We can confirm that as soon as we were made aware of the issue at the property, we took immediate action.

“We rehoused the tenant, completed all necessary repairs to fix the issues, and the tenant has since moved back in safely.

“We are highly vigilant regarding the properties we manage and ensure that all issues are addressed and resolved as soon as they are brought to our attention.

“As you can see in the coroner’s report, the death of the child has nothing to do with the issue that was in the flat.”

When pressed by Inside Housing on how it ensures no other tenants are living in similar conditions, the firm added: “We are actively reviewing our portfolio to ensure the safety and well-being of all tenants.

“The specific property in question is a one-bedroom flat. When the tenant moved in, it housed a mother and one baby; however, it now houses several children. We believe this level of overcrowding is causing or contributing to the conditions.

“While the council officer who met us on site did not deem the property overcrowded, we believe it is no longer suitable for the family, and the tenant needs to be moved to a larger flat.

“For context, we have never increased the rent since the tenant moved in, so this situation offers no financial benefit to us.”

Granddwell Estates must respond to the report by 26 January 2026 and explain “details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action”.

The report was also issued to the London Borough of Hackney, including its Child Death Review Panel, Benefits and Homeless Prevention Service, Environmental Health Department and Trading Standards Department.

A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by baby Abdullah’s death and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. 

“We welcome the coroner’s report and fully support the scrutiny it places on the private landlord responsible for the property. Our officers had visited the property earlier this year and issued a notice requiring the landlord to address the disrepair and mould recorded in the report, and while the coroner found Abdullah died of natural causes, the conditions in this privately rented home were clearly unacceptable.

“Housing demand in Hackney is at crisis point, with far more families in need than the number of homes available. We allocate social housing according to a clear and lawful set of criteria to ensure fairness for all residents, but we know this offers no comfort to families living in unacceptable private rented homes.

“That is why we are expanding proactive enforcement through our landlord licensing schemes so we can hold landlords to account and prevent situations like this from happening again.

“We will review the coroner’s findings carefully and continue doing everything in our power to protect vulnerable families and improve housing standards across Hackney.”

This tragic case comes a little over a month after the Renters’ Rights Act received royal assent, which includes applying the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.

However, these changes will come in as part of the third and final stage of its implementation, which did not come with a timeline, and the government plans to consult on bringing them in.