A west London family claims they were 'coerced' by their local council into signing a tenancy agreement for a filthy house that had a rat problem and blood stains on the curtains, after asking for help when they were evicted.

The family of three, including a 14-year-old boy, became homeless when their landlord no-fault evicted them from their Ealing home of 20 years in order to refurbish the house and hike the rent.

In a letter to Ealing Council a year-and-a-half prior, the landlord described the family in a reference as the perfect tenants who pay rent on time and who had improved the property.

Despite giving so much notice, the family was given no help until they were actually evicted, limiting their options and putting them in a position where they felt they had to take the offer of housing or end up on the streets.

Adriana Kassakova, 53, and her children were temporarily housed in a hotel room, until they were moved to this new property, in Hayes.

Adriana feels her family was 'coerced' into signing the tenancy agreement for the home by the council (credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

She says they are 'traumatised' and she is 'terrified' to bring her family back to the property, as she was so disgusted by the condition of the house, having only been able to see the true conditions after signing the tenancy.

When moving in, the family claim they found mould and bloodstains on the curtains, rat droppings and a collapsing ceiling among total filth and dirt throughout the property which also had broken fire alarms. Since the family say they were effectively forced to sign a tenancy agreement under threat of having the council's duty to house them taken away, they've not been back to the house, instead sofa surfing with friends.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Adriana claimed: "They said if we don't take the house we will be making ourselves intentionally homeless, they threatened [homelessness] and [effectively] forced us into signing the contract… but we can't stay there… the blood, the rats, the poo… I can't even think about it.

"My son was so terrified he ran away, so hysterical, I had to spend time looking for him, I collapsed… It was awful."

She described Ealing Council as behaving 'like a gang, in cahoots with slum landlords', alleging that her housing officer told her 'don't worry about the rats, they only come at night'.

Vanessa, Adriana's daughter, added: "They even told us we can have a property quicker if we move miles away, out of London. We can't do that. I work, my brother is about to sit his GCSEs soon, in a school they've already moved him an hour away from."

Councils have a legal duty to help some people who are facing homelessness, but can discharge their duty if someone is deemed to be 'intentionally homeless'. However with the crippling housing crisis in London and across the country, that term is sometimes being attached to people who refuse a move, even if accepting it would uproot their whole life and leave them unsupported in a completely unfamiliar environment, having to find a new job and schools for children.

Adriana and her family first found out around 18 months ago that their landlord intended to serve them a Section 21 notice and the council was sent a glowing reference of the family as tenants.

Vanessa said: "In a year-and-a-half they [Ealing Council] never put us through as homeless or becoming homeless, they did nothing until we were evicted. We had to call children services to get any help, they haven't even done a medical assessment of mum."

Adriana, a retired chef, lives with a number of medical conditions including osteoporosis, arthritis, and severe depression. Her health necessitates specific housing requirements, including ground floor access and minimal stairs.

An Ealing Council spokesperson said they can only move households into temporary accommodation once they become legally homeless and that, coupled with the "pressure on affordable housing", means it's not always possible to "line up somewhere for families in this situation to move to in advance, as there will always be a more urgent demand from another family in need".

When attempting to contact Ealing Council, Adriana says she asked them to speak to her daughter, 27, as her English is better, especially in technical terms. However, she says the council refused, which she found "discriminatory".

Vanessa told the LDRS: "We feel ignored, everyone ignores us, every email, every call. It's like we don't exist. We just want a clean, safe space.

"We don't want to be ripped from our support network. We have our doctor's, our therapies, my brother's school… we've lost hope."

The house 'met our minimum lettable standards' says Ealing Council (credit: Vanessa Kassakova).

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: "Supporting our most vulnerable residents is a top priority for Ealing Council and we are sorry to hear the challenging circumstances this family is facing.

"Our borough is facing an acute housing crisis. It is one of the least affordable places for housing in the country, and just 2% of privately rented homes are affordable for people on local housing allowance.

"Demand greatly outstrips supply and there are simply not enough affordable homes here for everyone who needs one. As a result, we are now providing temporary accommodation for around 3,000 families.

"This family was lawfully evicted from their home by their landlord. We have one of the best records in the country for preventing homelessness, and we engaged with the landlord to attempt to revoke the eviction notice, but the landlord declined, and the family became homeless."

They added: "Although their circumstances may now have changed, at the time the family was in a low priority band for social housing, so the only realistic option remaining was privately rented accommodation, funded by the council. While we aim to place most families within, or close to the borough, the shortage of suitable local options means that some households may be placed outside of the borough if it is in their best interests or at their request.

"Temporary accommodation that met our minimum lettable standards was found and the family moved in. We understand the resident feels the accommodation is unsuitable for her needs, and her medical information is currently with our medical advice partner who will review the suitability of the accommodation and act accordingly."

In response to the claim a council officer told them not to worry about rats, the spokesperson said: "Ealing Council takes all concerns about the conduct of its officers very seriously. If anyone feels they have been treated inappropriately, we encourage them to submit a formal complaint through the established channels. This ensures the matter can be properly investigated in line with the council's policies and procedures."