Parents living in a "freezing cold" house have begged the council to sort the property out, claiming it is plagued by damp and mould, making their four children unwell.
John Charles and Laura Waddingham told how they had major issues with their home during the autumn and winter months due to a lack of insulation and a bitter draught blowing through.
The pair said it had left them struggling with their own health and forced to keep their children - aged between eight and 14 - off school as they had woken up being sick.
The family, who moved into the house in April 2019, got in touch with BirminghamLive after claiming to have contacted Birmingham City Council dozens of times and explained they didn't know what else to do.
John and Laura, who live near the border of Birmingham and Solihull, claimed that on one occasion near the start of their tenancy the family had slept in the front room together to try and keep warm.
They have since swapped bedrooms so the children are warmer at night - but said their two daughters were still sleeping together for heat rather than on their bunk beds.
"When we first moved in this house was absolutely freezing," Laura said.
"We didn't have any gas the first day we moved in because the appointment had been made for the next day for the gas to be switched on.
"When the gas was put on, we left the heating on all day and the house was still the same.
"It hasn't warmed up since, it's just getting colder in here."
Laura, who works as a carer for John who has hearing loss and learning disabilities, said she felt it was affecting them both physically and mentally.
"I feel lightheaded when I'm walking," Laura said. "But it's only when I walk far that I'll get that feeling. And it's because of living here. I didn't have it before."
And John said his mental health had taken a hit as he described it as like "living in a shed".
"When I was sleeping in the bedroom I was suffering that bad I wanted to cry like a baby," he said. "I went up and down the stairs to try and sleep downstairs on my own, I couldn't get to sleep. I didn't know what to do."
The pair said the kids were "always complaining" they were cold and had been off school because they were ill in the morning.
"It affects the way they sleep as well," Laura added. "They can go to sleep and then they will wake up all of a sudden because they're cold."
And family visits and sleepovers are impossible as their living conditions mean they cannot have people around.
John and Laura, who have been together for 17 years, said they didn't want to move from the area due to the children's school but were hoping the council would sort their problems out.
They claimed the local authority had attempted to blame them for the damp and mould due to DIY work.
"We're just hoping that they can sort this problem out because they are the landlord." Laura added. "I have been contacting them to help us but they are trying to blame us."
John added: "It's just a nightmare the way it has changed our lifestyles around.
"We go out most of the time down to the Wacky [Warehouse] or down to the local pub and have a family dinner because it is affecting us.
"All we want is for them to sort this house out. I don't want to move. The school is close and I can't walk far. I just want them to fix the problem."
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: "Our contractor painted the property in October and on another visit in November tried to carry out repairs and do a damp survey but was not granted access.
"No damp was picked up when painting the property but clearly with the change in weather there has been damp incursion.
"We are sorry for the impact that this has had on the tenants. We are working with them to resolve it and will ensure that it is treated as soon as possible."
