Amid a rental crisis on the Isle of Wight, Gemma Bull and Colin Booth have been effectively made homeless with their four young children.

Their landlord sold up and they couldn't find anywhere else available, so the council has moved them into a room in Sandown.

• Read more: Family of six about to be made homeless

The County Press visited this week. Scroll down to watch our video interview

The room is hot and the windows curtains have to be kept closed until nets are fitted — because everyone in the road can stare in and there's a smoking area outside. They've got a fan to keep cool.

Colin is currently sleeping on the floor and Gemma in a single bed, with the older two children in bunk beds and the younger two in cots. A sofa bed is soon arriving, which will give them a place to sit during the day then sleep on at night.

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The logistics of having to take the entire family to the bathroom down the corridor at the same time or leave some of the children alone in the room while Colin is at work is a conundrum being worked out by Gemma.

Having to share a bathroom and a washing machine is a new and not particularly welcome experience for the busy mum — who has a naturally sunny disposition despite being cooped up within four walls most of the time.

There's a kitchenette, but little room to store food or buy in bulk for economical reasons. Little chance of batch cooking, keeping much fresh food or prepping meals in advance.

Gemma said: "It's the little things that are really upsetting me, but I'm always trying to put on a brave front for the kids, and make it fun for them.

"We've just run out of luck really. We'd be happy to squeeze into a two-bed but landlords don't want it, they say a family of six isn't fit for their property, and most of the time they're already gone by the time we apply anyway.

"We are waiting for a miracle but a nice three-bed is now around £1,000 per month and we can't afford anything near that. We just can't afford the current amount being asked even for a nice two-bed."

The family say the worst time is the evening, while trying to settle the children there are doors slamming, toilets flushing, people chatting — all perfectly normal activities but in close quarters it sounds particularly loud.

Gemma said: "We used to give the children a story, a song, a kiss goodnight and switch the light off. Here, we do all that and we are still in the room with them with nowhere to go. We end up just going to bed ourselves."

An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said: "The council cannot comment on individual cases so will not be able to respond to the specific case of Mr Booth.

"However, we acknowledge the acute challenges for those seeking accommodation on the Island at the current time. We are committed to working with households that find themselves homeless to find a safe place they can call home.

"Any emergency accommodation the council uses complies with the standards or parameters set out by law."

Island MP Bob Seely told the County Press he hoped the Isle of Wight Council would move forward with plans for modular homes.