Damp and mould is an issue I regularly raise with social housing providers and housing associations.  Whilst some damp can be caused by condensation and general home use (especially around the windows) other forms of damp and mould need much more than a cleanse and open window to address the problem.

The Regulator of Social Housing has been looking into this issue and published a report and whilst it found that most homes are not affected by damp there were some lessons to be learned.

Lesson 1 - Good Governance is critical - a robust and specific damp and mould property with clear timescales would help prevent the issue escalating.

Lesson 2 - Know your residents - if social landlords are not aware of who is living where and in what condition the property is in, investing in those properties is difficult.  Better data management, regular stock condition surveys and more engagement with residents would help not only with damp and mould issues but with all aspects of keeping homes to a decent standard.

Lesson 3 - Plan repairs spending  - From summer 2024, data on repairs performance and views of residents on the services they receive from their housing provider will be published.  All providers should have a plan for maintenance which has a clear link between the stock condition data.  If an area is getting a lot of damp complaints, this information should be compiled so repairs requests and complaints can be dealt with quickly and efficiently in a planned scheme across those properties, rather than handling each complaint in isolation.

Lesson 4 - Put residents at the heart of thinking, this can include temporary accommodation provision whilst damp is dealt with, clear information on how to report damp issues and visits after the work has taken place to ensure it is working as expected.

I am pleased to see this progress being made and it will hopefully lead to much better conditions in social housing but if you are facing issues with damp and mould in the home, escalate it to your housing provider, then to your councillor - let's get this issue sorted before it spreads.