The CWAG General Meeting in May 2022 considered the damp and mould report alongside the issue of disrepair claims. The presentation by Rebecca Reed (Head of Insight and Development at the Housing Ombudsman Service ) discussed some of the issues flagged up by the Ombudsman’s thematic damp and mould investigation.
The damp and mould theme was chosen because of the high volume and complexity of complaints received by the Ombudsman and the severe impact on residents. The objective being to identify common issues and shared learning that can be used to drive improvement.
Cases tend to have complex causes e.g. structural issues, age and design of buildings as well as lifestyle factors and external pressures such as fuel poverty and the increasing cost of energy. Even where landlords seek to improve thermal comfort through increased insulation, this can be counterproductive causing condensation.
A change in landlord culture is required involving a proactive rather than a reactive approach, which is fabric focussed rather than resident focussed. For example, if one resident in a block has a problem, it is likely to be more widespread and the landlord should not wait for a formal complaint before acting. There is software available that can predict from the property profile whether there is likely to be a damp and mould problem.
Fatalism is not ok – there should be a zero tolerance of poor conditions although some situations may not be fixable and alternative solutions may be needed. Landlords need to take responsibility recognising that sometimes the building sets residents up to fail.
The response to the report has highlighted that some groups / demographics do not feel confident to report issues. Landlords are encouraged to ‘find your silence’ i.e. those tenants who are not raising issues or using complaints arrangements. Residents remain the best source of feedback.
Landlords should also sell their successes and publicise what they are doing positively to tackle damp and mould. Many still view it as an admission of failure to admit to having damp issues in the stock.
There are governance issues for Boards to ensure they are setting the correct positive proactive complaints culture for the organisation. For example, does the Governance Board consider complaints cases and is the Board curious about cases that have gone awry?