Purpose

To approve the draft Damp & Mould
policy.

Content

Decision:

1.    
Approve
the proposed revised Damp & Mould Policy at Appendix 1;
and

2.    
Authorise
the Joint Assistant Director of Housing Services to make any
necessary minor amendments to the Policy in consultation with the
Lead Councillor.
Reason(s):

1.    
As a
landlord, the Council is responsible for maintaining the properties
it owns and manages in line with the relevant regulations,
legislation and guidance. This includes keeping tenants’
homes safe from hazards under the Health and Safety Rating System
(HHSRS) under section 9 of the Housing Act 2004. One of those
hazards is identified as damp and mould.

2.    
A Damp and
Mould policy for the Council was published in January 2023. This
policy has been reviewed to incorporate changes following
Awaab’s Law and the wider Social Housing (Regulation) Act
2023, which came into force in April 2024.

3.    
The key
objective of the policy is to keep residents safe and well, and in
so doing provide assurance that the Council is meeting legal and
regulatory requirements.

4.    
The
Housing Ombudsman published a spotlight report on damp and mould on
26 October 2021. The report states that landlords should take a
zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould and that landlords need
to be proactive when addressing damp and mould to improve the
experience of tenants. The Ombudsman report was written following a
high number of complaints from tenants that certain landlords did
not act appropriately to deal with these issues.

5.    
The
Housing Ombudsman published a severe maladministration report in
October 2024 specific to damp and mould – timeliness. The
report provides lessons to help prepare for the introduction of
Awaab’s Law.

6.    
Since the
publication of the Housing Ombudsman spotlight report and the
tragic case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died after prolonged
exposure to mould in his home, the Government is planning to
introduce a tabled amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation Act)
which will require landlords to fix reported health hazards within
specified timeframes.
Other options considered and rejected by the
Executive:
None.
Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or
lead councillors and any dispensation granted:
None.