Every winter, households across the UK must deal with the very real possibility of an unwelcome visitor: damp and mould. It’s estimated that the number of affected homes in England ranges from 4% to 27% (962,000 to 6.5 million households).
Not only do damp and mould look unsightly, but they can also lead to serious health risks and damaged properties.
Unfortunately, dealing with this issue can be problematic for people living in social housing. In England, 3-4% of social homes have notable damp and mould, putting tenants at significant risk if not dealt with quickly. Therefore, the onus is on social housing providers to take proactive measures to ensure safe living conditions.
In this article, we explore the impact of damp and mould on social housing tenants, how Awaab’s Law will work and why ROCC is trying to support housing associations in improving the quality of life for tenants.
The impact of damp and mould on tenants
Damp is the accumulation of excess moisture, which can lead to the growth of microorganisms such as mould, dust mites, bacteria or viruses. Mould growth will usually result from dampness, but the two issues also exist independently. Even if mould isn’t visible, dampness alone can increase the risk of health problems.
Nobody is exempt from the health impacts of damp and mould, but people with certain existing health conditions (allergies, asthma, lung complications and cardiovascular disease), children and older adults are at greater risk. They primarily affect the airways and lungs, but eyes and skin are also at risk. In serious cases, the respiratory effects of damp and mould can even lead to death.
Not only is someone’s physical health at risk, but damp and mould can also have a massive impact on tenants’ mental health and wellbeing. This can stem from worrying about the health impacts on family members, poor living conditions and the damage to the property and belongings.
While dealing with damp and mould can be a stressful time for any household, social housing residents are likely to face a unique set of challenges. This is due to the possible delay in maintenance and a lack of willingness from social housing providers to do anything about it. Fortunately, Awaab’s Law will intervene.
What is Awaab’s Law?
Awaab’s Law is named in memory of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who tragically died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by “extensive” mould in a flat. The law entered parliament in July 2023, through Clause 42 within the Social Housing (Regulation) Act.
Awaab’s Law will require social housing providers to address hazards such as damp and mould within a fixed time period. It will also impose penalties for non-compliance, holding providers to account for tenant safety. Once reported, landlords must identify the root cause and implement solutions within the following timeframes:
- Investigate potential hazards within 14 days and provide a written report of their findings.
- Start repair work within 7 days if the hazard poses a significant risk to tenant health and safety.
- Complete the work within a “reasonable timeframe”.
- Emergency repairs must be completed within 24 hours.
- Alternative accommodation must be offered if repairs cannot be completed within this timeframe and tenants are at risk.
- Extensive records must be kept throughout the repair process.
The law is still in the consultation phase and yet to be enacted. Last year, the Labour government announced a new Renters’ Rights Bill which will extend Awaab’s Law to the private sector.
Preventing damp and mould: How ROCC can help
Social housing providers should swiftly deal with damp and mould issues; otherwise, they risk reputational damage, legal challenges and more expensive repairs later.
To do so, providers must invest in regular inspections, improve property ventilation, educate tenants and leverage modern technology and software.
At ROCC, we provide an automated solution for social housing providers to combat damp and mould proactively. We’ve partnered with Purrmetrix to tackle hazardous living conditions head-on, using environmental monitoring and human-free work planning and management.
Purrmetrix uses humidity, temperature, CO2 and energy sensors. This delivers actionable information on issues such as:
- Heat loss
- Poor ventilation
- Condensation risk
- Mould remediation
- Effectiveness of heating systems
Using their Warmscore toolset of sensors and web analytics to benchmark the performance of homes, social housing providers can understand where investment and support are required. Landlords and tenants can gain a better understanding of damp and mould issues by relying on real measurements of conditions in the home. This offers them more confidence that positive solutions to remedy those issues are available.
ROCC installs the sensors in the homes our customers manage, setting up tolerances/trigger points in advance to capture a range of information – from heat levels to humidity and mould detection.
Purmetrix then sees which alerts have been raised, with ROCC diagnosing in real time what the issue is, who is needed to inspect or carry out remedial action and when they are free to visit. We then handle the communication with the tenant to confirm a visit is needed.
Real-time monitoring of the issues found and which works are needed means the solution can fully manage the repairs until everyone is satisfied and the risk of future problems has been eradicated.
The fight against damp and mould in social housing is a critical challenge during the cold, winter months that require collective action. Social housing providers must have a zero-tolerance approach to unsafe living conditions for tenants.
For more information about the tools offered by ROCC, get in touch with a member of our team regarding our damp and mould prevention measures.
