Housing Ombudsman spotlight report on damp and mould

On 26 October, the Housing Ombudsman published its new spotlight report on damp and mould that urges housing providers to take a zero tolerance approach. The report was published following the Housing Ombudsman’s call for evidence, which we responded to highlighting that the quality of housing is of paramount importance to housing associations.

The report recognises there are many and varying root causes that lead to damp and mould and the challenges that landlords face in tackling the problem such as overcrowding, poverty, the age and design of homes. It calls for a change in culture, behavior and approach by landlords in order to address the profound and negative impact that damp and mould has on the health and mental well-being of residents.

The recommendations within cover a wide-range of topics for landlords to consider, from resolving skill gaps within their organisation to the delivery of their net zero strategy.

The Ombudsman has initiated a project to widen access to complaints and highlights how vital it is that landlord complaint processes are accessible for residents, noting that an over reliance on residents and a lack of overall responsibility for ensuring complaints are resolved are noted as the two key systematic issues in addressing damp and mould. The report provides a number of recommendations aimed at senior management teams to consider their organisation’s approach.  

We held a webinar for NHF members with the Housing Ombudsman, where members had the opportunity to ask questions about the recommendations and next steps. You can watch the recording of the webinar.

We will be providing further information to NHF members about what the recommendations mean for housing associations. In the meantime, you can read the full report on the Housing Ombudsman’s website