Nationwide mould and damp concerns in PRS

Mould and damp have become an issue for people across the country, according to a new survey.

According to energy experts Uswitch, 63% of people who’ve experienced mould in housing were tenants in privately rented or local authority housing.

According to the report, 38% of people believe that UK properties are not suitably built to prevent mould.

Both landlords and tenants need to tackle mould head-on

The news comes after Sadiq Khan announced a clampdown on landlords who let out mouldy homes in London.

The survey reveals, 67% believe that mould is the landlord’s responsibility when found in rented accommodation.

Ben Galizzi, Uswitch energy expert, said action to prevent mould in a property should be taken by both the landlord and the tenant.

He said: “Whether you’re a tenant or homeowner, tackling mould can be an ongoing issue if the root cause isn’t rectified. But with so many properties being poorly insulated, and energy costs rising, keeping mould at bay is a difficult task.

“Reasonable steps should be taken by both landlords and tenants to make sure mould is tackled head-on. This could mean that tenant habits need to change within the home, whilst larger projects to fix the building are worked on by the landlord.”

However, according to government figures only an average of 3.6% of private rented sector (PRS) properties were estimated to have dangerous types of mould and damp.

That’s in stark contrast to the popular belief by tenant activist groups and the media that most PRS homes are riddled with mould.

Housing Ombudsman see uptick in complaints

In the last two years, 69% of people have put the heating on less due to energy costs.

Of these people, more than half (54%) believe that mould has become more of a problem in their homes because of this.

Of the top ten local authorities that were complained about relating to mould or damp, nine were in London.

Haringey received an estimated 46.6 complaints per 10,000 housing units making it the most complained about local authority to the Housing Ombudsman.

A number of local authorities have seen a significant uptick in complaints to the Housing Ombudsman. Kirklees saw a notable surge, with only four complaints in the financial year 2021/22 escalating by 400% to reach 20 complaints in 2022/23.

Southend-on-sea, Manchester and Harlow also had increases of 250% or higher.