Mould in PRS homes is not a ‘lifestyle choice’ – Gove

Mould in PRS homes is not a ‘lifestyle choice’ – Gove

11:13 AM, 12th September 2023, About 8 months ago 30

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Landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) and social landlords have been given guidance from the government on how to deal with damp and mould in tenant homes.

The government stresses that mould in a property should not be seen as a tenant’s ‘lifestyle choice’.

The guidance sets out the legal responsibilities of private sector and social landlords to their tenants – and highlights the serious health risks that damp and mould pose.

However, action to remove pervasive damp and mould must be taken by landlords – and the guidance makes clear that it is the responsibility of landlords to identify the underlying causes of damp and mould – such as structural issues or inadequate ventilation – and to find long term solutions.

According to government figures published last week, the PRS has an average of 3.6% of homes with a dangerous type of mould and damp.

‘Homes are fit for habitation’

The report’s introduction is written by Michael Gove – who has written to social landlords about the guidance this week highlighting their legal responsibilities – who says: “Landlords must ensure that the accommodation they provide is free from serious hazards, including damp and mould, and that homes are fit for habitation.

“They must treat cases of damp and mould with the utmost seriousness and act promptly to protect their tenants’ health.”

He adds: “As this guidance also makes clear, tenants should not be blamed for damp and mould.

“Damp and mould in the home are not the result of ‘lifestyle choices’, and it is the responsibility of landlords to identify and address the underlying causes of the problem, such as structural issues or inadequate ventilation.”

Ensuring a decent standard of housing for tenants

The government says it is committed to ensuring a decent standard of housing for tenants in the social and private rented sectors.

And the Renters (Reform) Bill and Social Housing Regulation Act delivers laws that will improve housing standards.

New laws tackling hazards such as damp and mould in social homes will come into force as soon as Parliamentary time allows so that tenants can complain directly to the Housing Ombudsman.

There will also be a review of the Decent Homes Standard and applying it to private rented homes for the first time.

The new guidance also highlights that the new private rented property portal will give all private tenants access to an ombudsman if their landlord fails to resolve legitimate complaints.

‘Dealing with damp and mould in a tenant’s home’

Among the recommendations for dealing with damp and mould in a tenant’s home, landlords should ‘respond sensitively’ and assess the issue with urgency to identify the severity of the problem and the potential risks to tenants.

Landlords must also tackle the underlying issue promptly, and act with urgency when concerns have been raised about tenant health.

And landlords should not delay action to await medical evidence or opinion – medical evidence is not a requirement for action.

They must also ensure that tenants are informed about the steps that will be taken to remove mould and address any underlying issues and the timeframes for the work.

 

The government’s guidance for PRS and social landlords can be read on the .gov.uk website.


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Comments

Jeff L

10:07 AM, 16th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Teessider at 12/09/2023 - 11:36
90% generalised nonsense mate. I myself live in a 19th century solid stone wall terraced house in the Welsh valleys (as are most of the properties I rent out) - I have never had mould issues.

Nothing special has been done to my house, I do nothing special whilst living in the house other than common sense.

To try to blame these older houses (which will outlast the cheap n nasty build-quality new-builds anyway, it's been built 130 years and no reason to suggest it won't last another 130 years) is just generalised ill-informed nonsense.

Steve Masters

10:17 AM, 16th September 2023, About 8 months ago

This is just another example of pro tenant / anti landlord (same thing) government policy.

I'm already selling my HMO houses which will seriously effect 30 tenants! How does this help anyone , let alone tenants?

Contango

10:58 AM, 16th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Steve Masters at 16/09/2023 - 10:17
You are right. Once again Government meddling produces the exact opposite of their desired effect. It was the same with the Financial Services Act.

No

15:58 PM, 16th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Jeff L at 12/09/2023 - 10:57
Just added another reason for me to keep selling off my portfolio.
What's next , buying their toilet paper & wiping their as_.

reader

18:55 PM, 16th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Mr Gove seems to have lost the plot and misdirected himself. Indeed damp should not be treated as a lifestyle issue in itself. However a factual investigation needs to be undertaken in every case. It is only after the findings are determined can the blame culture he promotes be determined. More worrying is the idea that blame has a role in the resolution of the problem. Such a blame culture might reflect the anti landlord genesis within his department. For such an astute politician he is now misguided.

TheMaluka

7:23 AM, 17th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by David Shaw at 16/09/2023 - 15:58I believe the correct term is "Landlord of the stool".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom_of_the_Stool

Slooky

8:29 AM, 17th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by at 16/09/2023 - 18:55
If a landlord uses his 30 years of experience to assess that damp in a bathroom is due to tenants switching of the fan or never cleaning why should that landlord have to pay copious amounts of money for an independent investigation because we are being prohibited from blaming the tenant. This quite obvious ludicrous situation will lead to more landlords leaving the market and the remaining landlords increasing rents again to cover such an eventuality. The situation is getting insane and we will probably be looking at a future when we will not be able to take deposits or charge the tenant for any kind of damage to the property or its contents.

TheMaluka

8:50 AM, 17th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Slooky at 17/09/2023 - 08:29
Effectively we are already there.

David Nichols

11:35 AM, 17th September 2023, About 8 months ago

Of course it's a lifestyle choice for many. Most of us, if we see the 1st signs of mould on a window corner, bathroom sealant, or corner ceiling wall will clean it off and consider ventilating the room better. The pictures we see on the media the mould is mostly just left for spores to grow.
How many times have we fitted extractor fans and positive input ventilation systems cos some tenants won't open a window or heat a room or manage the humidity when drying clothes or cooking.

David Nichols

11:41 AM, 17th September 2023, About 8 months ago

We insulate the rooms to improve the epc and make it more airtight, then have to fit humidity extractors and pivs to resolve the new lack of ventilation. Sort of self defeating.

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