A story on the BBC news website 'Black mould is making my son ill' this morning is again outlining the issue the UK housing sector is having with damp and mould. The story outlines a young mother and son in Brighton and an elderly couple in Rotherham, both struggling with mould which is affecting their health with very little being done to correct it by their landlords. The report is taken from a BBC Panorama special, Britains Mouldy Homes currently available on BBC iPlayer.
With Awaab’s Law due to come into partial effect in October this year concerning damp and mould issues initially, aiming to be fully implemented by 2026 for all other hazards such as structural and electrical issues, landlords and tenants have a lot to be made aware of. However, many are saying that October is too long a wait and that lives are at risk now from mould exposure.
The biggest issue stems from the fact that the UK has some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, with many social housing, council housing and low-rent housing having been built in the 1940s & 50s. It’s an infrastructure timebomb that has been waiting to go off since these cheap builds were erected in the forties, as most of this ageing housing has inadequate insulation and ventilation by today's standards and is in desperate need of attention to modernise. However, this is a vastly expensive and time-consuming solution which could ultimately be money wasted on trying to lengthen the life of these outdated buildings, where removing and rebuilding would be a more sensible option. But with housing in short supply, there is often no alternative housing to move families into while work is undertaken to fix the issues in these existing homes. With Labour’s 1.5 million new homes initiative still on the cards to be reached by 2029, there is hope that new builds will be available to help ease the issues in the future.
But what can be done today to help alleviate issues in these properties? Landlords still have a duty of care to their tenants and the tenant's “lifestyle” choices cannot be blamed for damp and mould issues. The approach to damp and mould needs to be undertaken by both landlord and tenant, with both understanding what is required to stop the cycle of damp and mould from recurring.
For the landlord, it is imperative to ensure the property is properly insulated and any structural damage that can allow for the ingress of moisture and cold is dealt with. It is also important for landlords to install suitable mechanical ventilation to remove moisture effectively. Below are links to various solutions for mechanical ventilation options that can be of great help in managing damp and mould, as always feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions relating to ventilation options:
Tenants must understand that without having to change their way of life in their home, there are a few small steps that can be undertaken by them that will greatly reduce damp and mould issues. Firstly, if suitable mechanical ventilation has been installed - don’t turn it off! Keep windows closed in cold weather to help maintain a decent temperature in the home while allowing mechanical ventilation to do the job of removing moisture from the home. It is therefore very important that a decent constant temperature is maintained in the home. We know from reports this year that many homeowners and tenants have either struggled with heating bills or have intentionally chosen to turn their heating off in an attempt to save money. It is hard as a landlord to expect tenants to try and maintain indoor temperatures if the home isn’t suitably insulated as this will be very costly for the tenant. Therefore the understanding should be that the building is properly insulated by the landlord, allowing the tenant to maintain a decent constant temperature at minimal energy costs to them. This is very important as the key to minimising damp and mould is to insulate, ventilate and heat a property.
For more information please see our previous posts on Awaab’s Law and the role of the landlord as well as the important factors in relieving damp and mould.