Spotlight report on damp and mould – it’s not a lifestyle
Published in October 2021
Report summary
Damp and mould can be a complex and often frustrating issue. We recognise that some landlords are being proactive and that governing bodies are scrutinising approaches. This report aims to support these actions.
We have noted 2 key systemic issues that persist in cases across our casebook.
- over reliance on residents
- lack of overall responsibility for ensuring complaints are resolved
It is important for landlords to demonstrate to residents learning from damp and mould complaints. The Ombudsman would encourage landlord staff and managers to review the case studies and learning provided in this report, actively consider how they would have responded to the case and whether as an organisation they would have made the same mistakes.
What is in the damp and mould report?
There are 4 chapters in the report that look at:
- from reactive to proactive
- from inferring blame to taking responsibility
- from disrepair claims to resolution
- from complaints to a learning culture
The full report
The full report is available to view or download as a pdf.
View and download the full report (PDF)
Further learning on damp and mould
Damp and mould key topics page
Damp and mould is a reoccurring issue that continually arises in our case work.
Residents and landlords can use this page to find out more about this key topic including guidance, spotlight reports, and training options for landlords.
View more Spotlight reports
Spotlight report on knowledge and information management
This report reveals how landlord’s services can be held back by weaknesses in data and information, that can turn an ordinary service request into an extraordinarily protracted complaint.
Follow up report on damp and mould
We know that many landlords have been revising their approach to damp and mould. This update aims to provide further insights to landlords as they continue their work in this area and support to governing bodies when reviewing self-assessments against our 26 recommendations.
Spotlight report on noise complaints
At the heart of our findings in this report is a fundamental unfairness: most noise reports concern household noise rather than Antisocial Behaviour (ASB), and yet most landlords handle it under their ASB policy.