Significant increase in reports of damp and mould in council housing triggers response in Rotherham

The cabinet heard yesterday (September 18) that the council has invested over £14millon in “everything from mould treatment work to damp proofing through to extractor fans installation and insulation programmes”.

An officer told the cabinet that the council has seen a “significant increase in reports over a couple of years”.

A supporting document available on the council’s website shows that between January and July this year, there have been 1,598 reports relating to damp and mould in council properties.

The cabinet was told that seven per cent of the private properties could also be affected.

A report states that the policy is underpinned by the following principles:

All residents should expect to be able to live in a safe and healthy home environment free of damp, mould and condensation.

Residents should be empowered to identify, treat and prevent damp, mould and condensation in their homes where it is safe, practical and reasonable to do so.

There is a clear and accessible way to report cases of damp, mould and condensation available for all residents.

Council staff and contractors should always treat residents in a fair and empathetic manner, taking into account individual circumstances including age, health conditions, language barriers and any contributing factors such as fuel poverty, insulation defects and overcrowding.

All landlords, including the council, should take responsibility and be proactive. A data driven, risk and solution focused approach should be adopted to identify and prevent damp and mould quickly.

The policy will be published on the council website in September 2023.