11/02/2025
How our dedicated damp and mould team can support you
It’s not uncommon for any home to have small areas of damp, especially in the winter months when the weather is colder. However, when a home contains too much moisture, mould can begin to grow and start to impact your health if not treated properly.
Stopping mould before it starts to form is essential for maintaining a healthy and safe living environment and we take this very seriously. That’s why, we have a dedicated damp and mould team who focus entirely on dealing with damp, mould and condensation.
Why was the team formed?
The team was formed following the introduction of Awaab’s Law, and changes are expected to be made this year, which include setting specific time frames in which landlords must investigate and fix reports of damp and mould. The team is currently made up of eight Building Maintenance Labourers (BMLs) and 10 Asset Surveyors and we plan to welcome more team members soon.
What happens when D&M is reported?
Whether you’ve reported the damp and mould to us yourself, or it’s been reported by a member of staff, someone from our damp and mould team will call you to try and build a picture of what’s going on inside your home. They’ll ask you a series of questions to find out more about the state of the mould and the possible cause. A BML will then visit your home to take a look at the mould, clean it away and assess whether we need to complete a repair or more substantial work is needed.
The BML will always minimise any risk to your health and safety by washing away the mould for you. If the issue can’t be solved with a repair, we’ll send out one of our Asset Surveyors to do a full survey of your home and find out what work is needed. We’ll communicate with you throughout the process and after the work has been completed to make sure the mould hasn’t returned.
What can the team do to help?
There are lots of reasons damp and mould can occur in our homes. We focus on tackling the root cause of the problem and we’ll carry out any repairs needed to stop the mould from coming back.
Sarah Norman, Asset Surveyor Manager said: “Our Asset Surveyors will go into the home and look at absolutely everything; they’ve have specific equipment that they can use to try to determine what the cause of the damp and mould might be. This could be due to poor insulation, blocked gutters or something else, and often requires work from an external contractor.
“As part of the survey we’ll identify whether the tenants heating is adequate and ask if they can afford to heat their home. As much as it’s important to have a home that’s insulated and well maintained, you need to heat it and keep it ventilated to avoid damp and mould.”
If you’re struggling to heat your home the Asset Surveyor will refer you to our Housing and Energy teams who can support you with keeping your home warm and free from damp. They’ll also be able to advise you on day-to-day tasks which could help you prevent and manage damp and mould such as ensuring your extractor fans are being used correctly and opening windows or trickle vents to let in plenty of fresh air.
“A lot of the time we visit a tenant at home to find that the extractor fans have been turned off which is a real problem” said Tracy Johnson, Operations Support Manager. “It costs as little as 1 pence per day to keep your fan running and it can make a big difference in preventing damp and mould.”
Let us know if you have a problem
If you have concerns about damp and mould in your home and think you might need a professional to treat it, or simply can’t remove it yourself, please log a repair on our website or find out how to contact us. If you’re struggling to heat your home and are concerned about the impact this is having our teams are here to support you.
“If you think something isn’t right, please don’t wait until the problem gets worse to report it to us,” said Tracy. “The sooner we know the better and we can take action before more complex work is needed which could involve moving you out of your home.”
For further information on damp and mould and keeping you and your loved ones safe, please visit our website page below.
Awaab’s Law
Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, who tragically died in a social-rented home following health problems caused by damp and mould in the home. The law was introduced in the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023, and requires landlords to comply with stricter timelines when responding to damp and mould issues reported by tenants.