Housing Ombudsman call for evidence for damp and mould investigation

Monday 19th of April 2021

The Housing Ombudsman have issued a first call for evidence to support a thematic investigation which will look at damp and mould.

It will enable the Housing Ombudsman to make recommendations and share best practice to help landlords develop their services and improve the experience of residents. 

It follows the publication of their new systemic framework last month which sets out how they will look beyond individual disputes to identify key issues that impact on residents and landlords’ services.

The framework allows the Housing Ombudsman to issue a call for evidence and they have decided to use it for the first time.

An initial review of case data identified a high rate of maladministration on cases that feature damp and mould at 55 per cent of the 112 cases in their formal remit over the last two years. Compensation is also high with a total of £68,000 ordered in the same period, indicating a significant impact on residents in some cases. 

The Housing Ombudsman are calling for evidence submissions, from both their member landlords and their residents, to ensure that they are able to make far-reaching recommendations that promote greater understanding of the complexity of tackling damp and mould and that share best practice across the sector – helping landlords to develop their policies and procedures with a view to improving the experience of all residents. 

Full details are set out on the Housing Ombudsman website which includes a link to submit evidence.

The closing date is Friday 4 June 2021.