Muddling through Mould:
A Trawl Through Three Years of Unjoinedup UK Policy
The current level of acute public concern regarding mould in the UK housing stock did not begin with the tragic death of Awaab Ishaq. Various agencies published important reports on the dangers of damp and mould in the last three years, but these never made the impact they should have.
The coroner’s report into Awaab Ishaq’s deaths has focused minds, but it is important that the siloed thinking of the past does not continue to prevail and prevent genuinely interdisciplinary solutions to the problem of mould in UK housing.
January 2020
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publish their guidance on Indoor Air Quality at home
The Guidance focused especially on the housing conditions that put people at increased risk of exposure to poor indoor air quality, including the presence of “damp and mould”.
NICE recommended that councils use existing home visits to identify poor indoor air quality and “develop local inspection protocols so that they include visual inspections, checklists and the monitoring of pollutant levels”.
September 2021
The Energy Follow Up Survey: thermal comfort, damp and ventilation is published. The survey investigated domestic energy use in the UK and reported that
Some 6.5 million (27%) households reported the presence of some damp and/or mould patches on the walls or ceilings in their home
The following groups were more likely to report damp/mould: households in fuel poverty (42%), lone parents with dependent children (48%), low income households (41%), older pre-1919 dwellings (39%) and the least energy efficiency dwellings (40%).
Of those reporting a problem with damp/mould, 36% (2.3 million households) reported they had a medical condition made worse by damp.
October 2021
The Housing Ombudsman publishes his report Spotlight on Damp and Mould: It’s not lifestyle
The Ombudsman stated that landlords should
move from a reactive to proactive stance with respect to mould
adopt a zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould interventions
consider whether they require an overall framework, or policy, to address damp and mould… this would include any proactive interventions [and] its approach to diagnosis
15 November 2022
HM Senior Coroner Joanne Kearsley records a narrative verdict in the tragic case of Awaab Ishaq in Rochdale. The cause of death is recorded as environmental mould exposure.
The Coroner sends a Prevention of Further Deaths Report to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Housing, Levelling up and Communities.
The coroner notes, among other things, that damp and mould are not sufficiently considered in the Decent Homes Standard or in the Housing Health and Safety Rating Scheme.
The Coroner also notes that “there was no evidence that up to date relevant health information pertaining to the risks of damp and mould was easily accessible to the housing sector”.
22 November 2022
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove writes to all housing providers to say that “Damp and mould are not ‘lifestyle issues’ … Where people complain about damp and mould, you must listen; where you find them, you must take prompt action
15 December 2022
The Better Social Housing Review is published by The National Housing Federation and Chartered Institute of Housing.
The Review notes that noted that “damp, mould and condensation were the most prevalent and long-standing concerns for the majority of stakeholders we spoke to as part of the review”
The authors say that “housing associations should work together to conduct and publish a thorough audit of all social housing in England.”
The clear implication is that this audit should include data on damp and mould
16 December 2022
The Regulator of Social Housing asked housing providers to provide evidence of:
their approach to assessing the extent of damp and mould issues in their homes
their most recent assessment of the extent of damp and mould hazards
the action they are taking to remedy them, and
the process they have to identify and deal promptly with damp and mould cases when they are raised by tenants
13 January 2023
In response to the coroner’s report into Awaab Ishaq’s death, government ministers announce a review of all guidance relating to damp and mould in the social and privately rented sector.
Among other things, the government announced it would
Update the Decent Homes Standard to include a focus on damp and mould
Update the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to include ‘estimates on the likelihood of harm due to dampness and mould alongside other hazards’
consider setting a ‘standalone damp and mould standard’ for both sectors
Review existing guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould in homes … and develop guidance tailored to the housing sector
2 February 2023
The Housing Ombudsman provides an analysis of responses from landlords to the Spotlight report one year on and proposed ten ‘key tests’ for landlords who are producing action plans. Three of them imply an important role for mould testing
Know your homes
Dedicated damp and mould strategy
Empower staff – if they’re in a property for something else, help them clock the signs
Testing - and sample-taking - need to be built into landlords’ practices if these three goals are to be effectively reached.
2 February 2023
The Regulator of Social Housing publishes initial findings on damp and mould in social housing.
It notes that:
less than 0.2% (c. 8000) of social homes have the most serious damp and mould problems
1-2% (40-80,000) have serious damp and mould problems
3-4% (120-160) have notable damp and mould
The regulator’s director of stragety, Will Perry, writes in Inside that
Damp and mould … are not static, and providers must keep up to date on their assurance that homes are safe. This kind of dynamic understanding of stock condition and risk at the individual home level is increasingly essential.
As an example of best practice, Perry cites
a comprehensive surveying programme with data refreshed after each repair visit to a home and a clear plan to address them
9 February 2023
The government tables amendments to the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill to introduce ‘Awaab’s Law’, which will amount to 'a crackdown on damp and mould under new legislation in memory of Awaab Ishak'.
The legislation requires landlords to fix reported health hazards within specified timeframe and grants new new powers for Housing Ombudsman to help landlords improve performance.
The government also announces that the Regulator of Social Housing will have stronger powers ‘to issue unlimited fines, enter properties with only 48 hours’ notice ... and make emergency repairs where there is a serious risk to tenants, with landlords footing the bill.’