HARLOW Council has forked out £200K to repair damp, mould and other disrepair issues in its social housing properties in the last year, a new investigation has revealed.
Data obtained by Legal Expert via Freedom of Information Requests has found that between October 2023 and October 2024, the Council has received 56 complaints from tenants regarding damp and mould in its housing stock and a further 4 about disrepair.
In that time, the local authority says it has spent £12,801.28 on damp and mould repairs as well as a further £186,610.03 on other disrepair issues in its properties.
Issues of damp, mould and disrepair are in sharp focus across the UK following a report from the Housing Ombudsman released last month which details over 100 severe maladministration cases of damp and mould saying the issue now “dominates half of our casework.”
Richard Blakely of the Housing Ombudsman said: “It is clear that landlords are still struggling with timescales. This is despite policies often setting out a clear sequence of actions and existing obligations requiring reasonable resolution times…
“This is a topic that now dominates half of our casework and one coming into sharp focus given the government’s intention to introduce Awaab’s Law into both the social and private rented sectors.”
Awaab’s Law was first introduced in July 2023 following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale, Greater Manchester in 2020.
The two-year-old died as a result of exposure to damp and mould conditions and his death prompted a change in the law which requires landlords to fix hazards that pose a danger to tenants’ health with a strict legal time limit.
As it stands, the law only applies to properties in the social housing sector. However, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced in September that the law will be extended to the private sector.
However, with cash-strapped councils fearing imminent bankruptcy, a growing demand for housing and a cost-of-living crisis, it seems hard to fathom how councils can be expected to tackle the issues facing their properties despite new legislation and policy.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference this year, Angela Rayner said: “Many Housing Associations, councils and landlords do good by their tenants and I know how hard they’ve had it after 14 years under the Tories. Which is why I will work in partnership with the sector to deliver the change. I will clamp down on damp and mouldy homes by bringing in Awaab’s Law in the social rented sector this autumn and we’ll extend it to the private rented sector too.”
“We will consult and implement a new Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes, to end the scandal of homes being unfit to live in.”
LegalExpert.co.uk offers a specialist service for anyone looking for support and advice after being affected by damp, mould or housing disrepair.
They operate a 24-hour helpline and live chat service which you can access on their website.
YH invited Harlow Council to comment.
A spokesperson said: “”In response to Awaab’s Law we reviewed and overhauled our system for reporting damp and mould issues to improve the way we investigate, prioritise and repair such serious issues. We are working to ensure that we deal with damp, mould, and disrepair proactively as well as respond to reports from tenants.
This means dealing with damp and mould in council homes and disrepair remains a top priority within our ongoing repairs and maintenance programme. This is a major programme which in recent years we have invested millions of pounds into, and we will continue that investment in future years as we work to transform Harlow’s housing.
The current work being undertaken to complete 100% stock condition surveys of our homes will go further to assist us in taking a proactive approach to identifying issues such as damp and disrepair and prioritising future major repairs and maintenance programmes.
“Council tenants should report damp and mould issues directly to the council by telephoning 01279 446655. Reports can also be made through the council’s website www.harlow.gov.uk.”