Damp Homes

The Government Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have issued new guidelines for property professionals specifically in relation to damp and mould in properties. It indicates that this issue within residential homes is not a result of lifestyle choice and generally tenants should not be to blame. The onus is upon landlords and agents to identify the causes of such issues and address any such problem by maintenance and repair. These may be as a result of ventilation or structural issues such as leaking roofs or gutters and there is a long list of steps which must be taken to address matters and the process to go through to remedy the problems.

In my opinion, there must be an element of responsibility on behalf of the tenant to minimise issues within their homes but also to notify a landlord or agent before a problem gets to an unmanageable level and also to ensure that a property is well ventilated on an ongoing basis. It does, in many cases, depend on the structure of the property, old homes are more likely to get damp and, strangely enough, many new build homes are developing problems, not due to the nature of construction but because they are being built to be airtight which reduces the natural movement of air around a home which is an essential requirement for preventing the build up of stagnant, damp air leading to mould.

I recently visited a tenant to do a six-monthly inspection and commented on the condition of the property with no condensation anywhere. The tenant said that there is always a window open. This enables air to move around the property and take moist vapour-filled air out of the home. Shower cubicles and bathrooms are generally where it will first be noted. This is where damp air builds and is not the easiest room to ventilate, especially if there are no windows therefore showing the importance of using the extractor fan when showering. Large items of furniture against walls also result in limited air circulation within homes.

Citizens Advice reported that in February 2023, 1.6 million children were living in mouldy, damp or excessively cold private rentals and that over half of the private renters in England have had or are reporting these issues within their homes.

Let us hope that with these matters being highlighted the problem can be reduced.

by Andrew Mason
Property Consultant