More than 250 mould and damp-related complaints were made by tenants of private landlords to North East Lincolnshire Council in three years.
Recently released government survey data on local authorities’ action on reported mould and damp in private rented homes has revealed the extent of the issue.
North East Lincolnshire Council did not issue any civil enforcement notices, or carry out any court prosecutions of landlords for mould and damp in rented homes between 2019/20 and 2021/22. North Lincolnshire Council carried out one successful prosecution in the same time period, and issued three civil enforcement notices.
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Both councils carried out a host of other actions too on reported damp and mould in private rented homes. A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesperson said tenants should raise such issues with their landlord in the first instance. The council only steps in when it receives a complaint that the landlord has not acted upon.
Analysis by The Observer found local authorities inspected barely half of all private rented homes in 2021/22, where complaints for serious damp and mould had been received. Meanwhile, research polling by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) found almost 40 per cent of private renting tenants who moved last year experienced damp or mould.
(Image: LDRS)
There were 266 complaints made to North East Lincolnshire Council by private-renting tenants about damp and mould in 2019/20 to 2021/22. Inspections were consequently carried out on 135 occasions. Informal or formal enforcement action was taken 190 times by the council.
A council stock modelling exercise in 2019/20 estimated that more than one in four private rented homes in the area’s most deprived wards had damp or mould. A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesperson said: “Tenants should contact their landlord in the first instance if they experience any issues relating to their property as it is the landlord’s responsibility. If the landlord has not carried out any necessary repairs or responded to the request, the tenant should contact the Housing Enforcement Team on (01472) 324727.
“The council would only step in to enforce housing standards in a rented property if it receives a complaint about a rented property that the landlord had not acted on. The home energy team offers advice and support. However, it is the responsibility of the landlord to resolve issues within their property.”
The spokesperson noted condensation was typically the biggest cause of damp in homes. Ways to reduce possible moisture build-up included drying clothes outdoors if possible, and always ventilate or open a window when using the kitchen or bathroom.
If mould develops, tenants and homeowners should carefully remove with a damp cloth and dispose. But not brush mould, as this releases spores into the air.
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Landlords should work to determine the cause, carry out required repairs, and after treatment, redecorate using specialist bathroom of kitchen paint. Where possible, wallpaper should not be used in bathrooms and kitchens. Landlords should also provide mechanical ventilation with a humidity sensor.
“For more advice, contact North East Lincolnshire Council’s Home Energy Team on (01472) 326296, option 5, or energy@nelincs.gov.uk.”
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire Council received 73 specific complaints about damp or mould at private rented homes in 2019/20 to 2021/22. Twenty-seven inspections followed as a result of those complaints, though damp and mould was found in other inspections too.
It carried out formal or informal enforcement action on 53 occasions. As well as the prosecution, three civil enforcement notices were issued to two properties, to a total of £24,544.
Both councils were asked in the government survey to rank factors that impacted how it could handle damp and mould private home reports. Local authority capacity, as in funding and resources, was ranked the most significant challenge by North Lincolnshire.
North East Lincolnshire put issues with collecting evidence as its biggest challenge. “No tenant should have to live in dangerous housing conditions,” said a Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesman to The Mirror. The spokesman highlighted the Renters Reform Bill. This includes the creation of an ombudsman to empower tenants to challenge poor practice.
North Lincolnshire Council were approached for opportunity for comment.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
