Registered providers asked to give assurance on addressing risks
relating to damp and mould in tenants’ homes
Today the Regulator of Social Housing has written to registered
providers of social housing to highlight landlords’
responsibility to take action to protect tenants from hazardous
damp and mould.
Housing association and local authority landlords will need to
submit evidence to the regulator to demonstrate that they have
systems in place to identify and deal with damp and mould issues
in their homes, and that they are addressing risks to their
tenants’ health.
The regulator will review this information and, where there is
evidence that providers are not meeting regulatory standards, it
will take appropriate action.
Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive of RSH, said:
The tragic case of Awaab Ishak has rightly focused attention on
the responsibility of all registered providers to ensure that the
homes they provide are well maintained and of a decent standard.
The case demonstrates the serious effects that having damp and
mould in homes can have on people’s health and highlighted once
again the importance of providers listening to their tenants’
concerns, understanding their diverse needs, removing barriers to
accessing services and responding promptly.
Notes to editors
1 - The regulator has written to all registered providers of
social housing. Providers owning 1,000 homes or more need to
provide evidence of 1) their approach to assessing the extent of
damp and mould issues in their homes, 2) their most recent
assessment of the extent of damp and mould hazards, 3) the action
they are taking to remedy them, and 4) the process they have to
identify and deal promptly with damp and mould cases when they
are raised by tenants.
2 - Providers with fewer than 1,000 homes have been instructed to
inform the regulator immediately if they are not taking action to
remedy damp and mould issues, or do not have a comprehensive
understanding of the extent of potential damp and mould issues in
their homes.
3 - The letters can be found on the regulator’s website.
4 - RSH
periodically writes to all registered providers to highlight
specific issues. This is alongside ongoing regulatory engagement,
for which more information is provided in Regulating the
Standards.
5 - The Regulator of Social Housing promotes a viable, efficient
and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver and
maintain homes of appropriate quality that meet a range of needs.
It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing
on governance, financial viability and value for money that
maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also
sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards
are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment
to tenants or potential tenants.
