Complaints about leaks, damp or mould in housing operated by Ashfield Council

The health impacts of poor-quality social housing have been in the spotlight after a coroner ruled two year-old Awaab Ishak died after prolonged exposure to mould in his flat, which was maintained by a housing association in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The Housing Ombudsman investigates complaints made about social housing providers, such as housing associations, local authorities and housing co-operatives.

A freedom of information request to the ombudsman revealed there were two complaints made about leaks, damp or mould in housing operated by Ashfield Council in the three years to March 2022.

The outcome of both of these complaints was unknown at the time of the request, meaning the ombudsman may still be investigating them.

The figures cover social housing provided by the council, but do not include complaints logged against housing associations and other organisations operating in the area.

A council spokesman said: “The council takes reports of damp and mould very seriously and has a dedicated procedure to follow when issues are reported to ensure a prompt response and resolution.

“In the last three years, the council has had absolutely no complaints upheld by the ombudsman in relation to any part of its housing service, which underlines the fact the housing department successfully addresses all service complaints made to it.

“The death of Awaab is tragic and all householders, regardless of tenure, should be aware of the issues created by damp and mould and should consider how the property is heated, ventilated and any sources of contributory water or condensation, seeking help and advice as required.

“We provide all our tenants with information and advice about damp and mould within their handover pack and tenancy agreement. There is also information on our website along with frequent information leaflets and articles which are contained within our tenant magazine and general correspondence to tenants.”

Across England, there were 5,838 complaints made about leaks, damp and mould in social housing between 2019-20 and 2021-22.

Of these, 3,915 were about properties managed by housing associations, and 1,861 for housing provided by, or on behalf of, local authorities.