Damp and Mould - CHISEL Housing

Download PDF version of Damp and Mould Policy and Procedure – 2024

Policy Statement

CHISEL have made the following policy statement in relation to damp and mould. We will…

Comply with recommendations found in the Housing Ombudsman Spotlight report on damp and mould 2021.
Ensure we have an effective approach to damp and mould in the homes we own and manage. To reduce such cases so that residents can have warm dry and healthy homes.
Understand the distress that damp and mould can have on residents and deal with reports in a non-judgemental, supportive and empathetic way.
Establish a clear and transparent framework on our approach to diagnose and use of independent expertise including timescales, effective communication, appropriate mitigations and after care.
Take a holistic approach that recognises that, particularly during the cost of living and fuel cost crises, financial hardship is a risk factor in the development of damp and mould due to factors such as heating the home, overcrowding, and reduced use of electrical ventilation systems.
Empower residents to effectively manage condensation in the home through clear and practical advice, such as leaflets.
Reduce damp and mould to protect the fabric of buildings as part of our approach to asset management and ensure that stock improvement works do not result in unintended consequences that would increase the risk of damp.

The procedure ensures the delivery of CHISEL’s policy statement.

This procedure applies to all properties owned and managed by CHISEL.
This procedure provides guidance on the legislative/contractual requirements for CHISEL and the process to be followed to ensure compliance with those requirements.

Responsibilities

Responsibility for compliance with this procedure is held by the Head of Property Services.

Operational implementation of the damp and mould process, system and response is held by the Head of Property Services.
The Head of Property Services will be responsible for ensuring timescales are met and building related issues effectively addressed.
The Neighbourhood Manager will coordinate the Housing Management response where tenancy or support issues have been identified.

Key Considerations

Addressing damp and mould is a key compliance task for any housing organisation. Being proactive on this issue supports the delivery of our mission statement: -

‘CHISEL wants its residents to live in homes to be proud of’.’

Damp and mould can be an indicator of structural issues within a property.
CHISEL will ensure that support is offered to residents to enable them to take action to reduce the moisture content in their home.

Procedure

CHISEL’s Damp and Mould Procedure consists of eight key steps.

Notification by a resident of damp and mould being prevalent in their home and/or damp and mould being identified by a contractor, or managing co-op like Three Boroughs, Dryads or Flamenco.
An initial triage and general advice to the resident to enable them to address the issue themselves – if it is in the bathroom/kitchen or around the window reveals.
Inspection by the Head of Property Services or specialist contractor if the Head of Property Services feels expertise is needed to establish work required to address the issue and stop/minimise further issues arising.
Referral to the Neighbourhood Manager if the issue cannot be addressed through repairs and property improvement work.
Follow up inspection to monitor actions taken above to ensure that these actions/the resident has addressed the issue.
A register of damp and mould problems will be kept and updated by the Head of Property Services.
Timescales- an appointment to visit to inspect mould and damp must be made within 14 days of receiving a report or notification. Letter must be sent within two working days of this visit. Any repair work is to be completed within 7 working days, if this is not possible the reasons for this should be documented and placed on the property file.
Progress against each step is tracked by the Maintenance Surveyor.
Properties where follow up action is required is also tracked to ensure these properties are reviewed and monitored over time.
Access MUST be gained to address issues identified before they escalate. Legal action may need to be considered if access is an issue.

Void Inspections

A Void property will be inspected thoroughly for signs of damp and mould.

Minor signs of mould will be chemically cleaned.
Signs of damp will be investigated and addressed during the void process.
Where there are serious incidents of mould identified a Consultant Damp and Mould Surveyor will be asked to investigate and make recommendations to tackle the issues identified.

Reporting and Performance Monitoring

The Head of Property Services will provide a quarterly report to the Board that provides the following information:

Number of reports of damp and mould within the quarter.
Total number of damp and mould cases open.
Number of properties being monitored due to concerns.
Number of days taken to close a damp and mould case by property.

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