Urgent action required as nearly half of PRS blighted by damp and mould
Shock figures from Citizens Advice reveal that although Awaab’s law has transformed the social sector, private rental homes still have major mould issues.
Nearly half (45%) of private renters in England are currently dealing with damp, mould, or excessive cold in their homes, Citizens Advice’s figures show.
And around half of these renters (48%) have to live with these disrepair issues for over a year, says damp and mould remediation specialists, Allerton Damp.
In addition, the firm says, the Government’s English Private Landlord Survey has revealed 26% of private landlords identified damp or mould in at least one of their properties in the past year, while 18% reported tenant complaints about these issues.
Eviction fears
But this could understate the true scale of the problem, as many tenants are reluctant to report damp or mould, fearing eviction or rent retaliation.
Currently, private landlords in England are not yet covered by Awaab’s Law, with no fixed date for its implementation in the PRS, leaving tenants exposed to potentially hazardous living conditions for weeks or even months.
Allerton Damp wants the landmark legislation to be urgently extended to private landlords so that they are forced to address serious damp and mould within 14 days.
While the Awaab Effect transformed social housing, private tenants remain vulnerable.”
An expert spokesperson at the firm says: “While the Awaab Effect transformed social housing, private tenants remain vulnerable.”
“Introducing clear timescales for private landlords could prevent countless health issues and dramatically improve living conditions nationwide.”
And Allerton Damp is now calling for the introduction of legal deadlines for private landlords to investigate and remediate damp and mould. It also wants the Government to explore enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance, including potential fines or sanctions, as well as an assessment of the public health and social equity impact of bringing private rentals in line with social housing standards.
Can the Negotiator publish the source ( with references – links to Citizens advice claims, and that of Allerton damp, as they are potentially libelous.
Here we go those evil private landlords are at it again. Nearly half the PRS blighted by damp and mould. That is 50% of our lettings portfolio blighted by damp and mould. It isn’t unusual a tenant will complain they are experiencing damp when it is black mould caused by condensation from inadequate heating and ventilation. Our council has a leaflet that explains very clearly what damp is and what condensation is and what the tenant needs to do to prevent condensation. Damp occurs from water ingress , rising damp, blocked gutter, leaking pipe. 50% of landlords do not experience damp problems and those who do most (all of our landlords) will want to put in place the necessary repair. Where do these neo communists get their statistics from – they are the danger to the PRS!