Croydon Council has established a new damp and mould taskforce to tackle damp and mould in council and private rented housing, ensuring all residents have warm, safe, dry homes they are proud to live in.
Croydon’s Executive Mayor Jason Perry was updated at Cabinet last Wednesday on how the council has made it quicker and easier for residents to report damp and mould in their properties, utilising dedicated teams.
The taskforce will coordinate the council’s response to damp and mould, and a specialist has been commissioned to provide training to staff, including call centre staff and tenancy officers, to make sure they understand the risks around damp and mould and report these appropriately.
The taskforce is working closely with colleagues across the council, taking a data-led approach to help repairs contractors and tenancy officers identify households and areas at risk of dampness, so they can carry out proactive visits and inspections.
For tenants in the private rented sector, the Private Sector Housing Team help them when damp and mould complaints are raised. The team aims to support landlords and property agents to be proactive in identifying and resolving damp and mould issues, and to take immediate action to resolve the issue.
The council’s actions follow a letter from the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Regulator of Social Housing, requesting assurances from local authorities that damp and mould in council and private rented homes are being properly managed and repaired.
Executive Mayor Jason Perry welcomed the thorough action taken by the new damp and mould taskforce.
“All residents should expect warm, safe and dry homes, well maintained by their landlords whether they are council tenants or renting in the private sector. Damp and mould are serious issues that can impact residents’ health, and in Croydon we are taking a wide range of actions to identify and tackle them as quickly as possible. This is part of my commitment to transform housing services in Croydon for all our residents, and make sure all our tenants and leaseholders are treated with the proper care and respect”.
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
For more information on damp and mould, please visit; https://www.croydon.gov.uk/housing/information-council-tenants/damp-and-mould
Or email our new specialist team; dampandmould@croydon.gov.uk
