'More resources' needed to tackle mould in private rents, council boss says

Leeds City Council's chief executive said more money and powers were needed to help tackle damp and mould in private rented homes

Local authorities need more resources to help tackle damp and mould in private rented homes, Leeds City Council's chief executive has said.

Tom Riordan said there were currently limits to what the council could do to help private sector tenants, compared to those living in social housing.

Meanwhile, complaints from council tenants in Leeds about mould and damp doubled at the end of last year, a report going before senior councillors has said.

It comes after a coroner ruled the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale was directly linked to his exposure to mould in his parents’ housing association flat in 2020.

Leeds City Council had since introduced a "dedicated fast-response team" to improve response times for its own tenants, the authority's executive board was told on Wednesday.

However, the authority had less scope to intervene in the private sector, members heard.

Mr Riordan said recent changes in housing legislation had been a "step in the right direction", but he added that councillors had to be "realistic".

He said: "We're a huge city. We've got large numbers of private rented homes. We'd like to have more ability and resource to tackle [mould within those homes].

"But, I would make the point we would do more if we had more resources and powers," he said.

Council tenant Leane Thompson said the authority had failed her and her children over mould in her home

The leader of the council's Conservative opposition, Andrew Carter, told the meeting that over the years "we've heard the excuse over and over again that [mould] is due to lifestyles".

"Open some windows and, presumably, you freeze to death," he said.

“It’s not just homes in the council’s care, to be fair. I’m worried greatly about some in the private rented sector," he added.

Leeds City Council was recently accused of serious failings after one of its tenants suffered so badly from untreated damp and mould in his kitchen, he was unable to cook or eat in it for months.

Mr Riordan said the council had "fully accepted" the findings of the Housing Ombudsman and that it had "responded with action" and an apology, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, another Leeds council tenant, Leane Thompson, told BBC Look North the authority had failed her and her three children, two of whom have disabilities, over mould issues in her home.

She said despite the property being aired regularly, there was mould in the bedrooms and the bathroom was so bad she had to take her children to her mother's house nearby to avoid them using it.

"I think it is disgusting how they have treated me and how long it has been like this," Ms Thompson said.

"I'm angry they keep turning up with a tub of paint and they just think that is acceptable - when it's not.

"They need to get to the root of the problem," she added.

Mould in Ms Thompson's bathroom

In response, a spokesperson for Leeds City Council said Ms Thompson's case was a priority.

It said the damp and mould team would carry out an assessment at the property and ensure necessary works were completed.

Mohammed Rafique, the council's executive member for housing, asked people living in private rented accommodation whose homes were affected by damp or mould to "contact us".

He said: "We can take action against landlords and ensure works are carried out."

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