Resident left with damp and mould for 28 months

The council said it was sorry for the "distress and inconvenience caused" to the home (not pictured)

A council left a tenant living in a damp and mouldy home during a 28-month "cycle of inspections and delays", an investigation found.

Slough Borough Council left those inspections incomplete and despite knowing that the property's windows caused the damp and mould, it failed to replace them, the Housing Ombudsman (HO) found.

The resident told the HO one of their children suffered frequent asthma attacks and that they were bullied at school because their clothes smelled of damp. The council did not respond at that time.

A council spokesperson said it was sorry for the delays and for the "distress and inconvenience caused".

The HO said the authority had not shown "any urgency in resolving the problem" and, at least 14 months into the issues, "did not explain why it had not completed any repairs".

The council completed some repairs but the damp and mould problem remained, the ombudsman added.

"The resident said he did not want to report further issues because he was made to feel at fault," it said.

"This reluctance to make further reports shows a loss in confidence in the landlord and a further breakdown of the relationship."

It was included in a report of similar cases that it said "reinforces the need for Awaab's Law."

Landlords are now compelled to investigate and fix damp and mould in social housing in England within strict timescales as a result of the new legislation.

Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from mould exposure at his Rochdale home in 2020.

The HO was told as part of other investigations that a resident had thrown away two beds because they were covered in mould, while water ran down a child's bedroom wall when it rained.

"Too often in these cases important touch points between landlord and resident are lost," it said.

"This poor communication can extend to not telling residents when operatives will visit. In some cases, the landlord closes the case because they have been unable to gain access, leaving a potential hazard unresolved. This is alarming practice."

The council spokesperson added: "We accept the findings in the Ombudsman's report and have sent a written apology and paid the required amount of compensation.

"We are sorry it got to this stage, and we have ensured all relevant works have taken place now.

"We have learned from this and have more robust timescales in place to address ongoing damp and mould issues."