Rising costs could leave tenants with damp

The council fears poverty will contribute to situations where people cannot afford to keep warm and pay other bills

The cost-of-living crisis is driving up the number of private rented homes in Wolverhampton with mould and damp, the council says.

A significant increase in complaints last winter - including ones where tenants' health could be affected - has led the authority to increase the risk rating for its housing regulator.

When complaints are made, the council’s environmental health department has powers to force improvements by private landlords.

With winter approaching, the council fears poverty will contribute to situations where people cannot afford to keep warm and pay other bills.

"The cost-of-living crisis has deepened over the past year with the private rented sector hit the worst, private rents have increased dramatically," the risk register stated.

"It is anticipated that the number of poorer families unable to heat their homes and so increase the risk of mould will also increase dramatically."

It said at least 10 complaints highlighted that a child's illness was being exacerbated by exposure to damp and mould, "including some that had received high dependency care".

The risk register said in five cases the private sector worked with the local hospital trust in 2023-24 to find alternative accommodation to five families who needed it due to health issues.

According to research published by the government in February 2023, across the UK, the NHS spends £1.4bn annually treating conditions related to cold or damp housing.

About 900,000 homes had problems with damp according to the English Housing Survey in 2021, with 11% of those in the private rental sector.

In September, the government introduced the Renters Rights Bill which includes the extension of Awaab's Law to the private rented sector.

Awaab’s Law relates to the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from breathing difficulties in 2020 who lived in a mouldy one-bedroom flat in Rochdale.

Under the law, landlords have to investigate complaints within two weeks and have a further seven days to begin repairs. If they fail to do so, a court can order them to pay compensation to tenants.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.