Council spends £1.2m dealing with damp and mould

Landlords must now make improvements within a strict time limit

City of Wolverhampton Council has spent £1.2m dealing with damp and mould in its properties over the last 12 months, new figures have revealed.

The authority received 218 complaints from tenants about damp and mould in that period, according to figures obtained through a freedom of information request by law firm Legal Expert.

Living in mouldy properties can cause respiratory illnesses, allergies and asthma, and can sometimes be fatal.

Because of an increase in public awareness on the issue in recent years, the council said it had seen a higher number of requests from tenants.

In October, the council said it feared the cost-of-living crisis was driving up the number of private rented homes in the city with mould and damp.

The authority said it took all reports of damp, mould and condensation (DMC) extremely seriously and made "no apology for being proactive" and committing additional resources to make improvements.

It said the majority of concerns raised were typically around windows, bathroom seals, grouting which could often be easily removed and it was happy to take action to stop any escalation.

"We do everything we can to look after the health and wellbeing of our residents and make it a priority to address reports of DMC promptly," a spokesperson said.

The authority said it welcomed the increase in public awareness as it would help prevent more serious cases.

Due to collecting data differently prior to November 2022, the council said it could not give previous figures for comparison in numbers of cases.

In 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died as a result of the mould in his home in Rochdale which prompted "Awaab's Law", introduced through a new renters' rights bill, which forces social and private landlords to make improvements within a strict time limit.