Harlow Council to pay tenant £450 over mould in home

The council delay in treating the mould was "excessive", the report said (stock photo)

A council has agreed to pay a housing tenant £450 and send her a written apology over mould in her home.

The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman said Harlow Council was at fault and caused the woman "distress".

A report by the investigator told how the tenant, referred to as Ms X, made an insurance claim because of damage to her clothes due to damp.

The council took an "excessive" amount of time to complete the repairs, the ombudsman said.

'Lifestyle'

The report said Ms X moved into the temporary accommodation in January 2020 and reported issues with mould and dampness in March 2020.

A surveyor noted a "low relative humidity level" and an "acceptable temperature" after an inspection in June, the report said, but recommended a ventilation survey and for someone to remove the mould.

The council concluded the mould and damp was a result of Ms X's lifestyle but "did not ever explicitly say" how this had contributed to the problem.

Council officers struggled to reach Ms X in the following months, the investigator said, although she complained again in the November.

The mould was not treated until after she moved into another property via the council's housing register in mid-February 2021.

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"The council was at fault for its complaint handling," the investigator said.

As well as the compensation and written apology, the council was told to specify in future how a person's lifestyle contributed to mould and to consider "mitigating factors" of why there might be dampness in the first place.

Harlow Council said it had apologised to Mrs X "for the faults highlighted by the ombudsman".

"We agreed with all the actions outlined by the ombudsman and have complied with them," a council spokesperson said.

"This case dates to March 2020 and we have since made several improvements to the way we respond to damp and mould issues within our homes.

"We have introduced a new process for inspecting problems and planning repairs and improvements and this process is regularly reviewed."

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