Citizens Advice has released shock figures claiming that almost half of private renters are living with damp, mould or excessive cold – even in summer.
Their survey found that 45% of tenants had at least one of those issues. Furthermore, 48% of the affected tenants had lived with their issue for more than a year.
According to the charity’s chief executive, Dame Claire Moriarty, “A warm, safe home, free of damp and mould, should be a fundamental right. Yet private renters are paying through the roof for increasingly decrepit housing”.
She also called on the government to improve the condition of privately rented houses, ban Section 21 evictions and tackle rising rents.
Is damp rising?
The Citizen’s Advice survey finds a massive problem with damp and mould in the private rented sector, but it’s significantly out of step with other private rented sector surveys.
For example, the most recent English Housing Survey’s housing quality and condition report found that 21% of households renting privately live in a home that doesn’t meet the Decent Homes Standard. Some 12% had a Category 1 hazard (which can include excessive cold and severe damp or mould), and 10% had damp. While that still points to a widespread issue, it is less than half of the number that Citizens Advice reported.
A 2023 assessment by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government estimated that 3.6% of privately rented homes contained a Category 1 damp or mould hazard. However, all data gathered was based on estimates by local authorities, so it was not possible to determine how many households suffer from less severe damp or mould.
Nevertheless, help could be on the way for tenants who suffer from damp or mould in their homes – no matter how many of them there are. The government has pledged to extend Awaab’s Law from the social housing sector to the private rented sector, requiring landlords and their agents to address mould and damp within 24 hours of being notified. This is expected to be included in the Renters Rights Bill later this year.
The move to bring properties up to EPC C by 2030 could also help those tenants affected by excessive cold to heat their homes more cheaply – although that plan isn’t without its downsides.
Landlords and their agents need to stay vigilant for damp and mould in their properties. Government guidance issued last year made it clear that tenant lifestyles shouldn’t be blamed, and this opinion is likely to be backed by incoming rental reform laws. Maintaining open communication with tenants and responding to maintenance requests quickly will help property professionals provide healthy homes and stay on the right side of the law.
Other tenant headlines
Report shows 11% of tenants paying 60% of their income as rent – LandlordZONE
Tenants skip holidays because of high rent – agency boss – Landlord Today
Trio jailed for kidnapping purported landlord at knife-point – Property Industry Eye
