Generation Rent claims 14% of private rented homes have dangerous mould

Generation Rent, the tenants’ activist group, says that plans for ‘Awaab’s Law’ to clamp down on poor living conditions in social housing should be extended to the private sector.

The organisation says it has used Freedom of Information requests to ask 115 councils in England – representing 64% of the private tenant population – about their enforcement of housing standards.

These include mould, damp and severe Category 1 hazards – that is a hazard that possess an immediate risk to someone’s health.

They say that 65 councils replied to say they’d had 60,849 complaints about rented housing standards, including 8,048 complaints about damp and mould (13%).

Scale of complaints is reason enough to end section 21 evictions

Generation Rent says that the scale of complaints is reason enough to end section 21 evictions which ‘can discourage tenants from complaining about problems like mould’.

The data shows that when councils found unsafe conditions in a rented home, they took action to protect the tenant from retaliatory eviction in 24% of cases.

The councils with the highest rate of complaints about mould and damp were Wolverhampton (69% of all complaints), Salford (60%) and Swindon (50%).

The 69 councils which reported a breakdown of hazards had found 7,695 Category 1 hazards in rented homes, including 1,106 cases of damp and mould (14%).

Councils where mould and damp was the largest type of hazard

The councils where mould and damp was the largest type of hazard were Bath (70% of hazards found), and the London Boroughs of Greenwich (58%) and Brent (44%).

Generation Rent says that when councils find Category 1 hazards, they are supposed to issue an improvement notice to the landlord to protect tenants from a retaliatory Section 21 eviction.

This also enables them to claim back rent if their landlord fails to fix the problem.

But while 81 councils identified a total of 9,033 Category 1 hazards, they issued just 2,179 improvement notices, meaning that private tenants have a 24% chance of getting formal protection.

‘Renters shouldn’t have to risk their lives’

The organisation says this is a ‘shocking statistic’ and that ‘Renters shouldn’t have to risk their lives simply to keep a roof over their heads.’

It also warns that the figures ‘should not be surprising’ because the English Housing Survey found that 11% of private rented homes had a damp problem.

In owner-occupied homes, the figure is 2%, while in social housing it is 4%.

‘Extending Awaab’s Law to the private sector’

A spokesperson said: “That’s why we are calling on the government to go further by extending Awaab’s Law to the private sector and give private renters the safety and security they deserve.

“Too many renters are living in homes with dangerous levels of damp and mould, which can cause respiratory diseases and damage personal possessions.

“The government needs to take the issue of mould and damp in privately rented homes far more seriously.”

They added: “Landlords, whether they are huge housing associations, or an individual letting out their former home, have one job: to provide their tenants with a safe home.

“Too many try to dodge their responsibilities by blaming tenants or serving a no-fault eviction notice.

“Without action to protect tenants in their homes and hold landlords in both sectors accountable for the safety of their properties, thousands of people will continue to live in homes that are making them ill.”

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