Damp and mould

What is condensation and mould?

Condensation happens when moisture in the air meets a cold surface. Condensation in your home can cause serious mould problems. This can harm your health and damage your home.

Mould can grow in any home, on any surface, so if you spot any mould in your home it is important to take early action as it can spread quickly.

The good news is, most mould problems can be fixed quickly. Just find where it is growing and remove it. Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce the condensation that causes it to come back.

Treating the cause of mould

If you don't address the cause, mould will keep coming back. You can reduce mould in your home by managing three key things:

reducing moisture in the air
ventilation
heating

By following the easy steps you can eliminate mould from your home.

Reducing moisture in the air

You can't always prevent adding moisture to the air, like when cooking or washing. Even while sleeping, you breathe out a pint of moisture each night.

There are plenty of simple steps you can take to reduce the amount of moisture:

Laundry

Dry clothes outside where possible, or in a room (preferably the bathroom) with a window open, or extractor fan running, and doors closed. Only use a tumble dryer if it is venting outside or has a condenser.
Avoid blocking radiator heat with wet clothes and washing. It makes a massive difference if you use a clotheshorse or airer.

Kitchen and bathroom

Keep lids on saucepans when cooking and ventilate the room and keep your extractor fan on.
Always run the extractor fan or open a window when showering or cooking, and wipe away any excess water on floors, tiling and worktops
Never use your gas cooker to heat your kitchen as it produces moisture when burning gas.
Run the cold water in the bath first to reduce steam by 90 per cent.

Your home

Dry condensation from your windows and sills each morning. Wring out the cloth rather than leaving it to dry on a radiator.
You can buy condensation channels/sponge strips in DIY shops, which when fitted to windows, collect moisture.
Trickle vents must remain open
Check your house thoroughly for any leaks or cracks that could be bringing excess moisture into the home. If you do find anything, you can report it through MyHome.

Ventilating your home

Ventilation allows air to flow through your home. Condensation builds up when the moisture in the air cannot escape.

Your home

Keep a window ajar where possible, even if just for a little while each day.
Open two windows at the same time on different sides of your home for around 30 minutes. If inside room doors are open at the same time it helps air to circulate.
If possible, place furniture against internal walls not outside ones which are much colder. Try to leave a gap between the wall and furniture to allow air to circulate around.
Leave a gap between the curtains and the wall during the day
Don't add a seal to kitchen and bathroom windows or to windows in rooms that are prone to damp
Don't over-fill cupboards and shelves
Don't overfill your rooms with possessions, furniture and belongings.
Take care to avoid over ventilating your home. Too much cold air coming in will increase your heating costs and cause the temperature in the home to drop and increase condensation. It is all about getting the balance right.

Bathroom and kitchen

When you bath or shower: keep the extractor fan running and the windows shut or open bathroom windows to allow moisture to escape
Make sure window vents are always open
When you cook in the kitchen use your cooker hood or extractor fan if you have one, leaving a window slightly ajar and close doors to the rest of the house.

Heating your home

Heating

Ensure there is proper heating around your home. Insufficient heat can lead to condensation problems.

Use your thermostat to keep heating steady when rooms are in use. Aim for 18-21 degrees Celsius.

Try to find a comfortable setting that will give you the heat you need and does not increase your heating costs.

In rooms that produce a lot of moisture, such as the bathroom or kitchen, having your heating on a constant low temperature can be effective.

Struggling to heat your home?

Having a cold house can make damp and mould worse.We know many of you will worry about winter heating costs and paying your bills.

We don't want you to struggle in silence with the cost of living. We also don't want it to harm your home or health.

Check our guidance saving money

Tips for clearing mould

Do:

Open windows in the room you are cleaning but shut the door.
Wear protective gloves and a face mask, along with old clothes that you do not mind throwing away after removing the mould.
Use a domestic cleaning product or mould remover from a supermarket, DIY store or high street retailer as these are specifically designed to tackle mould. There may be some natural products such as vinegar or baking soda that may help to tackle mould
Carefully follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and safety instructions for any product or mould remover you use.
After clearing the mould, clean and wet wipe all surfaces in the room to remove spores that have spread. Dry any surfaces to remove excess moisture after cleaning.

Do not:

Use a vacuum cleaner on the affected area as this can cause it to spread further by transferring mould spores.
Use bleach as this can sometimes make the situation worse.
Use washing up liquid as it will not be strong enough to do the job.

How to report damp and mould

If you find that none of the tips resolve the damp or mould in your home, it can be reported through our self-service portal MyHome. Damp and mould can occur for various reasons. Please tell us so we can investigate why the issue isn't going away. Check if any repairs can be made and give you advice.

What are we doing to manage damp and mould?

Damp and mould can seriously harm people's health and wellbeing. We are reviewing our position. We plan to improve damp and mould management.

Find your silence

We have increased the ways that residents can report damp and mould, including easier access through MyHome which now has the option to upload photographs.
We are using data from previous stock condition surveys to contact residents.
We are measuring which properties and blocks have the highest number of cases and repeat cases, so that we can form an action plan to inspect and manage those properties.
We are developing our website to ensure it is utilising all accessibility features available.

Proactive communications strategy

We have published a landing page for damp and mould on our website which is easy to find on our home page and provides realistic guidance and advice.
We have updated our existing communications on damp and mould to make them clearer.
We are sharing information in a range of different ways, including new videos and leaflets.
We are planning the best way to co-design information with residents once our policy and approach are finalised.

Treat residents fairly

We hold weekly damp and mould meetings which are focused primarily on our responsibilities as a landlord and what practical solutions we can provide.
All responses to residents are reviewed and approved by senior members of staff.
We are continuing to work on ensuring our process aligns with our safeguarding processes.

Improve record keeping

We are looking back at reports over the last two years to measure the scale of cases.
We have created a dashboard for monitoring.
We have used previous reports of damp and mould to create a severity classification of cases.
We have added this severity classification onto our monitoring system.
We have collected damp and mould records from Tenant Management Organisations.

Know your residents

Our process will include a non-technical assessment where we will try to better understand resident personal circumstances to inform cases.
Where we can't gain access to a property, these cases will be shared with our Neighbourhoods team for further investigation.

Check net zero plans

We are researching into the effects of cavity wall insulation.
We are looking at how we can use the time when properties are empty as an opportunity to do property improvements that combat damp and condensation.

Know your homes

We are improving the use of our stock condition surveys to inform programmes of inspection and property improvements to reduce the possibility of condensation, damp and mould.
We are assessing our technology and options for better diagnosis, monitoring and retrofitting.

Dedicated damp and mould strategy

We are creating comprehensive policies and procedures that capture the full view, from reporting to outcomes.
Our strategy is monitored weekly by Incident Management Team of senior staff.
We have introduced a priority 1 or 2 system based on initial reports and non-technical assessment of severity.
We are writing gap analysis and improvement plan to capture learning and actions from spotlight reports and other best practice.
Our action plan for resourcing arrangements which, once in place, will provide space for us to begin planning for ‘aftercare’.

Empower staff

Ensuring that all our housing officers out and about across the borough are fully aware of the signs of damp and mould and how to ensure it is properly reported.
Equipping officers with updated guidance leaflets to give out to residents.
Ensuring our staff know how to assess priority and aggravating factors in reports.

Use complaints system

We are monitoring complaints received.
We are using these complaints to find key learning/lessons learnt.
These are self-assessed against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.