Feb

Damp and mould remain major issues in temporary accommodation

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Damp and mould remain major issues in temporary accommodation

A third of temporary accommodation is deemed inappropriate and poses a risk to tenants, with more than half showing signs of damp and mould, according to new data.

Findings by Switch Management reveal that, despite Awaab’s Law coming into force last year for social housing, local authorities are still struggling to deal with damp and mould in temporary accommodation, as many continue to rely on bed and breakfast placements.

The findings come amid warnings from housing charities that temporary accommodation has become a “normalised emergency”.

Challenge for many councils is having the capacity and systems in place

Awaab’s Law requires all social housing landlords, including councils that manage housing, to fix dangerous damp and mould within strict timeframes and to complete emergency repairs within 24 hours.

The findings are based on 1,800 calls with tenants living in temporary accommodation, alongside 600 visits to bed and breakfasts and hostels being used as temporary accommodation.

The data shows that 50% of on-site inspections identified signs of damp, mould, infestations or other hazards, while 30% of rooms were deemed inappropriate and posed a risk to tenants.

John Angus, managing director of Switch Management, said many councils are struggling to keep pace with their responsibilities.

He said: “Proactive tenant engagement is now a critical part of compliance, particularly in temporary accommodation, where conditions and tenancies can change rapidly.

“Awaab’s Law sets clear, legally binding expectations around how damp and mould must be identified, recorded and resolved. The challenge for many councils is having the capacity and systems in place to deliver and evidence compliance across large and often complex portfolios.

“Our review highlights that it will be extremely difficult for existing council teams to complete the surveys and visits.”

Temporary accommodation statistics have become normalised

The news comes after housing charities gave evidence to the Housing Select committee on the conditions in temporary accommodation.

Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, claimed the temporary accommodation crisis was becoming a normalised emergency.

He told the committee: “When the records are broken every time new statistics come through, not just for temporary accommodation but children in temporary accommodation, there appears no way of generating greater political expediency through the statistics because they’re normalised.

“The use of temporary accommodation, the conditions of temporary accommodation and the fact that people are having to be advised all the time, unless you put up with it, you’ll be intentionally homeless. It’s very distressing for everybody involved.

Mr Downie says the focus should not be on temporary accommodation alone, as it represents only a part of the wider housing crisis.

He said: “I think it’s something that requires both a sense of political activity and urgency in how it is dealt with.

“It also cannot be thought of simply as an issue of temporary accommodation, because it is a subset of the wider housing crisis we have. If we just think about how to have better temporary accommodation, we’ll lose sight of the bigger picture.”

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