Damp and Mould Policy

1.1    Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC) aims to provide high quality homes which contribute to sustainable neighbourhoods and communities. We take cases of damp and mould seriously and are taking a zero tolerance approach. To achieve this, we aim to manage reports of damp and mould, or contributing factors (such as condensation) in a proactive way. This may be through the completion of reactive repairs, planned works or in some cases by providing advice and information to customers on measures they can take to help manage damp and mould through changes to the way they use their home.

1.2    The key objectives of this Policy are to comply with relevant legislation (specifically the Landlord and Tenant Act, 1985, Housing Health and Safety Rating System within the Housing Act 2004 and Decent Homes Guidance) and Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

1.3    We have a moral and legal duty to ensure that we:

•    Provide good quality homes, with reference to Section 5 of the Governments Decent Homes Guidance and the standards set by the Regulator for Social Housing (the Regulator)
•    Have an efficient and effective repairs and maintenance service
•    Have a clear and reasoned approach to planned maintenance and repairs to residents’ homes and communal areas that also takes account of future sustainability
•    Establish and maintain good working relationships with residents that are based on trust and that take into account individual needs and financial factors
•    Establish reliable partnerships with other organisations to ensure that any services provided by them on our behalf are effective and good quality
•    Ensure that we achieve ongoing compliance with all applicable legislation
•    Have an effective complaints process where our performance falls below the agreed standard, or the resident’s expectation of what we should do. This will give residents the opportunity to have their voice heard and have their complaint resolved.