A new approach to damp and mould

The first phase of Awaab’s Law has come into effect, and that means that landlords like Connexus have to follow strict timescales when dealing with hazards in the home such as damp and mould.  

Connexus has created a healthy homes team and put in place a new process for dealing with cases of damp and mould. The team will ensure the timescales are met, and customers are kept informed about their damp and mould cases.  

New approach 

When damp or mould is reported the healthy homes team will investigate the report, categorise it as Red or Amber and assign a case coordinator to keep customers updated.  

Red 

If the damp and mould is severe and regarded as an emergency hazard with an immediate risk to health if not dealt with quickly, it will be classified as Red.  

A surveyor will visit the customer’s home within 24 hours and arrange for repairs to be carried out, this may include temporary repair measures or if a repair cannot be carried out, a temporary move will be offered until the repair is complete.  

The surveyor will conduct an inspection of the entire home, and provide a letter which will summarise what the inspection found and the contact details for the case coordinator. This will be sent to the customer within three working days. 

Amber  

If the damp or mould is not an emergency case it will be categorised as Amber and an inspection will be carried out within 10 working days of the problem being reported.  

The case coordinator will send a summary of the inspection within three working days. A damp and mould technician will visit to carry out mould treatments within seven working days and any follow up repairs will be completed within 28 working days 

Regular checks 

Once the work has been carried out, the healthy homes team will be in contact one month, three months, six months and twelve months later to check that the damp or mould has not returned. They will also arrange for a property surveyor to attend to check that the damp or mould work have been successful.  

You can find more advice on how to help prevent damp and mould in your home on our damp and mould page.