New guide from CIOB and CIH looks at construction causes of damp and mould

A new guide for tackling damp and mould has been published jointly by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

The publication, titled Tackling damp and mould: Professional practice, cultural change and regulation in social housing, sets out legislative changes including Awaab’s Law , which requires social landlords to address hazards within set timescales.

The guide, which builds on previous CIH guidance in 2022, also includes a focus on the construction causes of damp and mould.

It contains practical guidance and a theoretical framework of how to approach damp and mould, providing advice on recognising damp and mould when it is present in a home, problem solving with residents, taking steps to resolve root causes and responding to hazardous situations.

Case studies from across the sector are included, which CIH said provides “examples of innovative solutions and external collaborations that have benefitted towns, tenants, children and families as well as combined authorities and housing associations.”

Eve Blezard, policy lead at CIH, said: “A central part of a landlord’s role is to provide safe homes for residents. Damp and mould are among the issues that can pose a significant risk to residents’ health, and are often symptoms of wider problems in housing, including disrepair, inequality, stigma and systems under pressure. Tackling them well, with professionalism and genuine care for residents, is both a legal requirement and a measure of what kind of sector we want to be.

David Barnes, head of policy and public affairs at CIOB, said: “Maintaining a strong focus on every individual property’s building pathology rather than rolling out one size fits all measures to tackle damp and mould is key. The guide is designed to support professionals who build, retrofit and maintain social housing to better understand building pathology and its place in ensuring measures to address damp and mould issues are impactful and don’t exacerbate problems.

The guide is available here.