51% of renters have experienced damp or mould in their homes

1^st April 2019 – The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act came into force on 20th March 2019. According to the UK Government, the purpose of this Act is to ensure that rented properties are:

fit for human habitation’, which means that it’s safe, healthy and free from things that could cause you or anyone else in your household serious harm. For example, if your house or flat is too cold and you can’t heat it, this can affect your health.

The Act provides tenants with enhanced rights to take action against landlords who fail to ensure that their properties are ‘fit for human habitation.’

Safeguard Europe wanted to know what proportion of tenants were aware of their new rights and also to find out which building defects they had experienced which might render their home not ‘fit for human habitation.’ Working with leading pollsters, YouGov commissioned a poll of 1154 tenants in the UK who currently rent their home from a private landlord, housing association, or local authority.

With regard to awareness of the new Act, headline figures were as follows

• 65% of respondents were not aware of the new Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
• 42% of respondents would be more likely to complain to their landlord/ housing association about defects in their rented home a result of the new Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

Government guidance related to the new Act highlights a number of problems and defects that can affect rented properties, potentially making them ‘unfit for human habitation.’ YouGov asked the tenants which of these they had experienced in any of the properties that they had rented. The results are shown in the graph below:

The top response was “Damp and Mould” at 51.48%, showing that this continues to be a major issue in the rented sector.

Drilling down into the data, an unexpected observation is that tenants with higher monthly rent bills are more likely to report having suffered from damp and mould:

Those renting from private landlords were more likely to have experienced problems with dampness and mould than those renting from housing associations or local authorities:

% experienced damp and mould by landlord type:

• Renting from private landlord 55%
• Renting from local authority 46%
• Renting from housing association 46%

This may be a reflection of the fact that previous attempts to improve the quality of rented accommodation (Decent Homes Standard, etc…) have tended to focus on housing associations and local authorities rather than the private rented sector.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Safeguard Europe’s Managing Director, Hudson Lambert said:

Although it is disappointing that 65% of tenants are unaware of the new Act, it is still early days as it only came into law a few weeks ago.

Sadly, the fact that damp and mould topped the list of defects affecting rented properties came as little surprise. In many cases, these problems can be easily resolved through early intervention and regular maintenance. However there is a tendency to allow them build up until they become critical, at which point they can be more costly and complicated to resolve.

Go here to find out more.

https://www.safeguardeurope.com/news/edt1-idt2-home-fitness-for-human-habitation-act-yougov-pol

Black mold, Its bad out there at the moment, that is for condensation problems, in your homes, especially when it leads to the black mold problems, fungi growing on the damp walls .behind wardrobes even under your beds, to cure the problem we have to look at good ventilation or insulation, usually both,as cold bridging of the external walls often causes the moisture in the atmosphere to condense on to the walls or ceiling, giving a perfect environment for the Black mould to flourish. Stachybotrys is a genus of molds, hyphomycetes or asexually reproducing, filamentous fungi, now placed in the family Stachybotryaceae. Historically, it was considered closely related to the genus Memnoniella, because the spores are produced in slimy heads rather than in dry chains. The spores are harmful, causing respiratory to young and old.

Even where potential house buyers were prepared to continue with the purchase, a substantial discount would be expected to compensate for the cost of repairing the damp problems. 48 percent of respondents said that they would expect a price reduction with 18 percent expecting a price reduction of 20 percent or more – equating to more than £42,000, based on the June 2016 UK average house price of 213,927.

In areas of the country where property prices are particularly high the effect would be even more dramatic – for example, a 20 percent price reduction would equate to almost £115,000 in inner London where the average house price is £574,915

According to Hudson Lambert, Managing Director of Safeguard Europe, the key message that comes from the survey is “Fix damp before selling”.

We already knew that damp was a big turn off for potential house purchasers. However we were still surprised at the degree to which it affected purchasing decisions.

The fact that so many people appear to be willing to walk away from a house purchase or expect a price reduction of tens of thousands of Pounds would indicate that people’s perception of the cost and difficulty of dealing with damp problems is overblown.

In reality, most damp problems are relatively straightforward to deal with. Product developments such as damp-proofing rods and damp-resistant plaster systems have made the treatment of common forms of dampness easier and more reliable than ever before. Even in extreme cases where dampness is widespread in a property, it is rare for treatment costs to run into the tens of thousands.

For this reason, it would seem that most sellers would be best advised to treat any dampness issues before placing their properties on the market as this will allow them to attract the most buyers and achieve the best price.– Hudson Lambert – Managing Director of Safeguard Europe

Other Findings

• 87% of people would be put off making an offer on a property if it suffered from damp problems. This topped the list ahead of Small Room Sizes (65%).
• 49% of people have experienced damp problems in a property that they have lived in.
• The top 5 damp-related issues that would deter people from putting an offer on a property were Mould & moss growth (76%), Damp patches and salt marks on walls (73%), Warping of timber (68%), Crumbling plaster or render (67%), and possible negative health effects (66%).

Resources

YouGov Data

More than 1250 UK respondants took part in the poll which aimed to find out what people look for when buying a new home. Approximately 60% were homeowners and 40% non-homeowners. The full data from the poll can be downloaded below (YouGov - All). The data is also available filtered into homeowners and non-homeowners.

Safeguard Europe Newsletter March 2015. In this issue: safeguards new certification for Stormdry, Granted 25 Year Certification

Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream is the only BBA Approved Colourless Masonry Water Repellent
The British Board of Agrément, the UK’s foremost body for the testing and certification of construction products and systems, has granted certification to Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream after months of extensive testing. The certificate confirms that a single coat application of Stormdry will be effective for at least 25 years.

Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream is the only colourless masonry water-repellent that has been approved by the BBA. The special testing performed by the BBA took into account the following factors:

25 year durability – Stormdry has been certified as effective for 25 years with a single coat
Water repellency – Stormdry resists the uptake of water into masonry from driving rain
Freeze/Thaw resistance – Stormdry is resistant to the effects of freeze/thaw cycling
UV resistance – Stormdry is resistant to the effects of UV radiation
Condensation risk – Stormdry is breathable and does not increase the risk of condensation

The certificate (cert no. 15/5198) covers not only Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream but also Repointing Additive No.1 and Repointing Additive No.2. The 25 year certification is in line with the performance requirements for insulation under ECO/Green deal, which Stormdry can help to protect.

It is this kind of assured performance and durability that has lead Stormdry to be used by councils, trades people and homeowners alike. No other masonry water repellent offers the same BBA approved performance.

For more information on exactly what is included in the certification, we recommend reading Stomdry’s BBA certificate. To see the BBA approved performance for yourself, ask for a free sample.

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We Know how tough it can be,when moving house or moving into new premises,only to be greeted with some sort of maintenance problem.We intend to make this as painless as possible.

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