Damp and Mould

The following information is for council tenants. If you are a private tenant please use the form at the bottom of the page to report an issue.

Report an issue

If you have any concerns about damp or mould in your home, please contact us so we can work together to find ways to resolve the issues you are experiencing.

Email: AllianceNorseRepairsHotline@norsegroup.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 030 8666 (9am -5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am - 4.30pm Friday) Out of Hours - Emergency Repairs: 0800 030 8666

You can also report damp and mould online.

Please report all cases of damp and mould in your home, as soon as you notice them. This can assist us to identify the cause sooner.

Once we identify the cause of the damp and mould, we will discuss with you what work needs to be completed and book in the appropriate tradespeople.

If there are significant risks to you or your family's health we will seek to act within 24 hours. If this is not possible, we may need to arrange with you a temporary move to another property whilst the work is carried out.

What we will do

The steps we will take, after you have informed us of damp and mould include:

• Listening to your concerns and taking your report seriously
• Come out to inspect your home to find out what the cause is and what work might be required
• If needed, complete repair work to fix any structural or plumbing issues
• If needed, make improvements to the ventilation in your home (for example, installing extractor fans in your kitchen and bathroom)
• If needed, undertake mould treatment (for example, cleaning affected areas and addressing the cause to prevent reoccurrence)

Awaab's Law

This law is focused on improving living conditions in social housing across the country, particularly focusing on damp and mould hazards initially.

What does this mean for you?

 The new legislation requires us to:

• Address all emergency repairs within 24 hours
• Address damp and mould hazards which present 'a significant risk of harm' within fixed timescales; specifically, we must:
  • Investigate potential hazards (including damp and mould) within 10 working days and provide a written summary within three working days of concluding the investigation.
  • If a hazard poses a significant risk, we must take action within five working days, including making the property safe and starting repairs within a reasonable time.
  • If an emergency hazard is found, we must act within 24 hours.

If a property cannot be made safe within the required timeframe, offer suitable alternative accommodation.

About Damp

There are a number of types of damp such as penetrating, rising and condensation damp.

Penetrating Damp

Penetrating damp is when water from outside enters a property from outside resulting in wet and damp patches forming within a property. Which can be caused by for example:

• Blocked and defective guttering and down spouts
• Leaking pitched and flat roofs
• Missing or defective flashing and flaunching
• Cracks or missing masonry and brickwork

Rising Damp

Rising damp is normally evident as a 'tide mark' on ground floor walls.  This is caused by the drawing up of water from the ground into the property (capillary action).

Condensation Damp

Condensation is water that collects as droplets when humid air is in contact with a cold surface.  Condensation can be evident as wet and damp patches sometimes with the presence of black spots (mould).  Cold surfaces can be:

• Window glass
• Mirrors
• Tiles
• Cold internal walls and ceilings

Condensation damp is the most common form of dampness and can be an all year around issue but at certain times of the year, particularly during the colder months from November through to February, were condensation problems can become much worse.

Condensation tends to be evident within properties that are cold.  It is important that properties are kept warm or at a steady temperature.  Condensation is normally produced from within the property and is often a problem that can be managed by the occupier.

Black mould associated with condensation will normally only grow in the presence of pure water (condensation).

To address the problems of condensation damp in properties please follow the guidance in the attached booklet 'Six Steps to Reducing Condensation and Black Mould Growth'.

Six Steps to Reducing Condensation and Black Mould Growth Leaflet (PDF, 1 MB)

About Mould

Mould is a fungus that can grow on organic matter and reproduces through the production of spores which can impact on health through the inhalation of those spores.

Mould and fungus normally thrive in moist conditions, therefore reducing the moisture or the moisture source in a property can help prevent it from growing.  Ventilation of a property can also help by letting any moisture to escape.  Types of fungus:

• Wet rot
• Dry rot
• Black mould

Private Tenants

If you are a private tenant please use the form below to report damp and mould.