The Housing Ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, has written to the Chief Executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, following the coroner’s verdict on the Awaab Ishak inquest.
The Ombudsman has reviewed the current casework about the landlord and instructed his team to expedite three investigations.
For the first time, the investigation team will use a power in the Housing Ombudsman Scheme that enables them to gather any information required including interviews with staff.
He will also be exercising his powers to carry out a further investigation to see if this complaint is indicative of wider failure within the landlord.
Awaab Ishak, aged tw, died of a respiratory condition caused by exposure to the mould in his flat, a coroner ruled. Awaab's father repeatedly raised the issue with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) but no action was ever taken.
Coroner Joanne Kearsley said RBH were not "proactive" and asked: "How in the UK in 2020 does a two-year-old child die as a result of exposure to mould?"
Following the inquest Housing Secretary Michael Gove made a statement in the House of Commons and said new legislation would hold landlords to account.
"The time for empty promises of improvement is over," he said. "My department will now name and shame those who have been found by the regulator to have breached consumer standards or who have been found by the ombudsman to have committed severe maladministration."
Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) said: "The loss of a young life linked to poor quality social housing is completely unacceptable. Everyone should be able to live in a safe and decent home and to be listened to when they raise a concern.
"As the professional body for housing, we work to promote the highest professional standards and acknowledge the many challenges and lessons that this tragic case has raised. We want to do all we can to support people who live and work in social housing.”
The Property Care Association says that its 400-plus members are seeing a significant rise in problems with excess moisture in properties across the UK.
According to the trade body, ventilation is critically important to tackle problems emerging in a new generation of humid homes, but it says the current system is failing to tackle the issue.
Steve Hodgson, chief executive of the Property Care Association, said: “Stories in the media continue to highlight the issues of damp and mould in the home, most recently the tragic case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who, a coroner concluded, died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home.
“While this is a rare, tragic case, the presence of damp and mould in homes is a common and growing problem across the UK with implications for the health of homeowners and tenants, which potentially affects both its fabric and the comfort and wellbeing of occupants if left unchecked.
“A number of factors are contributing to the rising trend, predominately linked with modern living.
“These include increased levels of occupation and rising fuel costs, as well as a drive to make homes more energy efficient.
“Efforts to reduce air leakage through draught proofing and retrofit insulation, as well as the changing climate patterns - featuring warmer, wetter weather – are also of significance.
“We believe the frequency of problems associated with damp and mould from indoor air is only set to get worse, with unseen and as yet underestimated problems being created due to these new pressures on properties.
“Key to addressing the issue is the installation of appropriate and efficient ventilation.
“However, despite the impact that good ventilation can have on a property’s moisture levels, the current regulation and guidance setting out minimum requirements in homes is mixed and usually ignored or misunderstood.
“This needs addressing as a priority, as a great many of the problems faced could be improved through the correct use of appropriate ventilation strategies.”
Of concern to the PCA is the current format of Approved Document F, the Building Regulation which addresses ventilation in homes.
James Berry, the PCA’s Technical Manager added: “Approved Document F does not get the attention it deserves and is not enforced to the same extent as other areas of the Building Regulations, but the effects of failing to provide adequate ventilation should be taken much more seriously.
“We conducted a poll during a recent webinar on ventilation and over 72 percent of the delegates believed less than 30 percent of installs in new builds complied with building regulations.
“It is our belief that unfortunately the situation is much worse in our existing buildings so, if we are struggling to get this right in new builds, we need to question where the infrastructure is in place to ensure quality and compliance across our existing housing stock.
“The scale of the problem of poorly ventilated houses is potentially hugely significant.
“This was one of the core reasons we set up our Residential Ventilation Group to promote greater compliance with Building Regulations when installing ventilation systems.
“Over the years the Residential Ventilation Group has pressed for more robust Building Regulations to tackle the issue and will continue to make the case for these changes to be made.”
