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Damp and mould, should become the next strict incarnation of holding housing CEOs to account, like we do in the UK over violations of LGSRs, annual gas servicing – Unlimited fines and prison sentences ?
Based on the level of interaction I have from a lot of my Twitter/X followers who are residents & tenants, a lot of those would be fully behind that type of move. For sure there are quite a few repeat offenders out there that have made for great BBC & Channel4 investigations. Looking in, it looks like quite a mess.
Based on clients I have been working with over the last 18 months, looking out from within, a lot is being done to identify, manage, communicate and improve damp and mould issues. Residents I engage with often would cite their own landlords & RSLs/RPs etc as seemingly doing very little when I mention this. Maybe I have a more optimistic glass half full view on this, as clients working with me are always looking to improve their service and systems, generally putting quality of solutions above raw cost to do things better.
‘Buy cheap, buy twice’ as is often said. Tackling damp and mould needs a focussed approach and I believe cannot be done on the cheap. However, done right it improves health and home conditions of residents and longer term protects landlord assets. Benefits for all then if done right!
So what am I seeing ‘Done Right’ looking right then? Well I am currently working with a mixture of providers, some lucky enough to be developing too. Good modern construction can provide good benefits around water tightness as well as applying improvements in modern building M&E systems for efficient ventilation while retaining much of the heat that might be traditionally lost.
This is a crucial point as the move from the 1980s to the 2000s, use of central heating, double glazing planned works etc with limited ventilation provision, has created some of the challenges residents in some historic building architypes face now, many of which were less of an issue originally. Also, in a transition to a warming planet our storms are getting wetter, heavier and windier. Thus meaning that more attention is needed on preventative maintenance of gutters, roofs and rainwater goods than we ever needed previously.
So what do good systems and processes look like in a proactive landlord, with modern integrated housing solutions ?
Well start with an efficient CRM or self-service means of logging all resident interactions about damp, mould, leaks etc. Any that become responsive repairs should start with a dedicated void inspection and checklist, including captured images. A dedicated mobile form to capture details directly and automatically tag/file against calls/property/repair WOs adds efficiency. If a new repair damp issue is logged, can we easily tell if this has occurred at the same home before, over the last 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months? Any repeat issues would obviously warrant additional consideration (you might expect).
An asset management module or third party solution that can correctly relate a residents home to its siblings or other properties in a block is exceptionally useful. IE if flat 14 logs a leak coming from above, have we data as to what number flats are actually above, or is the roof overhead? On what side of the building roof is the flat? Where warranted, this incident should also trigger a HHSRS failure until rectified. How easy it to record the need for cyclical gutter cleaning in your asset management solution and get some regular visits scheduled in? Better in your system than rows on a spreadsheet OBVs.
IOT (Internet Of Things) monitoring using remote sensing data loggers, left in homes for a period of a few weeks to a few months if necessary, can be convenient and economic. These are capable of recording temperature, humidity and calculate the dew point, typically required for faster mould growth. There is also potential also to check to see if any of the data from a home is most likely due to fuel poverty etc. Adding single Room Heat Recovery units (SRHRU’s) which have evolved to be quite small and low wattage, can be really useful in historic properties. Stale air is extracted while holding around 70% to 80% of the heat. Keeping humidity below about 60% is sufficient to restrict development of mould colonies.
Good case management (from the likes of a dedicated module, D365 or Salesforce CRM etc) is an essential means of setting up a complete template process. Functions available in other case management processes, such as disrepair, ASB, complaints/complements etc are right for use here. IE automation for communication, capturing details, meetings, interventions, logical and concise timeline, outcome satisfaction surveys, lessons learned etc.
Increasingly I have worked with landlords trying hard to leverage the systems they have and also helping to better acquire additional functionality to improve or fill in the gaps. It all helps and is especially important through these winter months, when increased rainfall and cold conditions create additional stresses.
I hope there are a few useful takeaways here. Anyone out there who needs any help, just call or email. Merry Christmas and a best wishes for an exciting New Year to all 🎅🎄
Related Post: Do you use partnering contractors? - Do you let them mark their own homework
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Chumbawamba – Drip, Drip, Drip.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009
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