North Tyneside Council signs off on new damp, mould, and condensation policy in its homes
by Austen Shakespeare · ChronicleLiveNorth Tyneside Council chiefs have approved a new condensation, damp and mould policy across the authority's 14,000 homes.
On Monday night, North Tyneside Council's cabinet signed off a new policy to help keep its homes safe and free from moisture-related problems. The policy states that reports of damp, mould and condensation will be responded to in a "timely manner" and the creation of a "robust" database to log moisture risks to properties.
The council has also pledged to ensure that tenants' possessions are "adequately" protected if it has not been possible to remove them from the repair area. In addition, tenants can be offered temporary accommodation where it is not possible for the occupants to remain in the house during the repair work.
The council's newly adopted policy will also help tenants who are willing to receive additional support, ranging from health related issues, debt management, and how to increase household income. All staff required to visit tenants' homes as part of their role will receive training on how to spot the signs of condensation, mould and damp and the steps to take.
Last year, North Tyneside Council also created a team dedicated to tackle moisture problems and introduced a video system which allows callers to use device cameras to show council workers their complaints.
According to North Tyneside Council, this measure has allowed the council to identify 65% of issues quickly over the phone and cut off the need for an initial inspection to see what kind of work or treatment is required. This also means that any work that is needed can be resolved on the first visit.
Coun John Harrison, cabinet member with responsibility for housing, said: “Up and down the country, people are concerned about condensation, mould and damp and it’s up to us, as social landlords, to take steps to support them and take action where appropriate. We take these responsibilities very seriously and even prior to these new policies being introduced, we had already introduced new ways of working to make sure we were providing the best response possible for our residents.
“We’ve got a strong track record when it comes to managing repairs, and the introduction of this new policy, as well as refreshing our existing repairs and maintenance policy, will help support this further.”
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