Lambeth Council Named Three Times in Housing Ombudsman Damp and Mould Report

Lambeth Council criticised over damp and mould failings 

In one case, Lambeth Council failed to properly inspect a home for five years. The resident had reported water leaking from guttering, which was causing damp and mould inside the property. Nearly a year after the initial report, she reported black and orange mould growing in her home, with other residents in the block said to be experiencing similar issues. 

The Housing Ombudsman found that the council had failed to inspect the resident's home or the wider building properly to identify the root cause. The Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS) is the independent body responsible for resolving disputes between social housing tenants and their landlords in England. It is a free service, and tenants can refer unresolved complaints to it once they have completed their landlord's own complaints process. 

Although repairs had been marked as completed, there was no detail showing what work had actually been done, and the problems continued. A further inspection was eventually arranged around 18 months after the resident first raised a disrepair claim. 

According to the report, the Ombudsman's orders eventually resolved the issues. Lambeth Council also provided the resident with a single point of contact while inspections and repairs were carried out.

Residents left living with mould 

In a second case, Lambeth Council was criticised for failing to deal with damp and mould for nearly a year, despite the resident having respiratory conditions and a young child living in the home. 

The Ombudsman found that the council had failed to address the root causes of the problem, had not created an action plan for the resident, and had not kept her properly updated about works. The council also failed to respond properly to her request to move, despite a surveyor's report finding that the home was not fit for human habitation and recommending she be placed in temporary accommodation while extensive works were carried out. That did not happen until the Housing Ombudsman ordered it. 

As a result of this case, Lambeth Council has reportedly introduced measures to monitor every repair and track action agreed after complaints have been closed. 

Delays, poor complaint responses and missed repair action 

In the third case, a resident was left chasing a mould repair for several months. The Housing Ombudsman found the council did not attempt to install an extractor fan until a year after it had been recommended following an inspection. The Ombudsman also criticised the tone and content of the council's complaint responses, saying they failed to properly acknowledge how long the issues had been ongoing or that the council had been aware of the problems for over a year. 

These three cases show how damp and mould problems can drag on for months or years when repairs are not properly investigated, monitored, or completed. The impact on tenants goes beyond the physical condition of the property. It affects health, belongings, sleep, family life, and a person's basic sense of safety in their own home.

Awaab's Law and why this story matters 

Awaab's Law came into force for the social rented sector in England on 27 October 2025. It is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged mould exposure in his family's Rochdale housing association property. The law requires social landlords to address emergency hazards and significant damp and mould within fixed timeframes. 

The message for tenants is clear: damp and mould should not be dismissed, delayed, or treated as a minor inconvenience, particularly where there are children, elderly residents, or people with respiratory conditions living in the home. 

What are councils' responsibilities to their tenants?  

What rights do social housing tenants have? 

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, landlords, including councils, have a legal obligation to keep their properties in a good state of repair. This covers damp and mould, leaks and water ingress, faulty heating, and any other issue that makes a home unsafe or unfit to live in. 

If repairs have been ignored, delayed, or poorly handled, tenants can make a formal complaint directly to their landlord. If that does not resolve matters, the next step is to escalate to the relevant Ombudsman service. Tenants who want to understand their full legal options, or who feel the complaint route has run its course, may also wish to seek legal advice.