The Property Care Association (PCA), a national trade body of which Rentokil Property Care is a member, is seeking regulatory action to protect homeowners from dangerous levels of damp and mould caused by poor ventilation.
Current legislation around damp and mould
After the tragic death of toddler Awaab Ishak in 2020, and the subsequent investigation that pinpointed exposure to damp and mould in a housing association property as a contributing factor, ‘Awaab’s Law’ was created. This law instructs social housing landlords to comply with set time limits to address dangerous levels of damp and mould.
However, this law is solely focused on the social housing sector and the PCA wants to see a wider focus on ventilation as a solution to damp and mould, and intends to upskill in the industry to help this.
What the PCA have to say about mould and ventilation
Sarah Garry, chief executive of the PCA, said: “There’s a great deal of attention paid to factors such as vehicle emissions on air quality, but we want people to think about their homes too.
“We often hear of people’s lives being blighted by the presence of mould and poor indoor air quality in properties.
“Such conditions can exacerbate respiratory illness, affect mental health, diminish comfort and increase the cost of heating. Sadly, there can even be fatal consequences.”
Garry added: “Effective ventilation has a vital part to play in controlling the issue, but there are too many cases where installations are carried out by well-meaning contractors who simply do not have any understanding of ventilation, or the various regulations and guidance documents.
“This is coupled with few building control checks or enforcement action taken to ensure ventilation is installed that is fit for purpose.
“This has huge repercussions for residents. In 2020, research amongst PCA members revealed that they believed fewer than 30% of installations complied with Building Regulations.
“We hope the catalyst for change will be the new Building Safety Act, which should put greater emphasis on best practice, and require anyone carrying out design, construction and refurbishment work to be competent in their roles.
“However, such is the seriousness of ventilation and indoor air quality that we need to see the issue covered at a national policy level, with an agreed framework and robust reporting structures in place to deliver healthier homes and buildings.
“This will give the public the confidence to know that measures are in place to ensure they have the right ventilation system installed, and ultimately significantly reduce the impact of damp and mould in homes.”
Mark Kirk from Rentokil Property Care says: “I have worked with residential customers, housing associations and landlords for 30 years in helping them to overcome damp and mould issues in their properties.”
“While small practical changes can help in some instances, locating and addressing the root cause such as leaky pipework, blocked drains or inadequate air flow is the key to resolving these issues in the long term.”
New PCA training on ventilation
The PCA is introducing a new Certificated Specialist in Dwelling Ventilation (CSDV) qualification to assist in the delivery of more effective ventilation and air quality management in properties.
This is in addition to other damp remediation qualifications such as Certificated Surveyor of Timber and Dampness in Buildings (CSTDB/CSDB) and Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing (CSSW). As PCA members Rentokil Property Care already encourages and supports our surveyors to achieve these qualifications.
Are you concerned about damp, mould and ventilation in your property?
If you want to find out more about how to deal with damp and a mould problems in your property and how professional ventilation solutions can help, check out our pages on the topic to learn more:
https://www.rentokil.co.uk/damp-proofing/condensation
https://www.rentokil.co.uk/damp-proofing/black-mould
Sources:
https://www.propertywire.com/news/uk/trade-body-calls-for-regulation-on-housing-ventilation
https://www.property-care.org/training-qualifications/courses/damp/specialist-in-dwelling-ventilation/17616
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