Your home is your kingdom and your place of solace. It is where you feel safest. It is where you retreat to in hard times and where you can feel the most comfort. We work hard to maintain our home as a sanctuary away from the harsh realities of the modern world, but when those realities start to impact on our home as well, this can be an effect we find very hard to manage. A challenging example of this is the development of housing disrepair issues, particularly in the rental sector in housing provided by local authorities and housing associations, and mould and damp are one of the most common causes of housing disrepair.

The physical health effects of mould and damp

Mould and damp is caused by poor ventilation and an imbalance in temperatures. You may notice condensation forming on windows in the winter, when warm bodies are sleeping in a room at night. This can lead to mould and damp, which starts to eat into wooden window frames and can form unsightly patches around doors and windows and on walls and in corners. Mould is a type of fungus that grows in damp places, it produces airborne spores that can have a damaging health effect.

In terms of physical health, mould and damp can cause breathing issues. It may make you cough, wheeze and have a shortness of breath, and it may prompt symptoms of asthma or bronchitis. These spores and allergens can also produce an allergic reaction, so you may start sneezing and have a runny nose and itchy eyes. In extreme cases you may develop a skin rash or symptoms of eczema. These physical effects of mould and damp are very common and very visible, but the effects we sometimes don’t see with this type of housing disrepair, is the impact on our mental health.

How mould and damp can affect our mental health

Mould and damp are one of the most common causes of disrepair issues in rented accommodation. Often they are caused by people drying washing inside, or because ventilation systems are broken, or because windows won’t open properly. A flow of fresh air is good for air quality and our general health, but it will also prevent mould and damp forming. Importantly, however, this kind of disrepair issue can start to have deeper health impacts which are harder to identify both in ourselves, and in other people. A report issued by Shelter found that one in five adults in the last five years have developed mental health problems linked to a housing problem.

• Depression – Stress and anxiety that your home is no longer the welcome sanctuary it was. You can develop low moods because you no longer find the same comfort from your home, and you can’t find this comfort anywhere else.

• Control – You feel powerless to prevent the issue developing, and even if you have reported the issue to your landlord, it has not been resolved or is taking too long to resolve. It feels like there is no help out there for you.

• Social isolation – You don’t want to invite people round to your home because of the unsightly damp and mould, and the smell, and you feel like you can’t escape the problem. This can start to disconnect you from important people in your life.

• Relationships – The problem and the change in moods it is causing can start to raise tensions and can start to impact on your relationships, with a partner and/or with your children.

• Sleep – The disrepair issue can start to impact on your sleep quality which has various other effects on your physical and mental health.

• Air quality – Mould and damp will affect air quality, and having a good source of fresh air is important for mood, vitality and energy.

• Frustration – Fighting a disrepair issue can be emotionally draining. It can feel like a constant battle that you aren’t winning and this can be a cause of huge frustration, which can manifest itself in declining moods and mental health.

What to do if you have mould and damp in your rental property

If you are renting a property from a local authority or housing association, your landlord has a legal duty to provide a safe and comfortable home. This will be written into your tenancy agreement. Therefore, if you discover mould and damp in your home it is important that you report it directly to your landlord straight away. Ignoring the problem will only lead to it getting worse, which could create unbearable living conditions and even structural issues with the property.

Your landlord has a responsibility to carry out repairs which deal with the root cause of the mould and damp. This could be window repairs, sealing cracks or fixing ventilation systems. If they don’t carry out these repairs after a reasonable period of time, you are not alone and you do have a right to make a housing disrepair claim.

At Sparrowhawk Legal we passionately believe that all local authority and housing association tenants have a right to live in a safe and comfortable home, and we will fight on your behalf to make sure this is the case. Our team of legal experts can assess your case to ensure you have a valid claim, and can make sure that suitable repairs are carried out to restore your home and make it the welcoming kingdom you need it to be. We can also seek suitable compensation to recover any costs you have paid. If you start a claim with Sparrowhawk Legal today, we can support you on the journey to repairing your home, providing you with the safety and comfort you need and ultimately restoring your mental health. So contact our friendly and compassionate team at Sparrowhawk Legal today.