How to set up your damp and mould team: A guide for social housing providers

At Made Tech Housing, we’ve seen firsthand how the rise in damp and mould cases—driven by ageing UK housing stock and seasonal weather patterns—has placed unprecedented pressure on social housing providers. 

Coupled with the first year of Awaab’s Law, there is no room for inefficiencies or delays. 

Providers must adopt robust processes that address tenant needs, streamline operations, and ensure compliance.

This guide draws on our experience working with providers across the sector, insights from user-centred design, and the latest government guidelines (source) to suggest ways to set up and more effectively operate a dedicated damp and mould team. This advice could also be applied to repairs teams who are no doubt facing similar challenges.

By implementing these solutions, your damp and mould team can move from reactive firefighting to proactive, efficient operations that safeguard tenant health increase satisfaction and comply with regulations.

Contents

• The challenge
• Why getting it right matters
• What housing providers are doing now
• The solution
• Capture the right information
• Automate manual processes
• Integrate Mould Inspectors into schedulers
• Prioritise follow-ups and case management
• The future of damp and mould

The challenge: Increasing cases and changing regulations

The UK’s housing stock is among the oldest in Europe, with 38% of homes built before 1946 and only 7% constructed after 2000 (Source). This ageing infrastructure, coupled with inadequate maintenance and energy efficiency measures, creates the perfect conditions for damp and mould. 

The health risks associated with damp and mould are significant. Exposure can worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma, particularly affecting children and vulnerable individuals. These risks are particularly concerning in the social housing sector, where residents may have fewer resources to mitigate the impact of poor housing conditions. 

For housing providers, the consequences of not addressing these issues go beyond health—tenant satisfaction, compliance, and reputation are all on the line.

As the weather changes and damp and mould reports spike, social housing providers must be prepared to respond swiftly and efficiently. A proactive approach is no longer optional; it’s essential for compliance with Awaab’s Law and for ensuring tenants live in safe and healthy homes.

Why getting it right matters

The first year of Awaab’s Law is critical. The Housing Ombudsman has made it clear that non-compliance won’t be tolerated, encouraging tenants to report providers who fail to act (source). 

Beyond compliance, the reputational and financial risks of special measures or fines can jeopardise long-term operational viability.

A well-organised damp and mould team isn’t just about avoiding penalties; it’s about building trust with tenants by addressing issues effectively and improving their living conditions.

What housing providers are doing now

Some providers are taking proactive steps by setting up dedicated damp and mould teams. However, these teams often face operational hurdles, including:

• Missing case details: As a result of not asking the right questions or offering guidance on the types of information tenants should provide. 
• Manual data entry: Double-keying tenant-submitted information taking away from higher-value activities like triaging and prioritising cases.
• Missing household data: Health conditions are essential data points a housing provider needs to ensure risk is accurately assessed and cases are prioritised accordingly. This was a key failure in the Grenfell tragedy. (Source)
• Inefficient scheduling: Mould inspectors excluded from automated repair schedulers, leading to delays and manual workload.

These inefficiencies impact the number of repairs that can be completed and put providers at risk of failing to meet the repair timelines mandated by Awaab’s Law.

The solution: Setting up an efficient damp and mould team

At Made Tech Housing, we’ve partnered with social housing providers to solve complex operational challenges through user-centred design and cutting-edge technology. Our guidance is informed by government regulations, customer insights, and proven practices that drive efficiency and compliance.

Here’s how you can set up an effective damp and mould team, or improve your current case management processes within your repairs team. 

1. Capture the right information

What teams are doing now:
Providers often rely on tenant webforms to capture limited details about damp and mould issues. These forms rarely prompt tenants for critical information, such as the health status of household members or the scale of the problem. Without this context, triage teams struggle to prioritise cases effectively, leading to delays in addressing high-severity incidents.

Why this isn’t effective:
Incomplete data prevents repair teams from preparing adequately. In some cases, tenants are asked to repeat their information multiple times, eroding trust and delaying resolutions.

What you should do:
Ensure tenant reporting systems collect detailed, actionable data:

• How and when the issue started.
• The perceived cause and any attempted treatments.
• Photos or videos showing the damage.
• Health information for prioritising vulnerable households.

Additionally, adopt user-friendly reporting methods. For instance, asking one question per page with clear hint text ensures tenants provide accurate and complete answers.

By capturing this data upfront, you can streamline triaging and ensure the right resources are allocated to each case.

2. Automate manual processes

What teams are doing now:
Many teams rely on manual processing and data entry, re-entering tenant information from web forms into other systems. This double-keying is time-consuming and takes focus away from critical activities like follow-ups and prioritising severe cases.

We’ve also seen cases where teams aren’t notified about new, incoming reports – particularly where the provider is using a web form. This adds a delay in the triage and response time, meaning some reports slip through the cracks. 

Why this isn’t effective:
Manual data entry increases the risk of errors, slow down responses, and place unnecessary administrative burdens on repair teams.

What you should do:
Adjust your current processes or adopt a platform like Made Tech Housing’s Damp and Mould module, which:

• Flags incoming reports, including priority cases so these can be addressed first
• Captures tenant data seamlessly and transfers it into other housing management and repairs systems
• Eliminates manual scheduling and double-keying
• Frees teams to focus on compliance and high-priority cases

Automation of these processes eliminates manual processes, double keying and human error. Above all else, you need a system that can identify and flag vulnerable tenants and serious cases so that these can be triaged and addressed immediately. This will ensure you can meet the timelines mandated by Awaab’s Law, while also improving tenant satisfaction by delivering faster resolutions.

3. Integrate Mould Inspectors into scheduling systems

What teams are doing now:
In many cases, Mould Inspectors are excluded from automated scheduling tools used for other trades. Instead, providers rely on manual calendar systems to allocate jobs, which leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for dynamic rerouting.

Why this isn’t effective:
Manual scheduling of inspections is time-consuming for team members: it requires someone to check a calendar and then contact the tenant to confirm their availability. If a tenant isn’t immediately contactable, the team member then has to reattempt contact at a later point, all adding to the mental load of the team and taking them away from the critical task: triaging cases and deciding the best course of action. 

What you should do:
Integrate Mould Inspectors into your existing repair scheduling systems. This allows for:

• Automated allocation of jobs based on priority.
• Dynamic rerouting to handle emergencies efficiently.
• Reduced downtime between appointments.

Providers already using automated tools for plumbers and electricians can extend these systems to include inspectors, improving operational efficiency and compliance. 

Our Damp and Mould module integrates with all major schedulers out of the box – and we can even help your team set up your inspectors in your scheduler.

4. Prioritise follow-ups and case management

What teams are doing now:
Follow-ups often fall by the wayside as teams focus on incoming reports. Cases marked as resolved may resurface if repairs are ineffective, leading to tenant dissatisfaction and non-compliance risks.

Why this isn’t effective:
Unresolved or recurring issues not only harm TSM scores but also increase the workload for teams already stretched thin.

What you should do:
Implement automated follow-up notifications to tenants, asking them to confirm whether repairs have resolved the issue. Systems like our Damp and Mould module can:

• Flag unresolved cases for immediate attention.
• Highlight priority cases using stored health and household data.
• Strengthen trust with tenants by demonstrating ongoing care.

The future of damp and mould

Damp and mould aren’t going away, but with a dedicated team, efficient processes, and the right tools, social housing providers can rise to the challenge. By acting now, you can ensure compliance with Awaab’s Law while improving tenant satisfaction and living conditions.

At Made Tech Housing, we’ve worked with providers across the sector to design solutions that work. Our Damp and Mould module is easy for tenants to use and helps housing teams focus on what matters: creating safe and healthy homes. 

You can get started with our Damp and Mould module in just 48 hours and take advantage of the immediate operational efficiencies and benefits outlined in this guide. 

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