Tips and advice on how to help manage

damp, condensation and mould in your home

Damp, condensation or mould issues in your home can be a real issue and can come about in many different forms and for many different reasons. We have included some useful hints and tips on how to help manage this within your home.

Mould is a fungi that can grow on a range of materials that can absorb moisture such as furniture and carpets. Mould needs moisture to grow and thrives in areas with high levels of condensation.

How to avoid condensation in your home?

Water vapour can be produced through every day activities, did you know:

Avoid drying clothes indoors where possible. If clothes must be dried indoors put them in the bathroom with the door closed and open the window or put the fan on.

Allow air to circulate around furniture. Over furnished rooms can be prone to condensation if not properly heated and ventilated.

Wipe down surfaces where moisture settles.

If using a tumble dryer, make sure it is vented to the outside.

You can help reduce condensation by taking the following steps:

Cover boiling pans when cooking.

Where possible, open windows for a short while each day or keep the window trickle vents open.

Ventilate the kitchen and bathroom when in use by opening a window or using the extractor fan.

Do not block air vents.

Where possible, heat the property consistently. Quick blasts of heat for short periods of time will normally not be as efficient as running at lower temperatures for longer periods.

It is unlikely a home can be condensation free, however, the above advice will help to control it.

It’s important to treat mould straight away. If you have concerns about damp and mould in your home, contact us on 01508 532000 or email info@saffronhousing.co.uk.

We will:

• Provide advice and request photographs of the affected areas.

• Send out an inspector if appropriate.

• Any work that we are responsible for will be identified and rectified.

We have more information on our dedicated ‘Damp & Mould’ website page. We not only have our own tenant helpsheet on there but also a useful video from UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings and helpful leaflets from the NHS and Envirovent.

Changes to how we deal with complaints

The Housing Ombudsman Service, who look at complaints from landlords including Saffron, has recently updated its Code of Conduct.

This outlines what complaint policies need to include and is a guide to best practice. As a result, we have updated our own Complaints Policy so we’re fully compliant with the changes. Visit our ‘Complaints’ website page to find all the changes, including our updated Complaints Policy.