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Councils in Wales have significantly failed tenants complaining about damp and mould in their homes posing a serious health risk. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has found failings within Cardiff Council and Flintshire Council regarding multiple complaints from tenants about their living conditions. Cardiff council have had to pay one tenant £3000 in financial distress after allowing her home to fall "into an appalling state of disrepair" regardless of numerous complaints. The council had received complaints from the tenant, Ms C, over a period of nearly four years and it was eventually declared not fit for human habitation. The Ombudsman found that the council was aware of the presence of damp and mould in the property in April 2021 with Ms C making multiple complaints of a significant leak causing damage to the kitchen ceiling. The state of the property "posed significant hazards to the health of Ms C and her family" and ruined many of their possessions. Within less than three years, by March 2024 the house had "fallen into an appalling state of disrepair" and the house was formally declared not fit for human habitation in July 2024. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here The council caused "further avoidable delays" in arranging necessary repairs after the family were moved from the property and the family were left living in unsuitable conditions. Ms C, her two daughters moved into a property with her elderly mother whilst waiting for a home to be fit to live in, with the ordeal having a "devastating impact" on them. Michelle Morris, the Ombudsman, said: "The service failures uncovered in our investigation had a devastating impact on Ms C and her family. The damp and mould posed significant hazards to the health of Ms C and her family, and damaged or destroyed many of the family’s possessions. "The despair of living in such poor conditions over a long period appeared to have contributed to the slow disintegration of the family unit to the point that all family members had moved out. "Sadly it is impossible to undo the serious injustices done to Ms C and her family by the failings described in this report. Nevertheless, I acknowledge the Council’s constructive engagement with our investigation and the positive and proactive approach it had taken since May 2024 to improving the way it responds to reports of disrepair and damp and mould." Through recommendations from the Ombudsman, Cardiff Council have apologised to the tenant and provided her with £3000 in financial distress. The council was also advised to remind their staff the "importance of treating all tenants with respect and compassion, particularly regarding complex repairs and issues with damp and mould." A council spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the findings of the Ombudsman’s investigation into our Responsive Repairs Unit (RRU) and fully accept all recommendations made in the report. "The service provided to the contract holder was poor and fell well below the standards we expect. We apologise unreservedly for this, and for the impact it had on her and her family. "The Responsive Repairs Unit is responsible for maintaining 14,200 council homes across Cardiff, completing over 4,000 new jobs each month. During the period referenced in the complaint, the service was under unprecedented pressure. The aftermath of the pandemic resulted in a significant backlog of repairs and a sharp increase in demand for urgent works. At the same time, there was a surge in reports of damp and mould, and many cases required more complex management, further stretching our capacity. "We take the Ombudsman’s findings extremely seriously. Over the past year, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of the repairs service and developed a wide-ranging improvement plan to address both immediate and systemic issues. "Considerable improvements have already been made, including reducing outstanding repairs, improving scheduling and workforce management, enhancing our response to damp and mould, and strengthening customer communication. While much progress has been made, we recognise there is more that can be done and we are continuing with our improvement programme. "The Ombudsman’s report commends our detailed and considered response to the investigation, recognising our commitment to improving the service. It also notes our proactive approach to tackling the challenges faced, noting that there is good practice that other landlords could learn from. "We remain fully committed to delivering the highest standards of service for our tenants and will continue to work closely with the Ombudsman and other partners to ensure all recommendations are implemented." An investigation into Flintshire council also found that they had left a tenant and her children living in "unacceptable conditions" for five months despite numerous complaints and the council being aware of the damp. Council officers visited Miss Y’s home multiple times to address new issues, whilst previous repair requests remained outstanding meaning there were missed opportunities to identify damp and mould in the property and carry out work to solve the issue. The tenant and her children suffered chest infections whilst living in the property that was "severely impacted by damp" and the youngest child even developed asthma. Michelle Morris, the Ombudsman, said: "The failings identified in this investigation are significant. The Council missed opportunities to identify damp in Miss Y’s home sooner. When it became aware that extensive work in relation to damp was needed, it did not take timely action to secure alternative accommodation. "As a result, Miss Y and her children were left living in a home that the Council knew to be severely impacted by damp during some of the coldest months of the year. "Miss Y said that living in a home with damp and mould had led to both herself and her children suffering recurrent chest infections and that her youngest child had been diagnosed with asthma. Due to them becoming damaged by mould, Miss Y said that she had to dispose of furniture, clothing and other possessions." After recommended by the Ombudsman, Flintshire council apologised to Miss Y and gave her an additional £1,258 in financial redress for the distress and the lost furniture and possessions, on top of the £500 already offered. Vicky Clark, from Flintshire council said: "We acknowledge the findings of the Ombudsman report and accept that, on this occasion, our response fell short of the standards we set and expect. We sincerely apologise to the tenant for any stress and inconvenience caused. "Since this case, we have made changes to how we respond to reports of damp and mould. We now have processes in place to actively monitor all reports to ensure any concerns are dealt with efficiently and effectively. Providing all tenants with safe, well-maintained homes is a key priority for the Council and we are determined to ensure delivery of this high priority."
