The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales is preparing for an investigation into how social landlords and authorities respond to reports of disrepair, with a particular focus on damp and mould. The “Own Initiative” investigation will aim to determine whether providers are acting appropriately when reporting to hazards in the home, taking into account the vulnerability of residents and how this plays a factor in an organisations response.
The Ombudsman has the ability to launch an investigation without a formal complaint when it considers the investigation to be in public interest, and the situation at hand affects a large number of people.
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Michelle Morris, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, said: “Poor housing has a serious impact on people’s physical and mental health, yet too many tenants continue to live with disrepair, damp, and mould, causing daily anxiety which affects their wellbeing. In recent years, we have seen a rise in complaints about social housing, with just over 19% of new complaints in 2024–2025 relating to these issues.”
In response, we published a report called Living in Disrepair last November. It set out key findings from our casework, including examples where vulnerable tenants waited longer than necessary for repair or maintenance work. It also highlighted that the impact of poor housing conditions is even greater for elderly or disabled residents.”
During 2024–2025, we intervened early in 79 cases relating to disrepair or damp and mould. In the past two months, we have issued four Public Interest reports against Cardiff Council, Flintshire County Council, and Trivallis about these issues.”
This leads us to suspect that similar issues may affect tenants across other social housing providers, and reinforces the need for action to ensure tenants’ concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.”
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The Ombudsman has this week has launched a consultation ahead of the investigation, inviting views from tenants, housing providers, and members of the public on whether and how the Ombudsman should proceed with the investigation.
The investigation mirrors the increased scrutiny over hazards such as damp & mould that has taken place in England, which led to the creation of Awaab’s Law. Whether an investigation into the state of repairs and maintenance in Wales could lead to equally transformative measures remains to be seen, but if Awaab’s Law does usher in a new level of efficiency as it intends to, we could see similar regulations come into effect around the UK.
