Council housing
Damp and mould in council homes
There are several reasons your home might be suffering from damp and mould. It is surprising how few reasons are related to major building defects.
This page is for council tenants and leaseholders to report any issues to us for us to fix.
If you are privately renting your home see our advice on our damp and mould in private rented homes page.
What causes damp and mould
Information and advice on what could be causing your problem:
When do I call Qualis?
That depends on the type of problem you are experiencing. As with all rented housing your landlord, Epping Forest District Council (EFDC), must address any structural defects or disrepair issues that may cause damp and the growth of mould. If you observe or suspect any the following defects are causing damp you must report the defect to Qualis Property Solutions as soon as possible.
- Plumbing for leaks
This might be obvious leaks from water or waste pipes or a new area of damp in the location of pipes - Guttering, rainwater down pipes and drains, cracks in pipes or blockages
You might observe dark green moss or staining on the external walls next to these areas, rainwater running across the surface of the external walls or overflowing from gutters during rainfall. You might observe blocked rainwater drains at the bottom of rainwater down pipes - Roof leaks
You might observe staining on the ceilings below the loft or close to the chimney breast. You might see walls or ceilings get more damp after rainfall or you see that roof tiles or flashing around chimneys have slipped, moved or fallen away - Damaged outside walls or eroded pointing
You might observe gaps in the brick pointing especially above windows and doors or areas of the external walls that have cracks greater than the thickness of a pound coin - High garden or path levels overlapping the damp proof course
The damp proof course prevents moisture rising up into the property. It is exceedingly rare that a damp course fails however, if you have damp around the ground floor walls, it might be compromised where the ground level outside is not at least 150mm below the damp course. The damp proof course is usually identified with a black or grey line or material somewhere between the bottom external brick courses
What if I do not see any defects?
If you observe any of the issues 1 to 5 above or you suspect the damp or mould is coming from a building defect or you do not have a kitchen or bathroom fan then you should call Qualis so a repair can be completed. In most other cases you should read this leaflet and consider the actions you can take.
If you have followed the guidance 1 to 10 above and after a few weeks of wiping damp from surfaces along with cleaning off any mould and you still encounter progressive damp and mould, then you might decide to still call Qualis for an inspection.
What if Qualis cannot find a defect?
The Qualis Representative might find a defect or something that might have been missed or provide you with advice.
Qualis have a vast array of experienced staff however, if a defect cannot be diagnosed they might refer your property to a Property Operations Surveyor who will undertake a more detailed survey to diagnose why your property is suffering from damp or mould. Once the reasons for the problem have been resolved you might need to redecorate using a decent quality fungicidal paint to help prevent future mould.
Note that this paint is not effective if overlaid with ordinary paints or wallpaper. Wallpapering over mould will not get rid of the problem, it just hides it for a while.
Do I contact Qualis or Epping Forest District Council?
Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) set up Qualis Group Ltd in 2020 to enhance Epping Forest district through regeneration, investment and asset management to support the community. Qualis Property Solutions is the asset management part of Qualis Group. To help you speak to the right person quickly and efficiently and clarify who you need to contact, we have listed below what services Qualis Property Solutions and EFDC deal with.
Contact Qualis if:
- General repairs – outside and inside your home and in communal areas
- Gas heating breakdowns or repairs
- Annual gas safety checks
- Electrical safety checks
- Void (empty) properties – preparing them to hand back to EFDC to rent
- Planned works programme – full replacement of kitchen and bathroom installations and electrical rewires
- Customer Feedback including compliments, complaints and customer satisfaction (see contact below)
Contact Qualis customer service centre
- Call 0333 230 0464
- Email Repairs@qualispropertyservices.co.uk
- Qualis website
- Available via our website above Monday to Friday 10am to 4:30pm except bank holidays
Qualis Management customer feedback
Call the Qualis customer service centre on the number above or:
Contact EFDC if:
- Major planned works programmes (including full window replacement, front and rear door replacement, complete roof replacement and estate regeneration)
- Properties with major structural issues
- Some larger works will be referred to EFDC where their Housing Assets team will manage
- Authorisation for alterations to your home
- Estates and land or ground maintenance
- Disabled adaptations to your home following Occupational Therapist (OT) referral
- Tenancy and housing enquiries
- Rent enquiries
- Home ownership or leaseholder enquiries
EFDC cover a wide range of services including Council Tax, recycling and rubbish collections, planning applications – more services can be found on the EFDC website.
Contact EFDC customer service centre
- Call 01992 564000
- Contact EFDC online