A London Labour council is putting an extra £400,000 into enforcement against private landlords allegedly ignoring serious damp and mould issues.

The additional funding – an extra 25 per cent on the original budget – will go to Hackney council’s private sector enforcement team.

A statement says this adds to council’s own plans to tackle damp and mould in its own housing stock, including a five day turnaround to address all reported damp and mould issues and a next day repair programme. 

Since December the council claims to have responded to over 70 reports of damp and mould in privately rented homes, with each report acted on within five days and enforcement notices served where the landlords fails to take steps to resolve the issue.

Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville says: “We’ve already announced clear plans to tackle damp and mould in council properties – this additional investment we are making available in this year’s budget will mean we can provide the same support for private renters.”

And Sam Moema – whose title is Mayoral Advisor for Private Renting and Housing Affordability – adds: “This funding boost will allow us to use every power to raise standards of accommodation and challenge rogue landlords in the borough, while we continue to lobby the national government for the protections that our private renters deserve.”