Dealing with damp, mould and condensation

How can you try and avoid condensation in your home?

• Leave a small gap between your walls and furniture. This allows air to circulate and move and stops mould from developing.
• Put lids on your cooking pans. This will reduce the amount of moisture in the air.
• Where possible, avoid drying clothes indoors. If this isn’t an option, close the door and leave a window open – even just a little – to provide ventilation.
• Keep the bathroom and kitchen ventilated. If there’s no extractor fan, open windows and shut the door to prevent moisture from entering another room. If your extractor fans aren’t working properly, get in touch with us.
• Try and keep your home at a constant temperature.
• Clear condensation from windows, using an old towel or similar.
• Open windows every day, to maintain a healthy airflow.
• Report leaks immediately. If mould suddenly starts growing in a part of a room, it hasn’t before, give us a call. For example, there may be a slow leak or another repair we need to fix.

Are you struggling with damp and mould in your home?

If you’ve noticed mould or damp in your home, contact our Repairs team on 0300 3300 900 and dial extension number 7800 when prompted. Alternatively, you can report these via the myHavebury app – my.havebury.com

If this is the first time you’ve reported this, one of our technicians will visit your home to carry out a mould wash. They’ll also see if they can spot anything causing the problem and carry out any required repairs. We’ll then contact you after eight weeks to see if this has helped, or if we need to take further action.

If, after this time, the problem has not been resolved, a surveyor will visit you to investigate further what could be causing this. We will identify and arrange works required, and share this with you, including timescales for completion. Once these have been completed, we’ll check back with you again to ensure the problem hasn’t returned.

We have put all this information into a leaflet. You can download it below.

Increased cost of living

One of the causes of damp, mould and condensation can be not heating your home adequately or just heating one room, for example. We know the cost of living has gone up, meaning energy bills and other day-to-day costs have increased. If you find yourself struggling, click here to view our cost of living support page. Or you call our Welfare and Benefits team on 0300 3300 900, dialling extension number 7305 when prompted. We have access to a support fund, and we also work with other agencies who may be able to help – so please get in touch.

Can I claim for possessions damaged by condensation?

Our insurance policy does not cover condensation damage caused by living conditions. However, if the damage is a result of a structural defect, or our failure to repair and maintain the property, then this may be covered by our insurance.