Reporting damp and mould
Damp and mould can happen in any home, but it is more likely to happen in some homes than others. Looking out for signs of it happening, and reporting it to us quickly where it is found, is really important.
If you notice any damp or mould in your home, please get in touch with us straightaway. For some people, mould can cause or worsen some health issues – so don’t delay, contact us immediately.
There are different kinds of damp and mould, and they can look quite different. Take a look at our visual damp and mould guide to help you spot anything in your home that needs attention. An easy-read version of the visual damp and mould guide is also available.
Easy-read visual damp and mould guide
Our teams are on hand to help with damp and mould and we will respond as quickly as possible to your queries.
Click the questions below for more information on reporting damp and mould.
How do I report damp and mould?
Damp and mould gets worse if it is left untreated, so if you spot this in your home please let us know as soon as possible.
For more help and information, or to report issues you can:
- Call 0300 555 0600 between 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 6pm on Wednesdays if you don’t have access to email or the internet.
- Message 07793 795882 on WhatsApp between 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, and 10am – 6pm on Wednesdays
- Visit the My Onward Portal
- Email customerservices@onward.co.uk
To help us assess the problem, please take clear photos from different angles if you can and remember to include your name, address and contact details.
Please let us know if you would prefer a female operative to attend, or if you would
like to request a chaperone.
What causes damp and mould?
There are three different reasons why damp and mould can occur in the home. These are:
- Rising damp occurs when moisture comes through the foundations of a property, passes through the damp course and comes into the brickwork itself.
- Penetration: This could be because of a failure in the building itself, for example a roof leak or the pointing coming out of the brickwork allowing excess moisture into the property.
- Condensation: Air can hold moisture and the warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold. If humid air is cooled by contact with cold surfaces, such as walls, windows or mirrors, the moisture condenses into water droplets known as condensation. Mould can often occur if condensation is left untreated for too long.
Our teams will treat any incident of damp and mould and will work on providing a solution to prevent damp and mould occurring again. In many cases, sorting it out properly will require some sort of work in your home, which we will carry out as quickly as possible.
What happens when I report an issue?
Our teams will respond as quickly as possible to any reports of damp, mould or condensation in your home. In many cases, fixing the issue will require some sort of work to be done on your home, with the aim of permanently fixing the issue first time.
When you first report damp, mould or condensation to us, our team will ask questions to assess the type of issue you’re experiencing. They will also ask about any vulnerabilities you may have – please make sure your information is up to date. This way we can aim to identify the most appropriate solution and will then explain to you what work needs to be carried out.
We will also check whether anyone in your household might be particularly at risk from the effects of damp and mould, such as elderly people, pregnant women, babies and young children or those with health conditions. If this is the case, we will visit your home within 24 hours at a time that suits you.
Where a significant risk has been identified we will investigate within 10 working days. Following the investigation, we will write to you to explain our findings and next steps within 3 working days.
When we visit, we will check whether a mould wash is required and carry this out if so. In most cases this resolves the issue unless there is a fault with your property. On the same visit, we will also inspect your home to check the root cause of the issue.
From the date your home is made safe we will start any repairs within 5 working days. If this is not possible, all work will be started in no more than 12 weeks.
For the more complicated cases, our team of professionally qualified surveyors will visit your home to determine what works need to be carried out.
We will always contact you six weeks after the work is completed to check that you are happy that the issue has been resolved and will only close this down when you are satisfied with the outcome.
