Miss C complained about the fact that Coastal Housing Group Ltd (“CHG”) attended at her property on 3 occasions to assess the damp and mould, but that the inspections were not independent, and did not assess the outside of the property, where there was evidence of mould. Miss C said she had been left in a property which put her mental and physical health at risk.
The Ombudsman found that the inspections carried out by CHG were not independent, and concluded that the case of the moisture was due to a lack of ventilation in Miss C’s property. There was no evidence that an external inspection had been undertaken.
The Ombudsman sought and gained CHG’s agreement to, within 28 days, undertake a full independent inspection of Miss C’s property, to record moisture readings, with a view to identifying the cause of the damp. It further agreed to provide Miss C, within 10 working days of the inspection, with the findings of the inspection, together with a proposed plan of works to address the cause of the damp, as required.