Damp housing complaints up 60% in just two years

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today urged the Scottish Government to implement his party’s calls for an emergency insulation programme, following new research which found that over 16,600 complaints about damp housing had been made to councils since 2020/21, including more than 6,500 last year alone.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request found that across 24 local authorities who responded:  

• There have been 16,643 complaints made regarding damp and mould in housing since April 2020.  

• There has been a 60% increase in complaints to local authorities, from 4,090 in 2020/21 to 6,546 in 2022/23.

• There are at least 739 outstanding complaints about damp and mould in housing which are yet to be dealt with.

• The longest time a complaint about damp and mould in housing has been outstanding is 845 days (Midlothian council).

The number of complaints is likely to be significantly higher as not every council responded to the FOI, with some councils, including Glasgow, indicating that they do not hold the information.    

In May, Mr Cole-Hamilton convened a housing summit in the Scottish Parliament with politicians and stakeholders to discuss a range of housing issues, including damp and mould and the shortage of affordable housing.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“Our homes should be our sanctuaries, but the growing problem of damp housing is putting that at risk.

“Mould and damp can result in serious health issues for those having to live with it. This has only been exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, which has caused many Scots to stop heating their homes as regularly as they otherwise would.

“Far too many of my own constituents, many of whom live in areas of extreme deprivation, are racked with anxiety about the safety of themselves and their loved ones inside homes with this problem."

Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Paul McGarry said:

“The Scottish Government’s brutal cuts to council budgets have left local authorities without the ability to provide widespread, high-quality housing for their most vulnerable constituents.

“Addressing damp and dilapidation must be a top priority for the Scottish Government. As well as reversing years of cuts to council budgets, the SNP and Greens must listen to my party’s calls for an emergency insulation programme. This programme would save families in social housing and private lets more than £700 million, allowing more people to heat their homes and prevent against damp and mould.”