Councils in England inspect only half of all mould reports in private rental housing

In almost 90% of cases where illegal and dangerous levels of damp and mould were identified, councils in England opted to follow an informal resolution. Photograph: Bigyy/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Budget cuts mean local councils are inspecting about just half of all reports of damp and mould they receive about the private rented sector (PRS), the Observer can reveal.

A recent government survey of more than 300 councils analysed by the Observer found that local authorities in England inspected 11,897 homes for serious damp and mould in 2021-22, the latest year for which data is available, despite receiving 23,727 complaints in total.