Winter Guide: How Social Landlords Can Use RepairSense to Manage Damp & Mould Efficiently
As winter approaches, social landlords face an annual challenge—managing damp and mould in housing stock. Cold temperatures and increased humidity create the perfect conditions for these issues, which can affect both the quality of life for tenants and the structural integrity of properties. With increased regulatory scrutiny from the introduction of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) and Awaab’s Law, the stakes have never been higher. Social landlords must now ensure they not only address damp and mould but do so efficiently, to maintain compliance and protect tenant wellbeing.
Mobysoft’s RepairSense platform, especially its Damp & Mould Module, offers a comprehensive AI-driven solution to help landlords identify, prevent, and address damp and mould issues before they escalate. In this post, we’ll explore how Mobysoft’s RepairSense Damp & Mould Module can transform the way social landlords manage these challenges during the winter months.
Damp Management in Winter: A Pressing Concern for Social Landlords
Winter weather exacerbates damp and mould problems across social housing, presenting a significant risk to tenants’ health. Poor ventilation, combined with condensation and rising moisture, makes certain homes more vulnerable, particularly older properties with outdated insulation. For social landlords, identifying and addressing these issues swiftly is critical—not only to protect tenants but also to avoid costly repairs and potential regulatory penalties.
Why is this important now?
The introduction of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) and Awaab’s Law places damp and mould management under increased scrutiny. TSMs, enacted as part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act in July 2023, require landlords to meet stringent benchmarks in repairs, building safety, and complaint handling. Damp and mould are central to these concerns, especially after the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, which led to Awaab’s Law. This legislation mandates that landlords respond to damp and mould reports within strict timeframes, including a 14-day window to investigate and a 7-day window to take action.
In this evolving regulatory landscape, landlords need advanced tools that help them stay compliant while improving tenant satisfaction. Mobysoft’s RepairSense platform provides just that.
How RepairSense Damp & Mould Module Transforms Property Management
Mobysoft’s RepairSense Damp & Mould Module is designed to help landlords manage damp and mould efficiently, even when resources are stretched. Powered by AI and Machine Learning, it offers predictive insights that enable proactive maintenance, helping landlords stay ahead of problems rather than reacting to tenant complaints.
Here’s how the module works:
Identifying High-Risk Properties
The module uses data from over 7 million repair jobs, building a robust predictive model that can identify homes at risk of developing damp and mould issues. It prioritises these cases based on severity, allowing landlords to focus on the most critical problems first. This not only helps with efficient resource allocation but also prevents minor issues from escalating into major hazards.
Tracking Repairs and Ensuring Compliance
One of the core features of the RepairSense platform is its ability to flag when jobs fall out of due process. This ensures that no damp or mould issue slips through the cracks. Additionally, the platform creates a complete audit trail, essential for demonstrating compliance with Awaab’s Law and other regulations. Landlords can easily track when investigations begin and when repairs are completed, providing peace of mind and ensuring adherence to regulatory timeframes.
Actionable AI-Powered Insights
RepairSense doesn’t just stop at identifying cases of damp and mould. Its AI-driven insights help landlords uncover unreported issues by analysing patterns in historical repairs data. This is particularly useful for properties where tenants may not have raised complaints but are at risk of damp. By addressing these issues early, landlords can prevent tenant dissatisfaction and reduce long-term repair costs.
Adapting to New Regulations: The Impact of TSMs and Awaab’s Law
The introduction of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) has placed renewed pressure on social landlords to improve how they manage complaints and repairs. With tenant satisfaction dropping to 72.3% in 2023/24, compared to 85.1% in 2018/19, the spotlight is firmly on improving service quality. Damp and mould complaints are among the most pressing issues tenants face during winter, and failure to address them promptly can lead to poor satisfaction scores and regulatory penalties.
Awaab’s Law goes a step further by imposing specific timeframes for dealing with damp and mould. Social landlords are now legally obligated to begin investigations within 14 days of a complaint and take action within 7 days. Non-compliance can result in heightened scrutiny from the Housing Ombudsman and damage to the landlord’s reputation.
Mobysoft’s RepairSense platform is built to help landlords navigate this increasingly complex regulatory environment. By providing a comprehensive overview of damp and mould cases, as well as ensuring that jobs are completed within mandated timeframes, the platform helps landlords meet their legal obligations while improving tenant relations.
‘Doing More with Less’: Efficient Resource Management with RepairSense
In a time when housing providers are being asked to do more with less, the efficiency of property management processes is critical. With Mobysoft’s RepairSense platform, social landlords can optimise their workflows by focusing on high-risk properties and ensuring that repairs are conducted in a timely manner. The module’s AI-driven insights not only streamline operations but also help landlords allocate resources more effectively, reducing unnecessary costs.
Winter always brings challenges for social landlords, but by leveraging cutting-edge technology like Mobysoft’s RepairSense platform, they can stay compliant with regulations, enhance tenant satisfaction, and ensure that homes remain safe, dry, and mould-free.
The Bottom Line
As social landlords brace for another winter, damp and mould management must be a top priority. With increasing regulatory oversight, efficient and proactive management of these issues is essential. Mobysoft’s RepairSense platform offers the AI-driven insights and compliance tracking that landlords need to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring that tenants live in safe, well-maintained homes throughout the winter and beyond.
Don’t wait for winter to escalate the problems of damp and mould in your housing stock – visit the RepairSense website today to learn how our innovative Damp & Mould Module can help you stay compliant, protect your properties, and improve tenant satisfaction.
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- Winter Guide: How Social Landlords Can Use RepairSense to Manage Damp & Mould Efficiently - September 24, 2024
- Tech & TSMs: How Technology Can Help Landlords Keep Tenants Happy - September 10, 2024