West Dunbartonshire Council failed to identify cause of mould and damp in family home

West Dunbartonshire Council failed to identify the cause of mould and damp in a family home and took too long to fix it.

The conditions are said to have impacted the family’s health and damaged their possessions.

The council acknowledged that the tenants had been raising the concerns “for some time”.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) found that although West Dunbartonshire Council had carried out work and surveys on the family home, damp problems remained.

The watchdog said the primary cause of the issues had not been identified.

The council accepted that further work was needed and that the time taken to address the problem had been “excessive”.

The ombudsman found that the council could not prove it considered the impact of damp and mould on the tenant’s living conditions. It said it was “not clear” that the property was treated as a priority.

The tenant’s complaint was upheld, and the council was asked to develop an action plan and a timeline setting out clearly the steps that it intends to take to address the mould and damp.

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry this tenant’s complaint was not progressed with the urgency required.

“We have taken action to address the recommendations raised by the SPSO and an action plan of repairs has been shared with the tenant.

“In addition, we have installed more than 2,000 environmental sensors in our homes, including for this tenant to allow us to take action at the earliest opportunity.”

The council said it is also prioritising reports of mould or damp within 72 hours.