Ombudsman Wales to probe social housing damp and disrepair
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has launched a consultation on a proposed investigation into how social landlords and local authorities respond to reports of housing disrepair, with a particular focus on damp and mould.
The proposed “own initiative” investigation would look at whether Registered Social Landlords and councils are acting properly when dealing with tenants’ concerns, especially where vulnerable people are affected.
Under its powers, the Ombudsman can begin an investigation without a formal complaint if there are signs that something may have gone wrong in public services, the issue affects many people, or it is in the public interest to act.
If it goes ahead, the investigation would aim to identify where housing providers can improve and share examples of what is working well across Wales.
Michelle Morris, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, said:“Poor housing has a serious impact on people’s physical and mental health, yet too many tenants continue to live with disrepair, damp, and mould, causing daily anxiety which affects their wellbeing. In recent years, we have seen a rise in complaints about social housing, with just over 19% of new complaints in 2024–2025 relating to these issues.”
“In response, we published a report called Living in Disrepair last November. It set out key findings from our casework, including examples where vulnerable tenants waited longer than necessary for repair or maintenance work. It also highlighted that the impact of poor housing conditions is even greater for elderly or disabled residents.”
Ms Morris said complaints have continued to come in. “During 2024–2025, we intervened early in 79 cases relating to disrepair or damp and mould. In the past two months, we have issued four Public Interest reports against Cardiff Council, Flintshire County Council, and Trivallis about these issues.”
“This leads us to suspect that similar issues may affect tenants across other social housing providers, and reinforces the need for action to ensure tenants’ concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.”
The consultation, open from this week, invites views from tenants, housing providers, and members of the public on whether the Ombudsman should proceed with a full investigation.
Find further details of this consultation here.
The consultation will close on 8 December at mid-day.
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