Fife Council pilot scheme to instal damp and mould sensors in homes

It's part of a pilot scheme to make sure tenants are living in safe and healthy conditions and support those who are struggling to heat their properties.

Councillors were told at a recent committee meeting that 15 sensors are being installed in homes in the South and West Fife area, with the possibility of more on the way.

Cllr Graeme Downie, who represents the West Fife and Coastal Villages ward, said: "I had a week where I had four or five individuals come to me with concerns of dark mould across homes in ward one, so I'd like an update on where we are in tackling that."

Area housing manager Claire Mackinlay replied: "All the existing cases throughout Fife were, at the tail end of last year, charted on a spreadsheet and there is a review on the whole process and how we deal with dampness and condensation.

"It's ongoing. But the monitors that are being installed as a pilot throughout Fife, I believe it's the intention for a phase two and it will include the properties identified on the spreadsheet.

"Hopefully that will see these properties being installed with the sensors so we can pinpoint exactly what the issue is, whether it's condensation or dampness and the cause of it.

"That's how the housing service is planning to tackle these issues going forward."

The sensors are being placed in bathrooms, bedrooms and living rooms to measure temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide.

They'll also be used to detect indoor air quality, allergy risk, excess cold and heat loss.

A report explained: "Measuring temperature and humidity levels in high-risk rooms, such as bathrooms, will enable the council to identify any homes at risk of developing damp and mould with an indication of whether the conditions have been created by structural or environmental factors."

The environmental sensors will also pinpoint homes that have insufficient ventilation and the data used to put in place measures to improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of damp and mould.

The issue was brought into sharp focus after the tragic death of a little boy in December 2020 from respiratory failure.

At an inquest last year a coroner said that two-year-old Awaab Ishak, from Rochdale, died from prolonged exposure to mould in the local authority flat he lived in.

Following the verdict, a review was ordered in December by Fife Council into how they tackle damp, condensation and black mould in their housing stock.

At the time housing spokesperson, Cllr Judy Hamilton, said: "The death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale has shocked us all and the council is determined that we take action to ensure that this does not happen in any council house in Fife.

"I am working closely with the housing service to move the review forward and I am certain that we can improve the living condition of our tenants who are living with dampness and condensation.

"Everyone in Fife has the right to live in decent, dry and affordable housing and I am determined that this should be the case for tenants affected by this problem."