Housemark’s property inspection management platform, Photobook now includes the ability for housing providers to detect and record damp and mould in homes.
The release of Photobook+ coincides with new data from the housing data specialists which shows complaints by social housing residents in the UK have risen by 50%* since 2022 – much of this relates to damp and mould. Also, the latest Housemark data shows the number of repairs in England completed within the target time has dropped to 83%**.
Photobook+ gives providers the ability to detect mould in their properties, up to six months before spores become visible. Already landlords such as Hyde Housing, Thirteen Group, Home Group and Nottingham City Homes have begun using Photobook+.
“As the data is showing, landlords are struggling to complete repairs within their target times which will impact the well-being of tenants and also likely lower landlords’ customer satisfaction scores
“Our new Photobook+ module can speed up the entire process of checking for and remediating damp and mould. It does this with the help of a thorough step-by-step guide which effectively means any member of staff can carry out a full damp and mould inspection, also eliminating the expense of hiring damp and mould specialists.”
Zack Hodge, Head of Photobook at Housemark
Scientific readings from Photobook+ damp and mould inspections are analysed through a unique predictive insights engine. This provides building and maintenance teams with prioritised workloads of corrective actions – or reschedules the local housing officer to visit again to monitor.
Zack continued: “In the wake of the Awaab’s Law amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill in England, the guidance and requirements for monitoring damp and mould as well as overall housing decency is clear, and it has never been more vital to get ahead. Photobook+ gives landlords the ability to change the way this vital challenge is tackled.”
For more information, please visit www.housemark.co.uk/photobook.
