Member

On Amendment 106A, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Altmann, I can confirm that the Government fully recognise the importance of addressing damp and mould in rented homes, and the role that humidity as well as temperature can have in causing such issues. Clause 101 lists matters that the regulations setting out decent homes standard requirements may cover. This amendment would add specific references to humidity and damp and mould to this list. However, the requirements that can be set in regulations are not limited to those which are set out in this list. It is our firm intention that the new decent homes standard includes specific requirements on damp and mould. Indeed, we published our consultation on the content of the standard on 2 July. This consultation proposes that the standard be expanded from four criteria to five, with the new criterion requiring landlords to ensure that their properties are free from damp and mould.