MAPPED: Formal complaints over damp and mould hit record high after Awaab Ishak tragedy

Formal complaints about leaks, damp and mould in social housing have soared to a record high. The number of complaints about leaks, damp and mould made to the Housing Ombudsman has increased year-on-year since 2020.

It dealt with 282 formal complaints in Greater Manchester in 2023, up from 206 in 2022, 132 in 2021 and 35 in 2020. The rise forms part of a national trend which has been seen in recent years - partly due to coverage of the scandal involving Awaab Ishak, the ombudsman says.

Awaab died in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould at a social flat in Rochdale. His inquest made national news - while the Manchester Evening News exposed similar conditions affecting others on the same estate, and was part of the team which successfully campaigned for Awaab's Law.

READ MORE: 'The little boy asked me if he was going to die'

The pattern is part of a wider increase in complaints seen by the ombudsman over the last few years, with 989 from Greater Manchester in total last year - up from 828 in 2022, and almost triple the 341 dealt with in 2020. Nationally, the ombudsman faced around 6,100 complaints about leaks, damp and mould last year, out of 22,900 in total.

Overall, there were 18,800 complaints the year before. See the figures for your area with our interactive map below.

The ombudsman says several factors are likely behind this, including deteriorating property conditions and a greater awareness of the issue following the death of Awaab. Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “These figures tell a stark story about the condition of some of the homes in the social housing sector.

"We know that this is not the majority, but it is enough to give us cause for concern. We have an unprecedented focus on