Flagship vows to ‘eradicate’ damp and mould after nearly 5,000 cases in a year

It comes as social landlords are awaiting the outcome of a government consultation on Awaab’s Law.

The measures, named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from mould exposure in his family’s social home, could force landlords to carry out emergency repairs within 24 hours. The law will be introduced through secondary legislation in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act. 

The government is also planning to extend the regulation to the private rented sector, with reports over the weekend suggesting that an announcement is due this week, included in a Renters’ Rights Bill.

In its annual report, published last week, Flagship revealed that it had fitted 4,782 smart thermostats in homes to help tackle damp and mould. 

The landlord said that the “eradication of damp and mould” is a “key strategic priority” for the year. 

“We want all of our homes to be safe and healthy places to live for our tenants,” the group said. “We will work relentlessly to sustainably manage and resolve damp and mould issues into the future.”

Flagship also revealed a 16 per cent rise in post-tax surplus to £57.1m in the year to the end of March 2024, as turnover edged up to £253m.

The landlord bucked the trend in the sector as it reported a drop in operating costs to £183m, down from £189.5m the year before. However, operating costs for its social homes rose by 10 per cent to £128.3m due to a rise in management costs. 

The group delivered 688 new affordable homes, up from 634 the year before. Sales of first tranche shared ownership homes rose to 191 from 152 the prior year. 

However, the number of open market sales fell by 36 per cent to 66. 

Flagship, which has a G2/V2 rating with the Regulator of Social Housing, and Bromford announced plans for their merger in June. 

The tie-up would create a combined 80,000-home group which would see Flagship become a subsidiary of a new entity called Bromford Flagship. Bromford would be the group parent and renamed Bromford Flagship.