Remediation, verification, and refusal to move you

What “good remediation” should include

• Cause fixed: leak/ingress/defect repaired, not just cleaned.
• Drying: adequate drying time and moisture checks.
• Material decisions: water-damaged porous materials removed where needed.
• Safe work: dust/spore spread controlled (important for medically vulnerable households).
• Verification: documented checks that work is complete and the home is safe.

Red flags (“bad remediation”)

• Paint over staining or “mould spray” only
• No drying plan, no moisture measurements
• No documentation of what was removed/replaced
• Work that creates dust without protection/containment
• Refusal to provide any meaningful post-remediation checks

If symptoms worsen after remediation

Worsening symptoms can occur if contaminated materials were disturbed or if damp persists behind walls/floors. This is a strong indicator that the hazard may not be resolved.

Actions:

1. Document symptoms and healthcare visits (Page 3 template).
2. Ask landlord for written evidence of safety and remediation details.
3. Request escalation to Environmental Health if unresolved.

If the landlord refuses to move you (decant)

Use this framing:

• The issue is not “repairs completed” — it is safety and health risk.
• Ask: “What evidence shows the home is safe to occupy?”

Template request for temporary alternative accommodation

Subject: Request for temporary alternative accommodation (health risk / damp and mould)

Hello ,

Despite remediation work, we are experiencing ongoing damp/mould concerns and worsening health symptoms in a clinically vulnerable household.

Please provide written evidence that the home is safe to occupy, including:
- confirmation the moisture source has been resolved,
- evidence of drying/moisture checks,
- what materials were removed/replaced,
- what post-remediation checks were completed.

Given the uncertainty around safety and the health impacts, we are requesting temporary alternative accommodation until the property can be demonstrated to be safe to occupy.

Kind regards,

If you return “under protest”

If you have no alternative but to return, keep it in writing:

We are returning to the property due to lack of alternative accommodation. We do not accept that the damp/mould hazard has been resolved and will continue to document health impacts and seek independent assessment.