Monitoring & Smart Controls Feature


Tackling maintenance with technology


Mark Lowe of Pinacl Solutions discusses how housing associations can avoid costly disrepair claims with IoT technology


housing providers. A new act will see landlords, of both social and privately rented housing,


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be held accountable of the living conditions in their properties or risk facing legal action. The Homes (Fitness for Habitation) Act was given Royal Assent meaning


it will be made an Act of Parliament, amending the Landlord and Tenants Act 1984. Currently, social tenants have no means to compel their landlords to carry


out work, while private tenants are required to rely on council environmental health teams. The new act will give tenants the right to take landlords to cour if the property falls below legal standards and seek an injunction to carry out


work and damages. The law doesn’t introduce new standards but is a way to enforce those in the 1984 act, which includes damp caused by poor design and infestations. In 2017, the Government introduced powers to local authorities to enable


them to tackle landlords who let unfit properties. These powers include fixed financial penalties of up to £30,000 and banning orders. Therefore, it is important for landlords to be aware of the living conditions


inside their properties if they want to avoid legal action and hefty fines. In a minority of cases, tenants are claiming as a last resort due to genuine


disrepair, but the majority of claims begin with unscrupulous ‘claim-farming’ tactics, common in the personal injury sector but now increasing in other legal areas.


UTILISING TECHNOLOGY So how are housing associations protecting themselves against these ‘claim-farmers’? Technology can be the solution. There are many solutions that offer housing associations the ability to better manage their property health, but there are a few features that you need to look out for to ensure you are covered. New solutions allow housing associations to better document their housing management. The introduction of ‘house MOTs’ is one such unique underpin – for


example, Tempus, derived from Pinacl and mould causation specialists Cornerstone features the latter’s proactive MOT system. This key survey process is similar to a health or vehicle MOT in that it is a recognised planned or periodic assessment. The MOT is designed to provide a moisture related survey of a structure whereby, following a detailed exterior and interior assessment with any advisories noted and acted upon, a Certificate of Condition can be issued. Poor record keeping is the largest evidential failure and allows for easy


picking for eagle-eyed lawyers. Look out for systems that allow you to automatically upload MOTs and Certificates of Condition, and provide the ability to keep date stamped notes about any work that has been undertaken or any communication that has been given to the tenant. This will prove essential to fight against disrepair claims. A good solution will also offer the option for training and improving


awareness on given issues – for example Cornerstone’s expertise in mould and moisture mechanics means Tempus can provide access to experts and provide


laims for disrepair are on the rise, with some solicitors seeing disrepair claims doubled compared to last year. With the average disrepair claim ranging from £5,000 to £50,000, this is a real concern for many social


Technology


In 2017, the Government introduced powers to local authorities to enable them to tackle landlords who let unfit properties


training for maintenance and property teams. It can also provide likely causes of problems depending on the readings that are predicted, and provide guidance on how the housing association or landlord can action, depending on the severity of the alarm. We know from our research that around one in 10 properties have an urgent


need for damp intervention which would require renovation running into tens of thousands of pounds if not detected early and acted upon. By implementing an intelligent property management system, this could help better manage your housing stock and notify your assets team to potentially problematic dwellings. With an average family of four producing up to 14 litres of water vapour in just 24 hours, the likelihood of damp and mould is high if action isn’t taken and


www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM August/September 2019 | 27


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