Use cases

Find damp, mould and emergency hazards in repair reports

Sorts each repair report by Awaab's Law hazard type and level, with a trade, for a surveyor to confirm. Written for social landlords in England.

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Try it on this example

Example · Repairs portal · damp and mould in a bedroom

Who reported it: Resident

Channel: Repairs portal

Repair report

Location: Bedroom 2 (my daughter's room) What's the problem: The wall behind my daughter's cot has gone black again. Someone came out in March and painted over it and said that would sort it, but it's come back worse and it's spreading up towards the ceiling. There's a musty smell in the room all the time now, and when I got her clothes out of the wardrobe this morning they had mould on them, so I've had to wash everything. She's 7 months old. The window in there also won't shut properly since the handle broke, so it's freezing at night and I have to keep the heating on full. I rang in April about the window and was told someone would call me back, and nobody ever did. I'm really fed up with being ignored.
  1. Does the text report a problem with the condition of the home?Yes99%
  2. Which hazard does the repair report describe?Damp and mould98%
  3. How serious is the hazard the repair report describes, by the triage guide?Potential significant hazard87%
  4. Does the repair report describe a second, separate hazard?Yes98%
  5. Does the report say someone at higher risk lives in the home?Yes99%
  6. Does the report say someone's health is already being affected?No88%
  7. Does the report say the problem was reported before or came back after a repair?Yes98%
  8. How far has the damp, mould or water damage spread?Widespread95%
  9. Which trade should attend first for the main problem in the repair report?Damp and mould specialist90%
  10. Does the report say where the problem is and what is wrong, clearly enough to raise a job?Yes97%
  11. Does the report express dissatisfaction with the landlord's service, actions or lack of action?Yes98%

These are real answers stored from one run on this example.

The prism behind it

Find damp, mould and emergency hazards in repair reports11 questions

Fields

  • Who reported it
  • Channel
  • Repair report

Context

Hazard triage guide of a social landlord in England, for repair reports from residents, contractors, staff and third parties. Awaab's Law applies to social landlords in England from 27 October 2025 for damp and mould and for all emergency hazards, and from 30 November 2026 also for excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosion, electrical and hygiene hazards. The landlord's surveyors investigate and decide whether a hazard is significant. This guide only puts reports in order for them. Emergency hazard: an imminent and significant risk of harm to someone in the home, likely within hours, that needs making safe within 24 hours. Examples: a smell of gas; exposed or sparking wires, or water running onto electrics; a ceiling bowing or coming down; no heating in freezing weather in a home with a baby or an older resident; sewage inside the home. Damp and mould is an emergency only when the report says someone's breathing condition is getting worse because of it. Potential significant hazard: a hazard that could cause significant harm to health or safety if left, and needs an investigation within 10 working days. Examples: mould or damp in a living space; condensation that runs down walls every day; water coming through a ceiling; a loose stair handrail; a window that will not close in cold weather; a boiler that keeps failing; rats or mice in the home. Routine repair: a repair with no described risk to health or safety. Examples: a dripping tap, a sticking kitchen drawer, a cracked tile, a fence panel down. People at higher risk: babies and young children, pregnant women, older people, people with asthma, COPD or another breathing condition, a weakened immune system, a disability or a mental health condition. Go only on what the report says about the people in the home. Do not infer health or age from names, wording or tone. Complaints: the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code defines a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the landlord, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting a resident or group of residents. The resident does not have to use the word complaint.

Questions

  1. Does the text report a problem with the condition of the home? Yes / No

    Read the repair report. Does it report a problem with the home or the building: something broken, damaged, damp, leaking, unsafe, infested or not working? Yes: The text reports at least one problem with the home or the building. No: The text is about something else, such as rent, a neighbour dispute, a question about an appointment with no problem described, or a thank you.

  2. Which hazard does the repair report describe? Choice

    Read the repair report. Which hazard does it describe? If it describes more than one, choose the one that could cause the most serious harm to the people in the home; if they seem equal, the one the report says most about.

    • Damp and mould Mould, black patches, damp walls, condensation, a musty smell, or wallpaper peeling from damp.
    • Leak or water coming in Water through a ceiling, roof or window, or leaking from pipes, tanks or a home above, with no mould described.
    • Excess cold or heat No heating or not enough in cold weather, a window or door that will not close, or a home too hot to stay in.
    • Falls Broken stairs or steps, a loose handrail, a trip hazard, an unsafe balcony or a broken floor.
    • Structural collapse or falling elements A bowing ceiling, loose masonry or roof tiles, cracks that are growing, a wall moving.
    • Fire or explosion A smell of gas, a faulty gas appliance, a broken smoke alarm, or a fire door that will not close.
    • Electrical Exposed wires, sparking, burning smells from sockets, water near electrics, no power.
    • Hygiene Rats, mice or insects, blocked drains, sewage, or no working toilet.
    • No hazard described A cosmetic or routine repair with no described risk to health or safety.

  3. How serious is the hazard the repair report describes, by the triage guide? Choice

    Read the repair report and the definitions of emergency hazard, potential significant hazard and routine repair in the context. Which level fits the most serious problem the report describes? This sorts the report for a surveyor, who makes the decision.

    • Emergency hazard An imminent and significant risk of harm, likely within hours, that needs making safe within 24 hours.
    • Potential significant hazard Could cause significant harm to health or safety if left, and needs an investigation, but no harm is likely within hours.
    • Routine repair A repair with no described risk to anyone's health or safety.

  4. Does the repair report describe a second, separate hazard? Yes / No

    Read the repair report. Besides its main problem, does it describe a second, separate hazard of a different type, for example mould and also a window that will not close, or a leak and also sparking lights? Yes: The report describes at least two hazards of different types. No: The report describes one hazard, or one problem with several symptoms, or no hazard.

  5. Does the report say someone at higher risk lives in the home? Yes / No

    Read the repair report and the list of people at higher risk in the context. Does the report say that someone in the home is at higher risk: a baby or young child, a pregnancy, an older person, a breathing condition, a weakened immune system, a disability or a mental health condition? Go only on what the report says, never on names, wording or tone. Yes: The report says someone in the home is in one of these groups. No: The report says nothing about anyone in the home being in one of these groups.

  6. Does the report say someone's health is already being affected? Yes / No

    Read the repair report. Does it say that someone's health is already affected by the condition of the home: coughing, breathing problems, chest infections, rashes, a fall or an injury? Yes: The report describes at least one effect on someone's health. No: The report describes no effect on anyone's health. A risk to health that has not yet caused harm does not count.

  7. Does the report say the problem was reported before or came back after a repair? Yes / No

    Read the repair report. Does it say that this problem was reported to the landlord before, or that it came back after an earlier visit or repair? Yes: The report says the problem was reported before or has returned after a repair. No: The report reads as the first report of this problem.

  8. How far has the damp, mould or water damage spread? Scale

    Read the repair report. How far does it say damp, mould or water damage has spread? Rate what the report describes, not what might be behind it.

    • None described The report describes no damp, mould or water damage.
    • Small One patch or spot, or one window frame, in one room.
    • Spreading Several patches in one room, or a patch the report says is growing or has come back.
    • Widespread Several rooms affected, or belongings, clothes, furniture or a ceiling damaged by it.

  9. Which trade should attend first for the main problem in the repair report? Choice

    Read the repair report. Which trade should attend first for the main problem it describes, the one that could cause the most serious harm?

    • Plumbing Pipes, taps, tanks, toilets and leaks from the water supply.
    • Roofing and gutters Roofs, tiles, flashings, gutters and downpipes.
    • Heating and gas Boilers, radiators, gas appliances and gas smells.
    • Electrical Wiring, sockets, lights, fuse boards and electric heaters.
    • Carpentry and joinery Doors, windows, window handles, stairs, handrails and kitchen units.
    • General building Plastering, brickwork, tiling, fencing and paths.
    • Damp and mould specialist Mould treatment, ventilation and damp surveys.
    • Pest control Rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs and other pests.
    • Drainage Blocked drains, sewers and sewage.
    • Survey first The report does not show what is wrong or what is causing it, so a surveyor needs to look before a trade is chosen.

  10. Does the report say where the problem is and what is wrong, clearly enough to raise a job? Yes / No

    Read the repair report. Does it say where in the home or building the problem is and what is wrong, clearly enough for a repairs adviser to raise a job without asking again? Yes: The report gives both the location and the problem. No: The location or the problem is missing or too unclear to raise a job.

  11. Does the report express dissatisfaction with the landlord's service, actions or lack of action? Yes / No

    Read the repair report and the Housing Ombudsman Code definition of a complaint in the context. Does the person reporting express dissatisfaction, in any words, with the standard of the landlord's service, something the landlord or its contractors did, or something they failed to do? They do not need to use the word complaint. A person decides whether to log it as a complaint. Yes: The report expresses dissatisfaction with the landlord's service, actions or lack of action. No: The report describes the problem without any dissatisfaction with how the landlord has handled it. Unhappiness about the problem itself does not count.

Lens columns

reports_home_problem, reports_home_problem_probability, hazard_type, hazard_type_probability, hazard_level, hazard_level_probability, second_hazard, second_hazard_probability, vulnerable_occupant, vulnerable_occupant_probability, health_effect_reported, health_effect_reported_probability, repeat_report, repeat_report_probability, extent, extent_average, trade, trade_probability, enough_to_raise_job, enough_to_raise_job_probability, dissatisfaction_expressed, dissatisfaction_expressed_probability

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