TENANTS should not be blamed for dampness and mould in their homes MSPs have been told.

Housing campaigners said that the official data on damp and mould is the “tip of the iceberg” and called for more action by landlords to improve homes and for more affordable homes to be built.

The Scottish Parliament’s housing committee heard from groups including Citizens Advice Scotland, Shelter Scotland and Living Rent.

The Glasgow Times has highlighted several tenants with mould problems READ MORE HERE

They all said tenants were being blamed for their own living conditions, instead of landlords taking action to solve the problem.

Tenants drying clothes, creating steam from cooking, poor ventilation or inadequate heating have all been blamed for causing damp and mould.

Debbie King, head of advocacy at Shelter Scotland, said: “This is not the tenants’ fault. It is about having sub-standard housing, it’s about fuel poverty and decades of under-investment.”

“If we don’t address this, we will never tackle child poverty and health inequalities.

“It is easier to blame the tenants because it is complicated to bring the homes up to standard.”

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Emma Saunders, national organiser of Living Rent, said: “We still have a lot of tenants being blamed and told they don’t know how to cook potatoes properly or how to shower.

“Tenants are being gaslighted and told it is their fault. Landlords should be providing compensation for these families.”

Aoife Deery, social justice policy officer at Citizens Advice, said: “People are being blamed for not ventilating or heating their homes properly. People can’t afford to heat their homes properly.”

Shona Gorman, of Central Scotland Regional Network of Tenants, said: “Tenant blaming has been going on for years because it was the easy way out.

“Some of the properties can’t be brought up to the standard we expect in 2023.”

Representatives of landlords told the committee it is not acceptable and is counterproductive.

John Kerr, of the Scottish Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers, said: “I would be extremely disappointed if there were still a culture of blaming tenants.

“Blaming tenants is not only not appropriate but ineffective.”

He said it puts off tenants from reporting issues when they should be encouraged to do so.

He added, however: “I’m not daft enough to say it doesn’t exist.”

Carolyn Lochhead, director of external affairs at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “Tenants should be listened to and supported. If a problem is being reported we have to find the root cause.

“Day-to-day living does have an effect on properties but homes need to be lived in. Find the root cause and take action.”

John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords, said: “I don’t think there is anything to be gained from a landlord blaming a tenant.

“Every landlord and tenant will be keen to find the remedy rather than indulge in a blame game.”