Rise in damp house complaints to Falkirk Council is 'alarming' says MSP

Central Scotland Tory MSP Meghan Gallacher says it is “alarming” there have been over 1700 complaints about damp and mould have been made to the council since 2022.

She has now raised serious concerns about the conditions of council homes in Falkirk after a sharp rise in complaints from tenants.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request from Ms Gallacher – who is also her party’s shadow housing secretary – reveals the council received 1726 reports of damp and mould issues between 2022 and 2025, with complaints rising year on year.

Complaints rose from 456 in 2022/23 to a “staggering” 664 in 2024/25.

Meghan also says she is worried that the FOI response confirmed that fewer than 14 per cent of those complaints resulted in remedial action being taken.

But the council responded saying that most of the complaints did not require any maintenance work.

The FOI also revealed that as of this month, Falkirk Council still has 123 active cases of damp and mould that still require remedial work under a new housing work programme prompted by Scottish Housing Regulator guidelines.

Ms Gallacher said: “These figures are deeply alarming and speak to a wider failure by SNP-run Falkirk Council to properly maintain their housing stock and protect tenants.

“Damp and mould are not just a maintenance issue, they are a health hazard, particularly for children and vulnerable people.

“The fact that complaints have surged by nearly 50 per cent in just two years shows a system that is struggling to cope. Worse still, the number of cases receiving remedial action is shockingly low.

“Local tenants are being left to live in unacceptable conditions while SNP Ministers continue to ignore the crumbling state of public housing in Scotland. The Scottish Conservatives are calling for urgent investment and a dedicated response to ensure no one is forced to endure damp and mould in their home.

“We are now halfway through 2025 and there are still over 100 families waiting for action. The people of Falkirk deserve better. It’s time the Council and the SNP Government took their responsibilities seriously.”

A spokesperson for Falkirk Council said: “We take every report of damp and mould extremely seriously. When a tenant reports a problem with damp or mould we thoroughly investigate each report on a case-by-case basis.

" These figures reflect the number of inspections carried out for issues reported by tenants which demonstrates we take every report extremely seriously. Most reports require no remedial action as following a full technical inspection it is identified the issue is due to excess moisture and a build of condensation.

"Tenants are provided with advice and support on how to reduce condensation in the home and we help those struggling to heat their home through our welfare advice and debt advice teams.

“We currently own over 17,000 properties and all stock is maintained in accordance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). We have a five-year investment programme in place to ensure stock fully complies with SHQS. Fortunately, only a very small number of isolated cases have required remedial work.”