For UCL students, London’s weather poses more problems than just wet trouser legs and damp socks. Some teaching facilities at the University face mould issues.
During the 2025/26 academic year, there have been eight reports of mould, with four cases in Bentham House, two in Endsleigh Gardens, and one each in the IOE and Torrington Place.
Slow off the mark
In Bentham House, it took an average of 42.5 days to resolve the mould complaints. However, during the 2024/25 academic year, the four mould and damp reports in Bentham House averaged only 13.5 days to resolve.
The two reports that Endsleigh Gardens received this academic year took an average of 25 days to remedy. Torrington Place and the IOE’s mould resolution each took one day.
On average, UCL resolves mould issues in 27 days. Yet, it takes roughly two to three weeks for black mould to become visible and sporulate, meaning that some UCL students have likely been inhaling mould spores during their lectures.
The duration provided includes the time taken for UCL Estates to replace water damaged materials and therefore measures the time taken to wholly rectify the mould issue.
The dangers of mould exposure
In October 2025, Awaab’s Law was imposed due to the severe, sometimes life threatening, consequences that prolonged exposure to mould and damp can have. This law states that any case of mould should be “investigated and made safe within 24 hours of the landlord being made aware.”
Though associated with renting and housing issues, the standards set by the government demonstrate how serious the issue of mould can become.
The NHS is estimated to be spending £1.4 billion annually due to damp housing-related illnesses. Additionally, the National Education Union states, “Mould should be treated with urgency”.
This lagged wait time for resolution, most notably in Bentham House, means UCL’s centrally managed buildings sometimes resorted to short-term-quick-fixes like placing buckets beneath the leaks.
An issue in the spotlight
The issue of dampness around campus was also brought up during the February Union Executive meeting, with students highlighting water damage in the archery range caused by a society’s forgotten clothing becoming damaged and mouldy.
Yet, UCL’s response times to issues regarding damp and mould do not match up to the increasingly strict government guidelines surrounding this issue.
With UCL’s 2025/26 EDI report acknowledging 2,750 students registered having either long-term health conditions or multiple disabilities, the lag time to resolve the mould issues within the University threatens to put students and staff at an increased health risk.
A UCL spokesperson said:
“Our ambitious UCL Estates 2050 Vision programme will enhance the campus experience for everyone who works, studies and visits at UCL, bringing long-term improvements to our accommodation, teaching and research spaces, public realm and offices.
“We prioritise maintenance issues reported to us based on the level of urgency and take any reports of mould very seriously.
“The time taken to resolve a reported problem with mould will include investigation and resolution of the cause as well as any redecorating or recarpeting work – the incident will only be closed once that work is complete.”