Damp and Mould in a Rented Home: What Should You Do?
Damp or mould in your rented home? Find out how to report it, what evidence to keep, what your landlord should do, and how Awaab's Law protects social housing tenants in England.
Finding damp or mould in a rented home can be worrying, particularly when you do not know what is causing it, whether it could affect your health, or what your landlord should do about it.
The most important thing is not to ignore it. Record what you can see, report the problem to your landlord as soon as possible, and keep a clear record of what happens next.
Damp and mould can have several causes, including leaks, defects in the building, inadequate ventilation, condensation, or a combination of factors. You do not need to diagnose the cause yourself before reporting it. The underlying problem should be investigated.
This guide focuses primarily on rented homes in England. Some rules differ depending on whether you rent from a social or private landlord.
What can damp and mould look like?
Damp does not always look the same. You might notice dark or discoloured patches on walls or ceilings, black mould around windows or in corners, peeling wallpaper or paint, a persistent musty smell, excessive condensation, or belongings becoming damp or mouldy.
Sometimes visible mould is not the first sign. Government health guidance explains that dampness itself can increase the risk of health problems even where visible mould is not present.
If something in your home has changed, record it even if you are unsure of the cause.
Can damp and mould affect your health?
Yes. Government guidance says damp and mould primarily affect the airways and lungs, but can also affect the eyes and skin. Damp and mould can also affect mental health through concerns about health, unpleasant living conditions and damage to belongings.
Everyone can be affected, although children, older people and people with certain health conditions can be at greater risk of more severe effects.
If you think damp or mould is affecting your health, seek appropriate medical advice as well as reporting the housing problem to your landlord. If somebody is seriously unwell or you believe there is an immediate medical emergency, seek urgent medical help.
Importantly, the government guidance says landlords should not delay action while waiting for medical evidence or an opinion from a healthcare professional.
What should you do when you first notice damp or mould?
Start by creating a simple record of what is happening. Take clear photographs or videos, note the rooms and areas affected, record when you first noticed the problem and describe whether it is spreading, returning or getting worse.
If belongings have been damaged, photograph those too. If the problem changes over time, take new photographs rather than relying only on the original ones.
Then report the problem to your landlord as soon as possible. Where you can, use a method that leaves a written record, such as your landlord's repair portal, email or another official reporting system.
Our guide on how to report a repair to your landlord explains what information can be useful to include.
What information should you give your landlord?
Explain what you can see and exactly where it is. Tell your landlord when you first noticed it, whether it is getting worse, whether it has happened before and whether there are related problems such as a leak, damaged plaster, faulty ventilation, problems with heating or persistent condensation.
If the damp or mould may be affecting somebody's health, tell your landlord. It can also be important to explain if somebody living in the home may be at greater risk from its effects.
Photographs, dates, repair references and copies of communications can help create a clearer history. Our guide to what evidence to keep for housing repairs covers this in more detail.
Do you have to work out what is causing the mould?
No. You can describe what you are experiencing, but you should not need to diagnose a building problem yourself.
Damp and mould can be caused by leaks, penetrating damp, rising damp, defects to the building, inadequate ventilation, condensation or several factors acting together. Establishing the underlying cause may require an inspection or further investigation.
This matters because simply cleaning visible mould does not necessarily address why it appeared. Current government guidance for rented housing providers says landlords should identify and tackle underlying causes and that simply removing surface mould will not prevent it from reappearing.
The Housing Ombudsman's Spotlight report on damp and mould also calls for social landlords to move from inferring blame to taking responsibility and from reactive responses towards more proactive approaches.
What should your landlord do about damp and mould?
The exact legal duties and timescales can depend on your tenancy, the cause and seriousness of the problem, and whether you rent privately or from a social landlord.
However, government guidance for rented housing providers says landlords should respond sensitively, assess reports with urgency, remove mould to address the health risk and identify and tackle the underlying causes. It covers both social and private rented housing providers in England.
For social housing tenants in England, there are additional fixed requirements under Awaab's Law where damp or mould presents a significant hazard.
What does Awaab's Law mean for damp and mould?
Awaab's Law applies to social housing in England. Phase 1 came into force on 27 October 2025 and introduced fixed requirements for emergency hazards and damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm.
For a significant damp or mould hazard, a social landlord must investigate within 10 working days of becoming aware of the potential hazard. If the investigation confirms a significant hazard, the landlord must make the home safe within 5 working days after the investigation concludes.
The landlord must also provide a written summary within 3 working days after the investigation concludes, unless the circumstances described in the guidance mean one is not required. Where additional work is needed, the landlord must begin it, or take steps for it to begin, within 5 working days after the investigation. If the work cannot physically begin within that period, it must begin as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 12 weeks after the investigation concludes.
If the landlord cannot make the home safe within the required timeframe, it must offer suitable alternative accommodation until the home is safe.
Emergency hazards have faster requirements. They must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours.
These fixed Awaab's Law timescales apply to social housing in England. They should not be treated as the current timetable for every private rented home.
What if your landlord says the problem is condensation?
Condensation can contribute to damp and mould, but that does not mean a resident should automatically be blamed for the problem.
The important question is why moisture is building up and whether the property, ventilation, heating, insulation, leaks or other factors are contributing. Government guidance says damp and mould may have more than one cause and landlords should understand the underlying causes.
Practical steps such as using available ventilation may help reduce moisture in some homes. But advice to residents should not replace investigation of a potential defect or hazard.
What if the mould is cleaned but keeps coming back?
If mould returns after cleaning or repair work, keep recording it. A recurring problem may indicate that the underlying cause has not been resolved.
Note when treatment or repair work took place, when the mould returned and whether it appeared in the same place. Take new photographs and keep any further communications.
A repair marked as complete on a system does not necessarily mean the problem inside the home has stopped. Our article When a Repair Keeps Coming Back: Why It's Worth Keeping a Record explains why the history of a recurring problem can matter.
What if your landlord does not act?
Keep the record going. Save your original report, repair reference numbers, photographs, appointment details, inspection outcomes and subsequent messages.
When you chase the repair, refer back to the original report and explain what has changed or remains unresolved. If your landlord has a formal complaints process, consider using it when normal repair reporting has not resolved the problem.
Social housing residents can find further information through the Housing Ombudsman's damp and mould resources.
Depending on your circumstances, other routes may also be available. The appropriate next step can depend on your landlord, tenancy and the seriousness of the conditions, so seek independent housing or legal advice where necessary.
For a broader explanation of repair timescales, see How Long Does a Landlord Have to Fix a Repair?.
How House Krowd can help you keep a clearer record
When a housing problem continues over weeks or months, information can become scattered across photographs, emails, repair references and conversations.
House Krowd helps residents build a clearer digital record of what is happening in their home. Keeping photographs, dates, descriptions and communications together can make it easier to understand the history of an issue, what has already been reported and whether a problem has changed or returned.
House Krowd does not diagnose the cause of damp or replace a professional inspection. Its role is to help residents keep a clearer record of their home and the issues they have reported.
If you are unsure whether the wider condition of your home could amount to disrepair, you can also read What Is Housing Disrepair? A Simple Guide for Tenants.
Report it, record it and keep the history
Damp and mould should not simply become part of everyday life in a rented home.
If you notice a problem, report it. Take photographs. Keep dates and communications. Tell your landlord if it is getting worse, returning after previous work or affecting somebody in the household.
A clear record cannot fix damp and mould on its own, but it can help make sure the history of the problem does not disappear between reports, appointments and repairs.
Sources and further reading
For authoritative information, see the UK Government's guidance on the health risks of damp and mould, Awaab's Law guidance for tenants in social housing, the government's Awaab's Law guidance for social landlords, and the Housing Ombudsman's damp and mould learning resources.