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Guide · For renters in England

Damp and mould in a rented home: your options (England)

Damp and mould are among the most common complaints private renters in England raise, and among the most stubborn to get fixed. This guide explains who is generally responsible, how to report and document it so it is hard to ignore, and the routes many renters use to escalate. It is general information, not legal advice, and for your own situation free help is available from Shelter, Citizens Advice and GOV.UK.

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Who is usually responsible for damp and mould?

Responsibility depends on the cause, but in most private tenancies in England the landlord is generally responsible for the structure and exterior of the property and for dealing with disrepair that lets damp in, such as a leaking roof, defective guttering, penetrating damp through the walls, or rising damp. Where mould grows because of one of these underlying defects, it is commonly treated as the landlord's responsibility to put right.

Landlords also have a general duty to keep a home fit to live in. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires rented homes to be fit for human habitation at the start of and throughout the tenancy, and serious damp and mould can be one of the things that makes a home unfit. The exact position turns on the facts, so if you are unsure, Shelter or Citizens Advice can help you understand where you stand.

Condensation is sometimes raised by landlords as a tenant lifestyle issue (drying washing indoors, not ventilating). Everyday living does produce moisture, but persistent condensation and mould can also point to inadequate ventilation, poor insulation, or heating that is too expensive to run, which may be the landlord's responsibility to address. It is rarely as simple as blaming the tenant.

Report it in writing, with photos, early

As with any repair, damp and mould are far easier to prove and much harder to ignore when reported in writing. Email or the agent's portal is better than a phone call, which leaves no record. Describe exactly where it is (which room, which wall), when you first noticed it, whether it is getting worse, and any effect on you or your belongings.

Attach dated photos each time. Mould spreads and recurs, so a set of timestamped photos showing the same patch over weeks or months is powerful evidence of an ongoing problem the landlord knew about. Note the date you reported it and keep every reply.

This is the kind of running record TenantProof is designed to help you keep: log the issue as a repair with the date reported, add photos over time, and the app can flag when a reasonable period has passed without a fix.

Health, and why to write it down

Damp and mould can affect health, and respiratory conditions in particular. This guide cannot give medical advice, if you are worried about your health or someone in your household, speak to a GP or NHS 111. What is worth doing from a record-keeping point of view is noting, in your written reports to the landlord, any health effects you have raised and when, because it shows the landlord was made aware of the impact, not just the cosmetic problem.

If a doctor gives you anything in writing linking symptoms to the conditions in your home, keep a copy with your records. Whether and how that matters legally depends on your circumstances, and is something a qualified adviser can talk through.

Chase, then escalate to the council

If reporting and chasing in writing do not get it fixed within a reasonable time, a common next step is to contact your local council's private-sector housing or environmental health team. Councils can assess hazards in rented homes under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), and damp and mould can be assessed as a hazard. Where a serious (Category 1) hazard is found, the council has powers to require the landlord to act.

You can usually find the right team on your council's website. Going to them with a clear, dated record, your written reports, the photos over time, and the landlord's replies (or silence), generally puts you in a far stronger position than turning up with just a description.

The law in this area is changing. Rules requiring landlords to address damp and mould within fixed timescales (often referred to as Awaab's Law) have applied first in social housing and are being extended, and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 also affects standards in the private rented sector. The rollout is staged and dates can change, so check the current position on GOV.UK rather than relying on a fixed date here.

Practical steps to reduce condensation meanwhile

None of this is about accepting blame, but while you push for a proper fix, a few steps can reduce condensation and slow mould: ventilate when cooking or showering (use extractor fans if they work, or open a window), try to keep some background heat rather than letting the home get very cold and damp, and wipe down condensation and clean small mould patches promptly.

Keep doing this alongside, not instead of, reporting the underlying problem. If ventilation or heating is inadequate or the fans do not work, add that to your written report, it may itself be something the landlord needs to address.

Why a dated record matters if it escalates

Whether damp and mould ends up with the council, an adviser or a tribunal, the recurring questions are the same: what was wrong, what did the landlord know, and when? A tidy, time-stamped trail, dated photos of the same patch over time, your written reports, and the responses, answers that far better than memory.

Building that record from the moment you first notice a problem tends to be much easier than reconstructing it later, and it is the single most useful thing you can do to be ready if you need to escalate.

Common questions

Is damp and mould always the landlord's responsibility?

Not automatically, but often at least in part. Where mould is caused by disrepair such as a leak, penetrating or rising damp, or by inadequate ventilation, insulation or heating, it is commonly the landlord's responsibility to address, and landlords have a general duty to keep a home fit to live in. Condensation from everyday living is sometimes raised as a tenant issue, but persistent problems frequently point to something structural. If you are unsure, Shelter or Citizens Advice can help you understand your position.

My landlord says the mould is my fault for not ventilating. What can I do?

Everyday living does create moisture, but blaming the tenant is rarely the whole story, persistent damp and mould can reflect inadequate ventilation, insulation or heating. It is worth reporting the problem in writing, noting whether extractor fans work and whether the home is hard to heat, and keeping dated photos. If it is not resolved, your council's environmental health team can assess damp and mould as a hazard. Free advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice can help you respond.

How long does a landlord have to deal with damp and mould?

There is no single deadline that fits every case, landlords are generally expected to act within a reasonable time, and what is reasonable depends on how serious the problem is. The law is also changing: fixed timescales for damp and mould (often called Awaab's Law) have applied first in social housing and are being extended, and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 affects private-rented standards too. The rollout is staged, so check the current position on GOV.UK. Keeping a dated record of when you reported it helps show whether a reasonable time has passed.

Can the council make my landlord fix damp and mould?

In some cases, yes. Councils can assess hazards in rented homes under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and damp and mould can be assessed as a hazard. Where a serious hazard is found, the council has powers to require the landlord to act. Contacting your council's private-sector housing or environmental health team is a common escalation route, and going to them with a clear, dated record of what you reported and when generally helps.

Does a dated photo of mould really help?

It often does. Mould recurs and spreads, so a set of timestamped photos of the same patch over weeks or months is strong evidence of an ongoing problem the landlord was told about. A photo with a reliable date is generally more persuasive than describing it afterwards, which is why keeping dated photos and written reports from the moment you notice a problem tends to make any later escalation easier.

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General information for private renters in England, last reviewed 8 July 2026. Not legal advice, the law and deadlines can change, so check the current position via GOV.UK or get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice. See also Help & official routes.