Damp and mould advice for landlords
As a landlord you must ensure that your rental properties are free from damp and mould.
If left untreated these problems can have significant impacts on the physical and mental health of your tenants, especially children, older adults and people with existing health conditions.
On 8 September 2023, the government published comprehensive guidance on damp and mould in homes. Landlords should familiarise themselves with this guidance at the earliest opportunity.
Your responsibilities
It is the landlord’s responsibility to deal with damp and mould if it is caused by disrepair or poses a risk to health and safety.
If a tenant reports damp and mould in their home landlords should respond promptly and address matters urgently where there is significant damp and mould.
You must not automatically assume that damp and mould is a tenant-caused “lifestyle” issue. Often damp and mould is blamed on tenants without landlords fully investigating and looking for underlying causes.
We have enforcement powers under the Housing Act 2004 to make landlords fix their property if it is found to have a significant damp and mould problem that poses a risk to tenants’ health and safety.
You can find our advice on the measures you can take to minimise damp and mould in your property in our checklist for landlords.
Read our plan for addressing damp and mould in private rented properties for further information.
What causes damp and mould
Damp and mould can be caused by:
- condensation – the most common cause of damp and often due to poor ventilation, poor heating or inadequate insulation
- leaking pipes or blocked gutters and overflows
- rising damp – more common in older houses with a damaged or missing damp proof course
- penetrating damp – water leaking through the walls due to structural problems such as faulty guttering or roofing, cracks in the walls or missing mortar and flashings
Prevention
Some damp and mould can occur in any home.
Landlords should regularly inspect their properties and have a programme of maintenance and management. This will help avoid damp and mould problems.
You can borrow a thermal imaging camera from your local library which can help you identity where your property might need better insulation.
The council funds low interest loans to support landlords to carry out heating and insulation repairs and improvements, delivered by Lendology CIC, an ethical lender.
For further energy efficiency advice for landlords and advice on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards visit our energy advice for landlords page.
Further help
Information and advice for social housing providers on damp and mould is available from the social housing regulator.