Reviewed: 9 September 2026 | Applies to: private landlords and letting agents in England. General information only, not medical, building-survey, remediation-design or legal advice for a particular home.
When damp or mould is reported in an England private rented home, deal with the report as a condition and repair issue: make a clear record, consider whether there may be an urgent safety concern, investigate the facts, arrange any relevant repair work, keep the tenant informed and retain the record. This is a focused response guide, not a diagnosis of why a particular home is damp or mouldy. For the wider repair-duty and reporting framework, see landlord repair responsibilities. The Landlord Regulation Guide gives the wider England-led compliance picture.
Start with the report and the immediate situation
Record what has been reported, when it was reported, where the condition is said to be, any images or other information supplied, and the contact details needed to follow up. GOV.UK tells tenants to contact their landlord if a property needs repairs or has mould, and to do so straight away for faults that could damage health.
Consider the information available and whether it suggests an urgent risk or a problem requiring relevant professional help. If there may be an immediate danger, use the appropriate emergency or professional route for the facts. This guide cannot assess risk, give health advice or decide whether a particular condition is an emergency.
Arrange a fact-finding visit or suitable professional input
Do not assume the cause from a message, photograph or a single explanation. Establish the relevant facts and, where needed, arrange access to view the condition or obtain suitably qualified technical advice. The landlord’s statutory right of entry to view condition and state of repair under section 11 applies at reasonable times of day after at least 24 hours’ written notice to the occupier; the exact access position can depend on the tenancy and circumstances.
Use the visit or advice to understand the reported condition and what action may be needed. This is not a substitute for a survey, an instruction on ventilation or remediation design, or a conclusion about responsibility in an individual case.
Put relevant repair responsibilities into action
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 implies repair obligations in qualifying leases, including for the structure and exterior and specified installations. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) provisions also require a qualifying dwelling in England to be fit when the lease begins and to remain fit during the term; the statutory fitness matters include freedom from damp and prescribed hazards. The application of those provisions, any exceptions and the facts of a tenancy matter.
Once the facts are known, arrange any repair or other action for which the landlord is responsible, using appropriate competent help where the work calls for it. GOV.UK says a landlord should tell the tenant when they can expect repairs to be done. It does not set one fixed universal private-sector deadline for every damp or mould report. Avoid promises that cannot be supported by the facts or by a contractor’s availability; explain what has been arranged and the next update point instead.
Keep the tenant informed and retain a reliable record
- Acknowledge the report and give a clear contact route for further information or a change in circumstances.
- Confirm agreed access arrangements and any next steps in writing where practical.
- Keep dated copies of communications, observations, professional advice, appointments, invoices and completed-work records.
- Update the tenant if the plan changes, and keep the record factual rather than attributing blame or making a diagnosis without suitable evidence.
Good communication and records help a landlord manage the report. They do not decide legal liability, prove that a home is safe or replace professional advice where the condition, work or dispute is complex.
Where HHSRS and council action fit
HHSRS is the statutory system local housing authorities use under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004 to assess housing-health and safety hazards. The current landlord and agent guide treats damp and mould as one of the hazards in the revised system. It is not a landlord self-scoring tool, a mould-remediation specification or a universal repair timetable.
If a reported condition may present a material health or safety concern, suitable professional advice may be needed. GOV.UK says a tenant can contact the environmental health department at their local council if repairs are not done; it says councils must take action if they think problems could harm the tenant or cause a nuisance to others. A council assessment, notice or dispute needs advice specific to the document and circumstances.
Do not import social-housing Awaab’s Law timeframes
The fixed timeframes in the current Awaab’s Law regulations and guidance apply to the social rented sector, not to this England private-landlord response guide. The current Renters’ Rights Act implementation roadmap says government will consult on the PRS Awaab’s Law details and implementation timescales in due course. Separately, the January 2026 New Decent Homes Standard policy statement says the new standard will apply to the private rented sector from 2035, when regulation and enforcement against it will begin. Neither future measure is stated here as a current private-sector response rule.
When to seek advice
Seek appropriately qualified housing, surveying, technical or legal advice where there may be a material safety concern, the cause or necessary work is uncertain, access is disputed, or a local authority has contacted the landlord or issued a formal notice. This guide cannot diagnose a building condition, advise on a tenant’s health, interpret a notice or predict an enforcement or court outcome.
Official sources
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11, latest available revised text: repairing obligations and the condition/state-of-repair entry provision in qualifying leases.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 9A and section 10, latest available revised text: fitness for human habitation in England and the statutory matters, including freedom from damp and prescribed hazards.
- GOV.UK: Private renting – Repairs: current tenant-facing repair and mould contact guidance.
- GOV.UK: Landlord and agent guide to HHSRS and Housing Act 2004, Part 1: the England hazard-assessment and local-authority framework.
- GOV.UK: Renters’ Rights Act 2025 implementation roadmap: PRS Awaab’s Law details and implementation timescales remain subject to a future consultation; the New Decent Homes Standard policy statement says the new standard will apply from 2035.
- GOV.UK: Awaab’s Law guidance for social landlords and the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025: social-rented-sector scope only, checked to avoid importing its timeframes into this guide.
