If your landlord has not addressed damp or mould in your rented property, this tool generates a formal complaint letter based on your situation. The letter references the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and gives your landlord 14 days to respond. Fill in the details below.
How to use this tool
- Enter your name, address, and your landlord or agent’s details.
- Describe the damp or mould issue.
- Confirm whether you have previously reported it and how.
- Indicate whether anyone in the property has a health condition that makes this particularly serious.
- Click Generate letter to see your letter. Print it or copy the text to email it.
Understanding your results
The letter sets out your complaint formally and gives your landlord a written deadline to respond. Sending it creates a paper trail you can use if you need to escalate to your local council’s environmental health team or take the matter to court. Save or print a copy for your records. If the landlord does not respond within the deadline stated in the letter, contact your local authority — councils have powers under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to require landlords to carry out repairs.
Legal context
Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, landlords in England must ensure that a property is fit for human habitation at the start of the tenancy and throughout. Damp and mould that constitutes a serious hazard falls under Category 1 of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), which triggers a duty on local councils to take enforcement action. The Awaab’s Law provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will require landlords to investigate and repair reported damp and mould within prescribed timeframes — regulations setting those timeframes are expected in 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a landlord legally required to fix damp and mould?
Yes. Under Section 9A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, inserted by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, landlords must ensure the property is fit for human habitation at the start and throughout the tenancy. Damp that makes a property unfit or that constitutes a hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System is a breach of this duty.
What is Awaab’s Law and does it apply to private landlords?
Awaab’s Law, under Section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, requires registered social housing providers to investigate and fix damp and mould hazards within fixed statutory timeframes. It does not apply to private landlords. Private tenants have separate remedies under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and the HHSRS enforcement regime.
What should a formal damp complaint letter to a landlord include?
The letter should state the date, the property address, a factual description of the damp or mould including location and extent, how long it has been present, any dates you reported it previously, whether it is affecting your health or belongings, and a clear request for the landlord to inspect and provide a repair timeline within 14 days.
Can a landlord blame tenant behaviour for damp and mould?
Landlords have attempted to attribute damp to tenant behaviour such as drying clothes indoors or insufficient ventilation. Courts and environmental health officers have rejected this argument where structural deficiencies, inadequate heating systems, or missing extractor fans are identified. The tenant is expected to ventilate reasonably, but the landlord is responsible for ensuring the property allows adequate ventilation.
What is the Housing Health and Safety Rating System?
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the framework used by local authorities under the Housing Act 2004 to assess hazards in residential properties. Damp and mould growth is one of 29 hazard categories. A Category 1 hazard, indicating high risk to health, requires the local authority to take enforcement action against the landlord.
What can a tenant do if the landlord ignores a damp complaint?
Tenants can report the issue to the local authority environmental health team, which can inspect the property and issue an improvement notice or hazard awareness notice to the landlord. Tenants can also bring a claim in the county court under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 for damages. Both routes can run in parallel.
What evidence should a tenant keep about damp and mould?
Tenants should photograph all affected areas with date and time stamps, keep a written log of dates reported and any landlord responses, retain any medical correspondence linking health symptoms to the damp, and record temperature and humidity readings where possible. This evidence is essential if the matter reaches a county court claim or an environmental health inspection.
Can a tenant withhold rent because of damp and mould?
Withholding rent is legally risky and is not advised without legal advice. A tenant in arrears can face a Ground 8 possession claim regardless of the reason for non-payment. Safer remedies include applying to the local authority for enforcement, or issuing a county court claim under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Both allow the tenant to remain paying rent while the matter is resolved.
What is the difference between condensation damp, rising damp, and penetrating damp?
Condensation damp occurs when moisture from everyday activities condenses on cold surfaces, typically appearing as black mould on walls and window frames. Rising damp results from groundwater moving up through the building fabric, indicated by a tide mark or salt deposits on lower walls. Penetrating damp comes from water ingress through the roof, walls, or windows and often appears as patches following rain. The source determines what repair is required.
How long does a landlord have to respond to a damp complaint?
There is no statutory fixed timeframe for private landlords. Courts assess whether the landlord acted within a reasonable time. Acknowledging a report within 28 days and beginning investigation has generally been considered reasonable. Serious health hazards should be treated as urgent. A landlord who acknowledges the problem but fails to act is in a weaker legal position than one who denies receiving notice.