Renters’ Rights Act and Damp: A Landlord’s Duties

Damp and mould are no longer minor maintenance issues that landlords can leave for months. New rules place clear, enforceable duties on landlords to act quickly, and a documented survey is often the fastest way to prove what is happening and what must be fixed.

What does the Renters’ Rights Act say about damp and mould?

The Renters’ Rights Act tightens the legal framework around housing conditions, making damp and mould a compliance issue rather than a discretionary repair. It reinforces that rented homes must be safe, healthy and fit for habitation throughout the tenancy, and it removes many of the delays and loopholes that previously let problems drift.

Under this framework, landlords cannot ignore reports or treat visible mould as a purely cosmetic complaint. The condition of the property is assessed against health and safety standards, and serious damp is treated as a hazard that requires investigation and remedial action.

How does Awaab’s Law affect landlords’ damp duties?

Awaab’s Law introduces fixed timescales requiring landlords to investigate and address dangerous damp and mould within set deadlines. Named following the death of Awaab Ishak, it moves damp from an open-ended repair into a time-bound legal obligation, with the most serious hazards demanding the fastest response.

In practice this means a landlord who receives a report of damp or mould must act promptly to establish the cause, then carry out repairs within the required period. A vague or delayed response is no longer defensible, and this is where a prompt, professional Damp, Mould and Water Damage Assessment becomes essential to meet the timescale and document compliance.

What are a landlord’s specific damp and mould duties?

A landlord must keep the property free from serious damp and mould hazards, respond to tenant reports without unreasonable delay, and complete repairs within the applicable legal timescales. These duties apply across the tenancy, not just at the start, and they cannot be signed away in the tenancy agreement.

Core responsibilities include:

• Investigating any reported damp or mould promptly and properly
• Identifying the underlying cause rather than painting over symptoms
• Carrying out effective repairs within the required timescales
• Keeping records of reports, inspections and remedial work
• Ensuring the home remains fit for habitation throughout the tenancy

Blaming the tenant’s lifestyle without evidence is risky. If the true cause is a structural defect, penetrating damp or rising damp, a lifestyle excuse will not stand up to scrutiny.

What are the signs of damp a landlord must act on?

Landlords should act on any visible mould, persistent condensation, musty smells or staining, as these often signal a hazard that must be investigated. Early signs are easy to dismiss, but under the current rules they trigger a duty to look into the problem properly.

Watch for these indicators:

• Black or green mould on walls, ceilings or around windows
• Peeling paint, bubbling plaster or blown skirting
• Tide marks or salt staining low on walls
• Damp, musty odours that linger after ventilation
• Streaming condensation on glass and cold surfaces
• Damaged or rotting window frames and timber

Because these symptoms can share different underlying causes, a survey that distinguishes condensation from penetrating or rising damp protects both parties and directs money towards the right repair.

How can a survey help landlords stay compliant?

A comprehensive survey gives landlords documented proof of the cause, the severity and the correct remedy, which is exactly what the new duties and timescales require. We confirm the price on a written quote once we understand the problem. Our Damp, Mould and Water Damage Assessment (what many people call a damp survey) delivers a full insurance-ready written report with a photographic evidence appendix, clear findings and prioritised recommendations.

That report does three jobs at once: it identifies the real cause, it shows you investigated promptly to satisfy your legal obligations, and it prioritises the works so you fix the most serious hazards first. Follow these steps to stay on the right side of the rules:

1. Log the tenant’s report with the date and details
2. Arrange a professional survey without delay
3. Use the written findings to plan and scope repairs
4. Complete works within the required timescales
5. Keep the report and records as evidence of compliance

What happens if a landlord ignores damp?

A landlord who ignores damp risks enforcement action, financial penalties, rent repayment orders and compensation claims from tenants. Local authorities can intervene where a home contains serious hazards, and tenants have clearer routes to hold landlords to account than before.

Beyond the legal exposure, ignoring damp allows the problem to worsen, damaging plaster, timber and decorations and making the eventual repair more disruptive. Acting early, with a documented survey, is almost always cheaper and less stressful than defending a claim.

Arrange your Damp, Mould and Water Damage Assessment

Damp & Mould Solutions UK provides Damp, Mould and Water Damage Assessments for landlords across the UK, including London boroughs such as Camden, Islington, Hackney, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark, Ealing and the surrounding boroughs. Call 020 3051 8478 or send photos via WhatsApp for an initial view of your damp or mould problem, and we will explain how an assessment can protect your compliance and your property.

If you've got damp, mould, or a leak, you already know it needs sorting.

The longer it sits, the worse it gets. Get in touch and we will agree a date with you. If it is urgent, say so when you call.