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What you can claim for

  1. 01Damp and mould
  2. 02Leaks
  3. 03Heating or hot water
  4. 04Electrics
  5. 05Windows or doors
  6. 06Pests
  7. 07Structure or roof
  8. 08Something else

Largest landlords

All 351 landlords

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Report Repair · FCA authorised, FRN 830182

Council and housing association tenants in England

Damp and mould your landlord hasn’t fixed

What your council or housing association has to do about damp and mould, how fast it has to act, and what you can do if it doesn’t.

By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistUpdated 9 October 2026 · Awaab’s Law: in force now

Check your claimDamp and mould

Has your landlord been told about it?

Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet your landlord’s repair contacts

Free to check · About 2 minutes

You can complain to your landlord, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.

What counts

Damp and mould: what your landlord should fix

  • 01Black mould on walls, ceilings, window frames or in cupboards
  • 02Damp patches, peeling paint or wallpaper, crumbling plaster
  • 03Condensation that runs down walls and windows and won’t clear
  • 04Mould on clothes, bedding, furniture or belongings
  • 05Damp coming in from outside: leaking gutters, roofs, pipes or render

Your landlord has to fix it once it knows about it, so reporting it is what starts the clock.

The law

What your landlord has to do

  1. 01

    Awaab’s Law

    Since 27 October 2025 your landlord must deal with damp and mould that is a significant risk to your health or safety by set deadlines: investigate within 10 working days, then give you a written summary within 3 working days and do the work to make you safe within 5 working days of the investigation ending. If it’s an emergency, it must investigate and make safe within 24 hours.

    GOV.UK: Awaab’s Law guidance for social landlords
  2. 02

    Keeping your home fit to live in

    Your home must be fit for human habitation for the whole tenancy. Freedom from damp is one of the things the law looks at.

    Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 10
  3. 03

    Repairs to the building

    Your landlord must keep the structure and outside of your home in repair, including drains, gutters and external pipes, so damp caused by a leaking roof, gutters or pipes is its job to fix.

    Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11

Landlords compared

What the biggest landlords promise on damp and mould

275 of the 351 councils and housing associations we list publish what they’ll do when you report damp and mould. Here’s what the biggest say.

LandlordWhat it says it will do
Sanctuary HousingInspect within 10 working days of a report and tell you the findings within 3 working days of the inspection; start repairs within 5 working days if serious and fix emergency hazards within 24 hours (Awaab's Law) Source
Clarion HousingSays it already works to Awaab's Law: investigate significant hazards within 10 working days, send a written summary within 3 working days, make safe within a further 5 working days, and start preventative works for complex cases within 12 weeks; other damp and mould follows the standard repairs process Source
PeabodyVisit within 14 days of a damp, mould or condensation report, or within 24 hours in an emergency; the first visit makes the home safe, with any further work arranged within routine repair timescales Source
Sovereign Network GroupMajor damp and mould is treated as an emergency, which SNG aims to attend within 24 hours. Source
Bromford FlagshipBromford homes: emergency damp and mould is looked at within 24 hours. Other serious cases are inspected within 10 working days, with written findings within 3 working days and repairs started within 12 weeks. Source
Places for PeopleEmergency hazards are investigated and made safe within 24 hours. Other serious hazards are investigated within 10 working days, with a written summary within 3 working days and safety work done within 5 working days of the investigation. Source
Southern HousingSouthern Housing says it takes damp and mould reports extremely seriously, has a dedicated damp and mould team, and is working to meet Awaab’s Law. Tell it as soon as you notice a problem. Source
RiversideEmergency hazards are investigated and made safe within 24 hours. Other serious hazards are investigated within 10 working days, with a written summary within 3 working days and safety work done within 5 working days of the investigation. Source
Birmingham City CouncilAn operative will visit within 30 days of a damp or mould report Source
Leeds City CouncilLeeds says it will investigate possible serious damp and mould hazards within 10 working days and send you a written summary within 3 working days of that. It will start safety work within 5 working days of the investigation, and make emergency hazards safe within 24 hours. Source
Home GroupEmergency hazards are investigated and made safe within 24 hours. Other serious hazards are investigated within 10 working days, with a written summary within 3 working days and safety work done within 5 working days of the investigation. Source
Platform Housing GroupEmergency hazards, including severe mould, are investigated and made safe within 24 hours. Significant damp and mould is investigated within 10 working days, with a written update within 3 working days and the home made safe within 5 working days of that; complex work starts within 12 weeks. Source

From each landlord’s own website. Each landlord’s page has its repair numbers and timescales.

What to do

What to do about damp and mould

  1. 01Report it in writing if you can (online, email or letter) and keep the reference number.
  2. 02Take dated photos of the mould and any damage, and take more every few weeks.
  3. 03Keep a list of every time you reported it, who you spoke to and what they said.
  4. 04Keep damaged belongings, or photos and receipts for them.
  5. 05Complain if nothing happens. You can start a claim at the same time.

Find your landlord’s repairs line

Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation, and get the work done.

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Housing Ombudsman

Ombudsman cases about damp and mould

From Jan 2025 to Sep 2026, the Housing Ombudsman found a council or housing association at fault over damp and mould in 953 decisions. Where it ordered compensation, it was £750 in a typical case and £1,300 or more in one case in four, up to £12,340. Every case is different.

Source: Housing Ombudsman decisions. Compensation the Ombudsman ordered on a complaint, not the amount of a court claim. Ombudsman compensation by problem and landlord.

Claiming

Claiming compensation for damp and mould

If you reported it and your landlord didn’t fix it in a reasonable time, you could claim. A claim asks for the work to be done and for compensation, usually worked out as a share of the rent you paid while it wasn’t fixed. Three things decide how much.

  1. 01

    How long

    From when your landlord knew about it to when it was fixed, or today.

  2. 02

    How much of your home

    One room, or the whole home.

  3. 03

    How badly

    How much it affected your daily life and your belongings.

  1. 01You tell us what’s wrong, who your landlord is and when you reported it. About 2 minutes.
  2. 02We introduce you to a law firm on our panel, with your permission.
  3. 03They write to your landlord asking for the repairs and compensation. Under the court rules for housing conditions claims, your landlord should reply within 20 working days.
  4. 04If your claim succeeds, the work is done and compensation is paid to you.

Free to check, and we don’t charge you. If a solicitor takes your claim on, they work on a no win, no fee basis and must explain their fee in writing before you agree to anything. See fees

Questions

Damp and mould: questions

Can I claim compensation for damp and mould?

You could, if you reported it and your landlord didn’t fix it in a reasonable time. A claim asks for the work to be done and compensation for the time you lived with it and any damaged belongings.

Check if you can claim
My landlord says it’s condensation from how I live. Is that right?

Landlords sometimes blame condensation on drying clothes or not opening windows. The Housing Ombudsman’s 2021 report on damp and mould was called “It’s not lifestyle”, and the Awaab’s Law guidance says it’s unacceptable for landlords to assume damp and mould is down to a tenant’s “lifestyle”. Your landlord still has to investigate and find the cause.

How long does my landlord have to fix damp and mould?

Under Awaab’s Law, if it’s a significant risk to your health or safety, your landlord must investigate within 10 working days, then give you a written summary within 3 working days and do the work to make you safe within 5 working days of the investigation ending. Emergencies must be made safe within 24 hours.

Painting over the mould didn’t work. What now?

Treating or painting over mould without fixing the cause isn’t a repair. If it comes back, report it again and say it has returned. Under Awaab’s Law your landlord also has to do work to stop the problem coming back.

Should I stop paying rent until it’s fixed?

No. Keep paying your rent: rent arrears can put your tenancy at risk and can weaken a claim. Report the problem, complain, and claim instead.

Other repair problems

Something else wrong?

Still waiting for your landlord to fix it?

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