Damp and mould can affect your health, comfort and ability to enjoy a rented home. If you are a tenant or renter in England, reporting the problem clearly and keeping evidence can help you obtain repairs and, where relevant, trigger legal duties under Awaab’s Law. The law currently applies to social housing landlords and sets specific steps for investigating and addressing serious hazards. Private renters can still ask their landlord to act and may seek help from their local council when conditions could breach housing standards. This guide explains what to report, the deadlines that may apply, how enforcement works, which forms to use, and where to get official support.
What Awaab’s Law means for tenants in England
Awaab’s Law was introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and implemented through regulations for social housing in England.[1] It requires a registered provider of social housing to respond to certain emergency and significant hazards, including damp and mould, within defined timescales. The rules do not make every instance of condensation an automatic legal breach; the seriousness of the hazard, its likely cause and the risk to residents matter.
The first phase of the regulations took effect on 27 October 2025. Emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe as soon as reasonably practicable, and generally within 24 hours. A significant hazard must be investigated within 10 working days, followed by written findings and action to remove or reduce the hazard within the required period.[2] If the home cannot be made safe within the applicable timeframe, the social landlord may need to offer suitable alternative accommodation.
How to report damp and mould
Tell your landlord or managing agent as soon as you notice damp, mould, leaks, persistent condensation, a failed extractor fan, inadequate heating or another possible cause. Use the landlord’s repairs portal, email or written reporting address, and describe each affected room. Ask for a written acknowledgement and the reference number for your repair.
- Take dated photos or video of the affected areas, including close views and wider views showing their location.
- Keep a record of symptoms, damaged belongings, unusual smells, leaks, temperature problems and every contact with the landlord.
- Explain whether anyone in the household is pregnant, disabled, elderly, a child or medically vulnerable, because health risk can affect the urgency of the response.
- Ask what investigation and remedial work will be carried out, rather than accepting repeated surface cleaning without addressing the underlying cause.
What to include in a written report
State when the issue began, where it appears, whether it is getting worse, and whether there are leaks or building defects. Explain any effect on health and identify anyone who may be particularly vulnerable. Request an inspection, ask for the outcome in writing and give reasonable access for appointments. Do not remove extensive mould yourself before it has been documented if doing so could destroy useful evidence.
Deadlines and enforcement routes
For a social housing tenant, ask the landlord to confirm whether the reported condition is being assessed as an emergency hazard or a significant hazard under the Awaab’s Law regulations. If the response is late or inadequate, use the landlord’s formal complaints procedure. You can then escalate an unresolved complaint to the Housing Ombudsman where its jurisdiction applies. The Ombudsman can investigate maladministration and order remedies, but it is not a substitute for urgent medical or emergency assistance.
For a private renter, Awaab’s Law does not currently impose the same statutory timetable on a private landlord. You can still report disrepair, use the landlord’s complaints process and ask the local council’s environmental health or housing standards team to inspect under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. A council may take enforcement action where it identifies a serious hazard. Keep paying rent unless you have received tailored legal advice, because withholding rent can create arrears and possession risks.
If you are threatened with eviction after reporting conditions, keep the notice and seek urgent advice. The Housing Act 1988 and, for some older protected tenancies, the Rent Act 1977 may affect the procedure and your rights.[3] A landlord must follow the correct legal process, and a tenant should not ignore a court or tribunal document.
Forms, inspections and useful records
There is no single prescribed tenant form that activates Awaab’s Law. The practical first step is a written repair report through the social landlord’s repairs channel. If the landlord’s response is inadequate, use its complaints form or complaint procedure. Social housing tenants can use the Housing Ombudsman’s official complaint form after following the landlord’s process, subject to the Ombudsman’s rules. For a private rented home, contact the local council using its online housing standards or environmental health reporting form; councils use different forms and may ask for photographs, tenancy details and permission to inspect.
- Housing Ombudsman complaint form: use it when a social landlord has completed, or unreasonably delayed, its formal complaint process and the problem remains unresolved.
- Local council housing standards or environmental health report: use the council’s own online form when a private rented property may contain a serious health or safety hazard.
- Personal evidence log: record dates, repair references, inspection outcomes, access offered and the condition before and after work.
What happens if the dispute continues
Ask for a written decision and the next action date before escalating. If you are a social tenant, the Housing Ombudsman is usually the main specialist complaint route after the landlord’s procedure. The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) is the official tribunal dealing with many residential property disputes in England, but it does not replace the council’s emergency enforcement role and may not be the right route for every damp and mould claim.[4] A county court claim may be relevant in some disrepair cases, so obtain advice before starting proceedings.
When communicating with the landlord, remain factual and avoid statements that could be misunderstood as refusing access. Offer reasonable appointment times, ask for reasonable adjustments if needed, and record any missed appointment or incomplete repair. If the home is unsafe, ask in writing whether temporary accommodation is available and how rent, belongings and access will be handled while work takes place.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Awaab’s Law apply to private renters in England?
- Not in the same way as it applies to social housing tenants under the current regulations. Private renters should report the problem to the landlord and can ask the local council to investigate possible housing hazards.
- How quickly must a social landlord respond to serious damp and mould?
- An emergency hazard generally requires investigation and action to make the home safe within 24 hours, while a significant hazard must be investigated within 10 working days and dealt with under the regulations’ further deadlines.
- What evidence should a tenant keep?
- Keep dated photographs, videos, repair reports, emails, messages, appointment records, inspection findings, medical information you choose to share and receipts for damaged belongings.
- Can I stop paying rent because of mould?
- Do not stop paying rent without tailored legal advice, because rent arrears can lead to possession action even where repair problems exist.
How-To: Report damp and mould for enforcement
- Write a clear repair report naming every affected room, describing the damp or mould, explaining any health risk and requesting an inspection.
- Collect dated photos, messages, repair references and a short log of symptoms, leaks, appointments and missed work.
- Ask the social landlord to confirm whether the issue is classed as an emergency or significant hazard and to state the relevant action date.
- Provide reasonable access and check whether the proposed work addresses the underlying cause rather than only cleaning visible mould.
- Escalate through the landlord’s complaints procedure, then use the Housing Ombudsman or local council route that applies to your tenancy.
Help and Support / Resources
- Housing Ombudsman complaint form and guidance
- Find your local council in England
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)
- GOV.UK damp and mould guidance for tenants, landlords and councils
