How to Write a Letter to Your Landlord About Damp and Mould UK: A Complete Guide
Damp and mould in a rented home is not a lifestyle issue. It is a housing conditions problem, and in England your landlord has clear legal obligations to address it. Despite this, many tenants find that their landlord ignores reports of damp, blames the tenant for causing it, or carries out cosmetic repairs that fail to treat the underlying cause.
The way you report damp and mould in writing matters. A clear, legally grounded letter creates a record of when you reported the problem, puts your landlord on notice of their obligations, and sets up any later claim for compensation or enforcement action. This guide covers your rights, what your landlord is legally required to do, and two full example letters: one for a private tenancy and one for a social housing tenancy where Awaab's Law applies.
Your Legal Rights: What the Law Says
Several pieces of legislation protect tenants in England when it comes to damp and mould. The specific rights that apply to you depend partly on whether you rent from a private landlord or a social landlord such as a council or housing association.
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (Section 11)
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 applies to virtually all residential tenancies in England and Wales. It requires your landlord to keep the structure and exterior of the property in repair, and to keep the installations for heating, hot water and sanitation in proper working order. This includes the roof, walls, windows, gutters and drains. Where damp is caused by a structural defect, a failed roof, leaking gutters, penetrating damp through walls or rising damp from the ground, the landlord's s.11 obligation is triggered.
Importantly, s.11 is implied into your tenancy whether or not it is mentioned in your tenancy agreement, and your landlord cannot contract out of it. The obligation applies once the landlord has been notified of the problem, which is why putting your report in writing and keeping a copy is so important.
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 gives tenants in England the right to take their landlord to court if their home is unfit to live in. The Act applies to both private and social landlords. Damp, mould and structural instability are among the conditions that can make a property unfit for human habitation under the Act.
If your landlord has failed to address damp or mould and the conditions in your home are serious, this Act gives you a route to court to seek an order requiring repairs and to claim compensation. County court claims under this Act do not require a solicitor and many tenants bring them with legal aid or under no-win no-fee arrangements.
Awaab's Law: New Rules for Social Housing Tenants (October 2025)
Awaab's Law was introduced under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his social housing flat. The law came into force on 27 October 2025 and applies to social housing landlords in England, including councils and housing associations.
Under Awaab's Law, social housing landlords must meet strict, legally binding timescales:
Investigation: Your landlord must investigate a report of significant damp or mould within 10 working days of becoming aware of the problem.
Written summary: They must give you a written summary of their findings within 3 working days of the investigation concluding.
Emergency repairs: Where damp or mould presents an emergency hazard, the landlord must act within 24 hours.
Making the property safe: Where the hazard poses a significant risk, the landlord must make the property safe within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, using temporary measures if the permanent fix takes longer.
Permanent repairs: Longer-term work to prevent the hazard recurring must be completed within 12 weeks.
If your social landlord fails to meet these timescales, you can complain to the Housing Ombudsman, which has the power to order compensation and require remedial action. The Housing Ombudsman has taken an increasingly tough stance on damp and mould failures since Awaab's death became public.
Private Landlords and Local Council Enforcement
Private landlords are not subject to Awaab's Law timescales, but they remain bound by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Damp and mould can constitute a Category 1 hazard under the HHSRS, which means your local council has the power to require your landlord to carry out repairs and can carry them out itself and recharge the landlord if they refuse.
You can report a private landlord's failure to address damp and mould to your local council's housing enforcement team. The council will assess the property under the HHSRS and can issue an improvement notice, a prohibition order or, in serious cases, an emergency remedial action notice. This is a powerful tool and landlords who receive an improvement notice and do not comply can face a civil penalty of up to £30,000.
What Causes Damp and Who Is Responsible
One of the most common tactics landlords use to avoid responsibility for damp and mould is to blame the tenant for causing it through condensation. While tenants do have some responsibility for ventilating their home, in most cases where damp and mould are persistent or widespread, the underlying cause is a structural problem that is the landlord's responsibility.
Rising damp: Caused by moisture rising up through walls and floors from the ground. This is always a structural issue — a failed or absent damp proof course. Tenants cannot cause or prevent rising damp.
Penetrating damp: Caused by water getting in from outside through a leaking roof, failed pointing, cracked render, blocked gutters or a defective window frame. Always the landlord's responsibility under s.11.
Interstitial condensation: Moisture forming within walls, often due to inadequate insulation. This is a property defect, not a lifestyle issue.
Condensation and lifestyle: Some condensation is caused or worsened by a lack of ventilation in a property, but the threshold for blaming tenants is higher than many landlords claim. If the property lacks adequate extractor fans, has single-glazed windows, poor insulation or an inadequate heating system, the landlord's failure to provide adequate conditions is the primary cause.
If your landlord tells you the damp is your fault and you should open windows more, do not accept this without challenge. If the problem persists despite your best efforts, the cause is almost certainly structural and your landlord is responsible.
What to Include in Your Letter
Whether you rent from a private landlord or a social housing provider, your letter should cover the following:
A clear description of the damp or mould: where it is, how long it has been present, how extensive it is and how it has changed over time.
The impact on your household: health effects, damage to belongings, any rooms or areas of the property that have become unusable.
Previous reports you have made, with dates: phone calls, emails, text messages or visits from a housing officer.
Any response or action taken by the landlord, and whether it resolved the problem.
The legal basis for your request: your landlord's repair obligations under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and/or their obligations under Awaab's Law if you are a social tenant.
A clear deadline for response or action.
A statement of what you will do next if they fail to act: report to the council, complain to the Housing Ombudsman, or seek legal advice.
Keep a copy of the letter and send it in a way you can evidence: email with a read receipt, first class post with a certificate of posting, or recorded delivery if you want proof of receipt.
Letter One: Writing to a Private Landlord About Damp and Mould
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Date]
[Landlord name / Letting agent name]
[Landlord / agent address or email]
Subject: Report of Damp and Mould at [your address] – Request for Urgent Repair
Dear [Landlord name / Sir or Madam],
I am writing to formally report a damp and mould problem at my property at [address], where I have been your [tenant / the tenant] since [date]. I am asking you to investigate the cause and carry out the necessary repairs.
The problem
There is [describe the damp or mould: significant black mould on the [north-facing wall of the main bedroom / ceiling of the bathroom / exterior wall of the living room and hall]. The mould covers an area of approximately [size]. There is also [damp patches on the [wall / ceiling / floor] in [room]].] The problem first appeared in [month and year] and has [worsened significantly / spread to additional areas / returned each winter] despite [my efforts to ventilate the property / a previous repair carried out in [date]].
Impact on my household
[Describe the real impact: The mould in the bedroom is directly affecting my [and my children's] health. I have [developed a persistent cough / been diagnosed with a respiratory condition by my GP, details enclosed / had to move my child out of the affected bedroom]. I have also had to dispose of [clothing / furniture / soft furnishings] damaged by the mould, at a cost of approximately £[amount].]
Previous reports
[If applicable: I first reported this problem to you [or your letting agent] on [date] by [email / phone / text]. [I have not received a response. / A contractor attended on [date] but the repair carried out has not resolved the problem.] I am now writing formally to create a clear record of this report.]
Your legal obligations
Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you are required to keep the structure and exterior of the property in repair, including the roof, walls, gutters and drains. Where the damp at this property is caused by a structural defect — such as [failed guttering / penetrating damp through the external wall / rising damp from inadequate damp-proofing] — this falls within your statutory repair obligation. The property may also not meet the standard required by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
What I am asking for
I am asking you to arrange an inspection of the property by a qualified surveyor or damp specialist within [14 days] of this letter, and to provide me with a written report of their findings and a timetable for remedial works. If the problem is one of condensation rather than structural damp, I would ask that you provide evidence to support that conclusion.
If I do not receive a satisfactory response within [14 days], I will report the matter to [council name] housing enforcement team, who have powers under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to require repairs and issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 for non-compliance. I may also seek legal advice about a claim under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
I would be grateful for your prompt attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Contact details]
[Enc: photographs of the damp and mould dated [date] / GP letter / receipts for damaged items]
Letter Two: Writing to a Social Housing Landlord (Awaab's Law)
Use this letter if you rent from a council or housing association. It references Awaab's Law and the legally binding timescales that have applied since October 2025.
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Tenancy reference number]
[Date]
[Housing Manager / Repairs Team]
[Council / Housing Association name and address]
Subject: Formal Report of Damp and Mould – Awaab’s Law Timescales Apply – [Your address]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally report significant damp and mould at my property at [address]. I have been a tenant since [date], tenancy reference [number]. I am writing formally so that this report is on record and so that the timescales required by Awaab’s Law are clear.
The damp and mould
[Describe clearly: There is extensive black mould on the [exterior walls / ceiling / around the windows] in the [main bedroom / living room / bathroom and hallway]. The mould covers [approximately X square metres / a large portion of the wall]. There is also visible damp [penetrating through the exterior wall / rising from the floor level / around the window frames]. The problem has been present since [date] and has [worsened / returned after a previous repair in [date] that did not address the cause].]
Impact on my household
[Describe specifically: The mould is affecting my [and my children’s] health. [I / my child] has [developed a persistent cough and been seen by our GP / been prescribed medication for a respiratory condition that my GP has linked to the housing conditions, details enclosed]. The affected bedroom [is no longer safe for my child to sleep in / has had to be partially vacated].]
Previous contact
[If applicable: I reported this problem on [date] by [phone / in person / email] and was [told a contractor would attend / given a repair reference number of [X]]. [No contractor has attended. / A contractor attended on [date] but applied paint over the mould without treating the underlying cause, and the mould has returned within [X] weeks.]]
Awaab’s Law requirements
Since 27 October 2025, Awaab’s Law under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 has required social housing landlords to investigate reports of significant damp and mould within 10 working days of becoming aware of the problem. I am formally notifying you of this problem today. I expect:
• An inspection to be carried out within 10 working days of this letter (by [date])
• A written summary of the inspection findings to be provided to me within 3 working days of the inspection concluding
• Any emergency or significant hazard to be made safe within 5 working days of the inspection concluding
• Permanent remedial works to be completed within 12 weeks
What I am asking for
I am asking you to arrange an inspection of the property within the statutory 10-working-day timescale and to provide me with a written summary of the findings and a schedule of remedial works. Please confirm receipt of this letter and the inspection date as soon as possible.
If you do not act within the timescales required by Awaab’s Law, I will escalate this matter to the Housing Ombudsman, which has powers to investigate, require remedial action and award compensation. If the conditions in the property are causing a serious risk to health, I may also contact [council name] housing enforcement team.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Contact details]
[Enc: photographs dated [date] / GP letter / previous correspondence / repair reference numbers]
What to Do If Your Landlord Ignores Your Letter
For private tenants
If your private landlord does not respond or fails to carry out repairs within a reasonable time after your letter, the next step is to report the property to your local council's housing enforcement team. You can find the relevant team on your council's website. The council will assess the property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and can issue an improvement notice requiring the landlord to carry out specific works within a set time.
If the damp and mould is causing significant harm to your health or making part of the property unusable, you may also have a claim against your landlord under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Solicitors who specialise in housing disrepair often take these cases on a no-win no-fee basis.
For social housing tenants
If your council or housing association fails to meet the Awaab’s Law timescales, you should make a formal complaint to the landlord’s complaints team. If your complaint is not resolved within eight weeks, or if you receive a final response you are not satisfied with, you can escalate to the Housing Ombudsman. The Housing Ombudsman can investigate failures to address damp and mould, order the landlord to carry out repairs, and award compensation. Since Awaab’s Law came into force, the Ombudsman has made it clear that it expects social landlords to meet their legal obligations and that systemic failures to do so will be taken seriously.
Getting Help
Free advice on damp and mould repairs and your rights as a tenant is available from Citizens Advice, Shelter (0808 800 4444) and your local housing advice centre. If you need help drafting a letter that clearly sets out the problem, references the correct legal obligations and puts your landlord on formal notice, the team at LetterLab can help you get it right first time.
Damp and Mould: Checklist Before You Send
Have you described exactly where the damp or mould is and how long it has been present?
Have you described the impact on your household, including any health effects?
Have you noted any previous reports you have made, with dates?
Have you included the legal basis for your request (s.11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 / Homes Act 2018 / Awaab’s Law if applicable)?
Have you set a clear deadline and stated what you will do next if they do not respond?
Have you taken photographs of the damp and mould and saved them with the date?
Are you sending the letter by email or post in a way you can evidence?
Have you kept a copy?
The Key Takeaway: Put It in Writing and Keep a Record
The single most important thing you can do when you have damp or mould in a rented home is put your report in writing as early as possible. Verbal reports are hard to prove. A letter or email creates a clear record of when your landlord was first notified, which is the trigger for their legal obligations to kick in.
Do not accept a landlord’s claim that the damp is your fault without asking them to show their evidence. Do not accept cosmetic repairs — painting over mould without treating the cause will result in the mould returning, usually worse than before. And if your landlord ignores a written letter, do not assume you have no options. The council’s housing enforcement team, the Housing Ombudsman, and the courts all have powers to make landlords act.
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