How to deal with damp and mould in social housing

Find out more about:

• signs of damp and mould

• risks of damp and mould

• how to deal with condensation

Your council or housing association must fix damp and mould if it:

• makes your home unfit to live in

• is caused by a problem with your home, like a leaking pipe, faulty roof or a crack in the wall

More about who is responsible for damp and mould in your home.

You need to tell your landlord straight away about damp and mould in your home.

Find out what to say. You can use our letter template.

Your council or housing association should:

• inspect your home

• find the cause of damp and mould and fix it

More about what your landlord should do.

Your council or housing association should work with you to find a solution.

Use our letter templates to email or write to your landlord. For example, if they:

• blame you for damp and mould

• take a long time to do repairs

• ignore you

Your landlord might fix the problem if you show them you know your rights.

Find out how to get more help with talking to your landlord and getting evidence of how damp and mould affect you.

Your council or housing association might ask you to move so that they can fix damp and mould.

Or you might feel that finding somewhere else to live is the only option.

More about moving out because of damp and mould.

You can complain if your landlord is not dealing with damp and mould properly.

You have to complain to your landlord first. You can then take your complaint further to the Housing Ombudsman.

Find out how to complain about your landlord.

The court can tell your council or housing association to:

• pay you compensation

• fix damp and mould in your home

More about taking court action for damp and mould.