How long should a council or housing association take to fix damp and mould?
Serious damp and mould can make you ill.
Your council or housing association have 10 working days to investigate serious damp.
Damp and mould is:
a significant hazard if it is very serious but not an emergency
an emergency hazard if it will cause serious harm unless fixed in 24 hours
Some damp and mould is not a hazard. It must still be fixed in a reasonable time.
More on:
Table: Timescales summary
These are legal timescales to make your home safe if damp and mould is a hazard.
| Damp and mould that is a hazard | Timescales to fix the problem |
|---|---|
| Emergency hazard | 24 hours to make your home safe |
| Significant hazard | 5 working days to make your home safe |
| Where more work is needed to stop the hazard coming back | 12 weeks to start this work |
Working days do not include weekends and bank holidays.
Video: Damp and mould in social housing
Video transcript
If you rent from a council or housing association your landlord has to investigate and fix serious damp and mould problems within certain timescales.
Serious damp and mould is called a hazard.
How long does your landlord have to investigate?
Your landlord has 10 working days to investigate a serious damp problem.
They must not ignore serious damp and mould.
The 10 working days starts from the day after you tell them about the problem.
Working days do not include weekends and bank holidays.
But they must make damp and mould safe in 24 hours if it's an emergency.
An emergency means it could seriously harm you or someone who lives with you if it is not fixed in 24 hours.
How long does your landlord have to make your home safe?
Your landlord must make your home safe in:
24 hours if it's an emergency or
5 working days after they investigate if it's very serious but not an emergency
Your landlord can use temporary measures to make your home safe.
For example, using a mould treatment or wash.
If damp and mould in your home is not a hazard, your landlord must still fix it if it's being caused by a repair problem in your home.
For example, a leaking pipe or roof.
What if it's not safe to stay in your home?
Your landlord must offer free temporary rehousing if they cannot make your home safe in time.
The temporary housing must be suitable for everyone in your household, including children who stay overnight at least once a week.
What if more work is needed?
If your landlord needs to do more work to make sure the problem does not come back, they must start this within 12 weeks from when they first knew damp and mould in your home was a hazard.
They should write to you to tell you what work is needed.
They might send a repairs person or a specialist to inspect your home first.
Shelter adviser Jen explains what council and housing association landlords must do about serious damp and mould.
[Video length: 2:00]
Making your home safe
Your council or housing association must make your home safe in:
24 hours if damp and mould is an emergency hazard
5 working days from when they finish investigating, if damp and mould is a significant hazard
They can do temporary repairs to make your home safe.
For example, they might:
use a mould wash
repaint with mould resistant paint
They might have to do more work to make sure serious damp and mould does not come back.
If your home cannot be made safe in time
Your council or housing association must offer temporary rehousing if they cannot make your home safe within the timescales.
Temporary rehousing must be:
free
available until your home is safe
suitable for you and anyone who lives with you
If more work is needed later on
Your council or housing association might need to:
arrange a survey if the cause of damp is not clear
do more work to make sure serious damp and mould does not come back
For example, if serious damp and mould is caused by a roof leak, the landlord has to fix the leak. They cannot just keep washing the mould off and repainting.
Further work should start as soon as possible. It must start within 12 weeks of an investigation that has confirmed the hazard.
Your landlord should find and fix the cause of damp and mould.
They should not repeat temporary repairs every time damp and mould comes back.
Telling you about work needed and timescales
Your council or housing association should send you a clear and helpful summary.
This could be a letter, email or text message.
They should write to you within 3 working days of an investigation unless the problem has already been fixed.
They should tell you if a significant or emergency hazard has been identified.
They should say:
what the hazard is
how your home will be made safe
what further work needs to be done
a target timescale for starting and completing further work
Your social landlord should keep you updated on timescales. For example, if a structural survey is needed to work out the cause of damp and mould.
Your landlord must make sure your home is safe until all repairs are done.
Example: Fixing serious damp and mould
Mary lives in a council house. She reports serious damp and mould in the bedroom.
The council says that mould in her bedroom is a significant hazard. A council repairs officer does a mould wash and repaints the walls with mould resistant paint.
The council tells Mary that her home is now safe but more work is needed to make sure the problem does not come back.
A damp and mould surveyor inspects Mary's home and says the council should fit air vents and improve ventilation.
The council should do this within 12 weeks from when they first decided damp and mould in Mary's home was a significant hazard.
Fixing less serious damp and mould
If damp and mould is not serious, your landlord must fix it in a 'reasonable time'.
A reasonable time depends on how bad it is and how it affects you and people who live with you.
Check the repairs policy to see:
how quickly they should fix damp and mould
what they should do if damp and mould returns
Your council or housing association might have a damp and mould policy.
Damage during repairs
Your council or housing association might have to:
redecorate if damp has damaged wallpaper or paint
replace mouldy carpets and flooring
More about problems during repairs.
Need more advice?
Last updated: 11 May 2026
