Is Mould in a Rented House the Landlord's Responsibility in England and Wales?
Housing Repair Help Editorial Team · Reclaim Experts Ltd is a Claims Management Company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 1030701. You do not have to use a claims management company to pursue a complaint or explore your legal options. You can report repair problems directly to your landlord. If you have an unresolved housing complaint, eligible tenants can also use the Housing Ombudsman Service free of charge: https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/residents/.
Published 20 August 2025. Last reviewed and updated 15 April 2026.
Mould is one of the most common problems reported by tenants in England and Wales. If you're dealing with mould in your rented home, you may be wondering whether it's your landlord's responsibility to fix it — and what you can do if they refuse.
What Causes Mould in Rented Homes?
Mould thrives in damp, poorly ventilated environments. Common causes include:
Leaks
Leaking roofs, gutters, or pipes causing persistent moisture
Rising Damp
Structural defects allowing moisture to rise through walls
Poor Ventilation
Inadequate ventilation in bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms
Broken Fans
Missing or broken extractor fans
Poor Insulation
Condensation on cold walls from lack of insulation
While some condensation can result from everyday activities, persistent mould often points to an underlying structural or maintenance issue.
Who Is Responsible?
Landlord's Responsibility
Tenant May Be Responsible
Landlords cannot simply blame tenants without evidence. Many incorrectly claim that condensation is the tenant's fault when there is actually a structural problem.
What Tenants Should Do if Mould Is Ignored
Report the issue in writing
Take dated photos and videos
Keep records of all communication
Contact your local council
Visit your GP
Evidence That Helps Prove Disrepair
Photographs
Dated photos showing mould growth over weeks or months
Written Complaints
Copies of complaints sent to your landlord
Responses
Responses (or lack of response) from your landlord
Council Reports
Inspection reports or improvement notices
Medical Records
GP letters linking health issues to damp/mould
Tenancy Agreement
Shows landlord obligations for reference
Who is Housing Repair Help?
The facts about who we are, how we work and what you pay, set out plainly.
Who operates the service
Housing Repair Help is a trading style of Reclaim Experts Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 16058317) with its registered office at Innovation Centre, 49 Oxford Street, Leicester, LE1 5XY.
FCA status
Reclaim Experts Ltd is a Claims Management Company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 1030701. You can check its entry on the FCA Register. It is also registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (registration number ZB869483).
What our role is
We provide free, plain-English information about housing disrepair, run a free eligibility check based on the details and evidence you provide, and help organise photos, reports and correspondence into a clear case file. Housing Repair Help is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation.
What happens after you submit an enquiry
Every enquiry is reviewed against the same criteria before it is passed on: whether the disrepair falls within the landlord's repairing obligations, whether the landlord was told about the problem and given a reasonable chance to fix it, the severity of the problem, the quality of the evidence, and how long it has continued. If your case is not suitable we tell you and point you to free routes such as the Housing Ombudsman Service, Citizens Advice and Shelter.
Our relationship with the solicitor
Suitable cases are introduced to specialist housing disrepair solicitors on our panel. Those firms are independent of us and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They decide whether to take a case on, and any legal advice comes from them once they have been formally instructed and a client care agreement is in place.
How referrals work
When a case is suitable, we pass it to a specialist housing disrepair solicitor on our panel. Reclaim Experts Ltd receives a fee from the solicitor for any successful recommendation. You are never charged for the introduction.
What you pay
You pay nothing to Housing Repair Help. We do not charge tenants a fee for our eligibility check or our introduction service.
What "No Win No Fee" means
The solicitors on our panel may offer to run your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement. Under such an agreement, the solicitor's fee is only payable if your claim succeeds, and is then usually recovered from your compensation. If your claim does not succeed, you do not pay the solicitor a fee for their time. The solicitor will explain the full terms before you sign anything, and you are free to choose a solicitor of your own instead.
Has your landlord ignored mould in your home?
If mould in your home has been ignored by your landlord, you may be able to submit your case for review. Start your claim — it's free and there's no obligation.
Start Your ClaimFCA Regulated Claims Management Company FRN: 1030701
No obligation.
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Further Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
This article provides general information about housing issues in England and Wales and does not constitute legal advice. Legal services may be provided by independent solicitors where appropriate.