What To Do If Your Landlord Ignores Damp and Mould 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 10 August 2025. Last reviewed and updated 15 April 2026.
Damp and mould are among the most common housing issues reported by tenants across England and Wales. Left unresolved, they can cause damage to property and may affect the health of those living in the home. If you've raised the issue with your landlord and nothing has been done, there are steps you can take.
Signs of Serious Damp or Mould
Not all condensation is cause for concern, but there are warning signs that suggest a more serious problem:
Mould Growth
Black, green, or white mould on walls, ceilings, or around windows
Musty Smell
A persistent smell, even after cleaning
Peeling Surfaces
Peeling or bubbling wallpaper and flaking paint
Wet Patches
Watermarks on walls and ceilings
Persistent Condensation
Condensation that doesn't clear, even with ventilation
These signs may indicate structural damp, rising damp, or penetrating damp — all generally the landlord's responsibility.
Reporting Repair Issues to Your Landlord
The first step is to notify your landlord or letting agent in writing. This creates a record of your complaint.
Put your complaint in writing
Include key details
Keep copies
Follow up
Keeping Evidence
Good evidence is essential if you need to escalate the matter. Here's what to document:
Photos & Videos
Take dated photos of all affected areas, including close-ups of mould growth
Written Correspondence
Save all emails, letters, and text messages with your landlord
Medical Records
Keep a note of GP visits for symptoms related to damp
Repair Logs
Note dates when someone attended to inspect or repair, and the outcome
Contacting Your Local Council
If your landlord fails to act, contact your local council's environmental health department. They have the power to inspect the property and, if necessary, serve an improvement notice on the landlord requiring them to carry out repairs.
You can usually find your council's environmental health team by searching your council's website or calling their main number.
Seeking Further Support
If the problem persists despite reporting it, additional options are available:
Citizens Advice
Free guidance on your rights as a tenant
Shelter
Housing charity that provides advice and support
Housing Disrepair Claim
You may be eligible to seek repairs and compensation
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.
Living with damp or mould your landlord won't fix?
You may be able to make a claim. Your answers are saved as you go, so you can finish your claim later.
Start Your ClaimFCA Regulated Claims Management Company FRN: 1030701
No obligation.
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Further Reading
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.