My Landlord Won’t Fix Damp and Mould, What Can I Do Next?
Reporting damp and mould once is frustrating. Reporting it repeatedly while the wall gets worse can change how you feel about your home.
Reporting damp and mould once is frustrating. Reporting it repeatedly while the wall gets worse can change how you feel about your home.
You may be paying rent every month while moving furniture away from walls, washing mould from belongings, running a dehumidifier or telling children not to touch part of their bedroom.
Once a landlord knows about poor housing conditions and they remain unresolved, the question is no longer simply “how do I clean this?” It becomes “what should happen next?”
Build the history before sending another angry message
Put your evidence in date order.
Record when you first reported the problem, subsequent reports, inspections, promised repairs, work actually carried out and whether the mould returned.
Keep photographs over time rather than one set of pictures. Save emails, texts, complaint references and appointment records.
If a contractor says something useful about the likely cause, make a contemporaneous note rather than relying on memory months later.
Explain what the failure to repair is doing to your life
A repair complaint can become too focused on the defect itself.
Tell the landlord if a room cannot be used normally, if children are sleeping elsewhere, if belongings are being damaged, if you are repeatedly cleaning mould, if heating costs have increased or if somebody’s health is being affected.
The Housing Conditions Pre-Action Protocol specifically recognises the effect of defects on tenants and their families and financial losses arising from poor conditions.
Escalate through the appropriate route
If an ordinary repair report has failed, use the landlord’s formal complaints process.
Private tenants in England can also contact the local council where conditions may affect health or safety. Councils can inspect under the HHSRS and take enforcement action for serious hazards.
Social tenants can use their landlord’s complaints process and, where applicable, Awaab’s Law procedures for significant damp and mould or emergency hazards.
Do not stop paying rent simply because repairs have not been done
Withholding rent can create a separate problem.
Current government guidance says tenants should continue paying the agreed rent while repairs are outstanding.
If you are considering withholding rent, arranging repairs yourself and deducting the cost, or taking another step that could affect the tenancy, obtain housing advice first.
When the issue moves beyond a repair complaint
English civil procedure has a specific Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims.
It is designed for cases where the landlord knows about poor housing conditions but the problem remains unresolved. Its aims include getting necessary remedial work completed and ensuring tenants receive compensation to which they are entitled.
The protocol can cover claims involving fitness for human habitation, repairing obligations and, in some cases, a related personal-injury element.
What might a housing-conditions claim consider?
The legal adviser will need more than photographs.
They may need to understand what the defects are, when the landlord became aware, what response followed, how long the conditions lasted and how they affected the household.
Financial losses can also matter. Keep reasonable evidence of damaged belongings, additional heating or electricity, cleaning, temporary arrangements or other expenditure linked to the conditions.
Do not manufacture expenses for a claim. Record the real consequences of living with the problem.
Getting advice does not commit you to court
Initial legal advice can help establish whether the problem is potentially actionable, what evidence is missing and what route is appropriate.
The purpose of the housing-conditions protocol is partly to resolve disputes before litigation.
If you have repeatedly reported serious damp or mould and it remains unresolved, a housing-law solicitor can explain whether you may have a claim for repairs, compensation or related losses.
Last reviewed
6 September 2026
Important informationThis guide provides general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Housing rights and legal remedies depend on the type of tenancy, landlord, location, the condition of the property and individual circumstances. Where housing conditions are affecting health, safety or legal rights, check current official information and consider advice from an appropriately qualified housing adviser, healthcare professional or legal professional.