There Is Damp and Mould in My Child’s Bedroom, What Should I Do?

Finding mould behind a wardrobe is unpleasant. Finding it beside your child’s bed feels different.

You may be wondering whether the room is safe to sleep in tonight, whether the cough you have noticed is connected, whether you should move the bed and why you are paying rent for a bedroom you no longer feel comfortable letting your child use.

Treat the problem as a housing and health concern, not as a housekeeping embarrassment.

Reduce immediate exposure while the cause is investigated

If mould is extensive, repeatedly returning or close to where a child sleeps, report it urgently to the landlord or housing provider.

Move a cot, bed or belongings away from an affected surface where this can be done safely. Avoid allowing children to disturb or play near visible mould.

If your child has symptoms or an existing respiratory condition and you are concerned, seek appropriate healthcare advice. Housing providers should not require medical evidence before responding to the damp and mould itself.

Tell the landlord that a child is using the room

Do not send only a photograph captioned “mould again”.

Explain that this is a child’s bedroom, the child’s age where relevant, where the bed is in relation to the mould, whether the room remains usable and whether there are health concerns.

Current government guidance requires landlords to consider the health risks of damp and mould and to respond with urgency where tenant health may be affected.

Keep evidence of the room as a living space

Photograph the mould, but also record how the room is being affected.

Have you moved the child into your bedroom or onto a sofa?

Are clothes, bedding, books or toys becoming damp or mouldy?

Are you washing bedding more often, using additional heating or running a dehumidifier?

Has the child stopped using the room to play or study?

This is the difference between documenting a mark on a wall and documenting the loss of normal use of part of the home.

A child’s bedroom is part of what the rent is paying for

When a rented home contains a bedroom, the household should ordinarily be able to use that room safely for its intended purpose.

Serious damp and mould can engage repairing duties, housing-safety standards and the requirement for rented homes to be fit for human habitation.

For social housing in England, significant damp and mould hazards are also within Phase 1 of Awaab’s Law.

If the landlord does not respond properly

Escalate the matter through the formal complaints process and keep the evidence.

Depending on the tenancy, the local council, Housing Ombudsman or another housing route may be relevant.

Where serious conditions remain unresolved after the landlord has been told, independent housing-law advice can help explain whether legal action for repairs or compensation may be available.

Health effects can form part of the wider picture

Housing-conditions claims can sometimes include a related personal-injury element.

That does not mean every cough or illness in a damp home was caused by the property. Medical causation needs proper evidence.

But if your child has needed GP, hospital or other healthcare because of symptoms you believe may be connected, keep the medical chronology and tell the healthcare professional about the housing conditions. Do not exaggerate or attempt to diagnose the cause yourself.

Do not let fear of making a fuss silence you

Parents can worry that repeated complaints will make them look difficult.

A child’s health and the safe use of their bedroom are legitimate concerns.

Report factually, keep records and ask what investigation will take place, what the underlying cause is, what work is proposed and when it will be completed.

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.