How the Renters Rights Bill Will Affect You

Here are the big milestones in legislation related to damp and mould in homes:

• 27th October 2025: Awaab’s Law (under the Social Housing [Regulation] Act 2023) comes into force. It sets strict standards for social sector landlords to inspect potential hazards within 10 working days, provide a written report within 3 working days, start repair works within 5 working days and resolve emergencies within 24 hours.

• Summer 2025 / Spring 2026: The Renters Rights Bill will pass into law and introduce a wide range of changes to legislation including abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions; limiting rent increases to annually in line with market rates; prohibit discrimination against tenants who have children or receive benefits; strengthen tenants’ rights to request a pet in the property; introduce a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman and move to a simpler tenancy structure where all tenancies transition to rolling Periodic Tenancies.

• Within the next few years: The Government has expressed an intention to "Introduce powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector." and to "Consult on a new Decent Homes Standard and minimum energy efficiency standards, to ensure tenant’s homes are made safe, warm, and free from disrepair."

• 2030: The Government stated in 2024 that landlords must improve all privately rented properties to achieve an EPC rating of C or above by 2030. They are also considering applying this to the Social Rented Sector, which is not currently subject to any minimum energy efficiency standards.

Potential warning signs of mould growth include:

• Damp patches or condensation on cold corners, windows, behind furniture, on skirting boards, walls or ceilings.

• Condensation on windows and window sills each morning.

• Musty odours, peeling paint and lifting wallpaper.

• Inspect damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk within 14 days.

• Provide a written report 48 hours after the inspection.

• Start most repair works within 7 days and resolve emergency repairs within 24 hours.

• The overall state of repair of the dwelling.

• What will need to be provided for the comfort, safety and security of the residents.

• The means of maintaining the temperature within the property.

Currently, to meet the Decent Homes Standard, social sector housing must meet the following criteria:

• The property must be free from serious health and safety hazards such as damp, mould, fire / electrical hazards and structural instability.

• The property must be in good condition, with no serious disrepair. Heating and electrical systems must be in good order and working effectively.

• There must be reasonably modern facilities and services including a kitchen that is less than 20 years old, a bathroom that is less than 30 years old and adequate insulation against external noise.

• The property must provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort by an efficient heating system, effective levels of thermal insulation and energy efficiency measures.

What to do currently when you find damp in a privately rented home

• Report it in writing straight away: by email, tenant portal or other avenue of complaint. Ask for a full damp & mould inspection with internal/external checks.

• Log and photograph everything: date-stamped images, room temperatures, humidity readings and any GP letters that link the damp to poor health.

• If the landlord does not take action, you can contact the local authority Environmental Health Department to request a HHSRS inspection (The Housing Health and Safety Rating System under the Housing Act 2004 assesses 29 potential housing hazards which are potentially serious enough to cause injury or death within a dwelling).

• If an Environmental Health Officer identifies a serious Category 1 hazard under the HHSRS, they have a legal duty to take action. This may include requiring landlords to fix issues, prohibiting the use of part or all of a building or carrying out emergency works.

• Alternatively, or if no action is taken by the Environmental Health Department, you may wish to take legal action under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 / Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 for repairs and damages.

What to do currently when you find damp in social housing

• Report it in writing straight away: by email, tenant portal or other avenue of complaint. Ask for a full damp & mould inspection with internal/external checks.

• From October 2025, Awaab’s Law will compel the landlord to inspect within 14 days and issue a written diagnosis within 48 hours of inspection.

• Log and photograph everything: date-stamped images, room temperatures, humidity readings and any GP letters that link the damp to poor health.

• As set out under the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code 2024, your landlord must acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days. From that acknowledgement, the landlord has 10 working days to issue a Stage 1 response. If you are not satisfied with either their response or the outcome, you can request that your complaint is escalated to Stage 2. Within 20 days of acknowledgement, the landlord must then issue a final Stage 2 response addressing all points raised in the complaint document and any missed deadlines.

• After the landlord’s final Stage 2 response, or 8-week silence, you can escalate the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman who can order the landlord to make repairs, issue compensation and implement policy changes.

• Alternatively, if hazards persist, contact your Local Authority Environmental Health Department. Request a Housing Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS) inspection by an Environmental Health Officer for Category 1/2 damp hazards. Improvement or Prohibition Notices may be issued which will compel your landlord to take action.

• If your landlord has overseen systemic safety failings, alert the Regulator of Social Housing; it won’t handle individual repairs but can sanction landlords breaching consumer standards.

• If urgent health risks remain, consider taking legal action under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 / Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 for repairs and damages.

Everyday actions that you can carry out to help prevent dampness and mould in your home

• Ventilate your kitchen and bathroom for 10 minutes after use. Close the door to ensure the moisture does not escape into the rest of the house. Open a window if you are able to or make sure that extractor fans are operating effectively.

• Heat the whole property consistently throughout the day rather than just parts of the property only when you are at home. An even and consistently warm temperature of above 18 ℃ reduces the likelihood of condensation.

• Dry laundry outdoors or in a tumble-dryer with the ducting venting outside. Alternatively, use a dehumidifier with a ‘laundry drying’ mode, or dry clothes in a well ventilated room.

• Wipe away condensation on windows and window sills each morning during cold spells and winter to prevent mould from forming.

• Treat mould with products specifically formulated to do so - traditional solutions such as bleach or vinegar are typically ineffective.
  

• However, keep in mind that if there’s a structural damp problem with your property, there is little that you can do to solve the underlying cause yourself. Damp issues should always be brought to the attention of your landlord and investigated thoroughly by an experienced, qualified professional.

Once the Renters Rights Bill becomes law, the proposed measures will include:

• Your landlord being compelled to investigate and to take action quickly when something is wrong under Awaab’s Law.

• You will have greater protection from eviction, which will only take place in specific circumstances and with a longer notice period than currently, and you will no longer have to fear eviction for reporting issues and hazards.

• You’ll be protected from excessive and frequent rent hikes.

• You’ll have access to a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman for complaints resolution and to protect your interests.

• Your home will meet higher standards in modernity, safety and energy efficiency.

• The Private Rented Sector Database will give you access to information on your rights and details about your landlord and the way that they manage their properties.