Your landlord has to fix it. Here is how to make that happen.
Free, plain-English guidance on damp, mould and disrepair in rented homes in England and Scotland. No forms, no claims, no one will call you.
Start here
Awaab's Law
The legal deadlines your social landlord has to meet for damp, mould and other hazards, and what to do when they are missed.
Report a hazard properly
The three things your report must contain so the legal clock starts and cannot be disputed later. Includes a template.
Nothing is happening
The free complaints route in order: your landlord, then the Ombudsman. What each stage does and roughly how long it takes.
I rent privately
Awaab's Law does not cover you in England. Here is what does, including the council route most people never use.
Find your landlord
What your landlord must do, how to report it, and their complaints route, on one page for each landlord.
Haringey
Damp and mould rights and complaints route for Haringey Council tenants.
Southwark
Damp and mould rights and complaints route for Southwark Council tenants.
Lewisham
Damp and mould rights and complaints route for Lewisham Council tenants.
Why this site exists
Search for help with damp in a rented home and most of what you find is an advert. Sites that look like advice turn out to be forms designed to capture your details and sell them on to a solicitor. Some of them do not tell you that reporting a repair, complaining, and going to the Housing Ombudsman are all completely free.
This site takes the other approach. We explain the free routes first, in the order you should use them. We do not have an enquiry form. We do not pass your details to anyone, because we do not collect them. If you eventually decide you need a solicitor, we will tell you how to find one yourself.
More about who we are and how we are funded →
Gas leak: National Gas Emergency Service, 0800 111 999. Fire risk: 999. If someone in the home is seriously unwell, contact your GP or NHS 111. For urgent housing advice, Shelter's free helpline is 0808 800 4444.