How to report your landlord for mould
Written by The RemedyBridge editorial team · Updated 3 October 2026 · How we write
Quick answer
To report your landlord for mould, start by telling the landlord in writing, then use its complaints process, and if that fails go to the Housing Ombudsman (social housing) or your council’s environmental health team (private and housing association tenants). Reporting in writing first matters because, for a defect inside your home, a landlord is not ordinarily responsible until it knows about the problem. Each later step usually expects you to have given the landlord the chance to put it right.
Key points
- Report to the landlord first, in writing, with photos and dates. That is what starts its duty to act. See reporting repairs.
- If nothing happens, make a formal complaint. Social landlords must follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, which sets response deadlines for each stage.
- Social housing tenants can then take the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman free of charge.
- Private and housing association tenants in England can ask the council’s environmental health team to inspect. Damp and mould growth is one of the hazards it assesses.
- Since 27 October 2025, social landlords in England must investigate and deal with damp and mould hazards within fixed timescales. See Awaab’s Law.
- Being blamed for “lifestyle” is not the end of it: government guidance says that is unreasonable. See is condensation mould my landlord’s responsibility?
Step 1: tell your landlord in writing
Write to your landlord or letting agent, by email, text, an online repairs portal or letter, so that there is a dated record. Say where the mould is, how large it is, when it started, what you have done to ventilate and heat the home, and how it is affecting your household. Attach dated photos.
This step does real legal work. For a defect inside your home, a landlord is not ordinarily liable for failing to repair it until it has notice of it, the rule from O’Brien v Robinson. A phone call can count as notice, but a written report is far easier to prove later.
Our free repair letter templates give you a first report and a chaser to copy.
Step 2: make a formal complaint
If the landlord does not deal with it within a reasonable time, use its complaints procedure and say that you are making a formal complaint.
Social landlords (councils and housing associations) must follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, which became statutory on 1 April 2024. A full stage 1 response is due within 10 working days of the complaint being acknowledged, and a final stage 2 response within 20 working days of the stage 2 complaint being acknowledged. Extensions must be explained to you.
Private landlords do not have to run a formal complaints process, but a written complaint still adds to the record.
Step 4: the council’s environmental health team
If you rent privately or from a housing association in England, you can ask your council’s environmental health team to inspect. It assesses hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and damp and mould growth is one of them. If it finds a serious hazard, it can require the landlord to deal with it. See environmental health inspections and HHSRS explained.
If your landlord is the council itself, environmental health generally cannot take enforcement action against its own homes. Use the complaints procedure and then the Housing Ombudsman instead. See council housing disrepair.
Can my landlord evict me for reporting mould?
Asking for repairs is not a legal ground for eviction. In England, private landlords have needed a recognised ground since Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026. See can my landlord evict me for complaining about repairs?
In Wales
The steps are similar, but the law differs. Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 a home must be fit for human habitation, and damp and mould growth is one of the 29 matters considered. Complaints about social landlords in Wales go to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. See housing disrepair in Wales.
What to do next
- Send a written report today, with photos, using our repair letter templates.
- Keep a dated log of every contact, visit and missed appointment.
- If there is no proper response within a reasonable time, make a formal complaint and keep the reference number.
- Social tenants: if the complaints process ends without the mould being dealt with, go to the Housing Ombudsman.
- Private and housing association tenants in England: ask the council’s environmental health team to inspect.
Evidence to keep
- Dated photos and videos of the mould, and of any damage to belongings.
- Copies of every report and complaint, and every reply.
- Complaint reference numbers and the dates of each stage response.
- Notes of what you have done to ventilate and heat the home.
- Any notes from GP or health visits where damp or mould was discussed.
Important limitations
- This is general information about the law in England and Wales, not advice about your home.
- Which route applies depends on who your landlord is, so check that before you escalate.
You may not need us — free routes first
You can often resolve repairs for free. Depending on your situation you may be able to:
- report repairs to your landlord in writing and keep a dated copy;
- use your landlord’s formal complaints process;
- take dated photos and keep a record of what you reported and when;
- give your landlord a reasonable chance to put things right.
Frequently asked questions
- Who do I report mould in my rented home to?
- Your landlord or letting agent first, in writing. If it does not deal with it, use its complaints procedure. After that, social housing tenants can go to the Housing Ombudsman, and private and housing association tenants in England can ask the council’s environmental health team to inspect.
- Can I report my landlord to the council for mould?
- Yes, if you rent privately or from a housing association. Environmental health can assess damp and mould growth as a hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and require the landlord to deal with it. If the council is your landlord, it generally cannot enforce against itself, so use its complaints procedure and the Housing Ombudsman.
- How long does my landlord have to fix mould?
- There is no single deadline for every landlord: the general rule is a reasonable time after being told. Social landlords in England also have fixed timescales for damp and mould hazards under Awaab’s Law. See reasonable time to carry out repairs.
- Does a phone call count as reporting it?
- It can, but it is much harder to prove. Follow any call with a short email or text confirming what you reported and when.
- My landlord says the mould is my fault. What can I do?
- Put on record what you have done to ventilate and heat the home. Government guidance says it is unreasonable to blame damp and mould on “lifestyle choices”. See is condensation mould my landlord’s responsibility?
- Does it cost anything to complain to the Housing Ombudsman?
- No. The Housing Ombudsman service is free for residents.
Sources
- Housing Ombudsman: Complaint Handling Code (statutory from 1 April 2024)
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 2004, Part 1: housing conditions and the HHSRS (legislation.gov.uk)
- Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home (MHCLG, DHSC, UKHSA)
- Awaab’s Law: guidance for tenants in social housing (MHCLG)
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)
RemedyBridge provides a free initial check for housing disrepair problems in England & Wales. The result is a guide only and never tells you that you definitely have a claim. Checking your situation is free.