Damp and mould and Awaab's law: UK private landlords

Last updated 26 Oct 2026

Private landlords in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must keep a rented home free from damp that harms health. Awaab's law does not yet apply to private landlords in England: the government is consulting until 18 December 2026. In Scotland, fixed timescales for damp and mould have applied to private landlords since 6 October 2026.

The rules at a glance

	Law that covers damp now	Fixed timescales for private landlords?
England	Fitness for human habitation (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985) and the HHSRS	Not yet. Awaab's law for private renting waits on regulations
Scotland	The repairing standard, which includes "substantially free from damp and mould"	Yes, since 6 October 2026: 10, 3 and 5 working days
Wales	Fitness for human habitation (Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016)	No. Repairs within a reasonable time
Northern Ireland	The fitness standard: "free from dampness prejudicial to the health of the occupants"	No

England: Awaab's law, what is in force and what is not

In force for social landlords. The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 apply from 27 October 2025. Social landlords must investigate significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days. They must give a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation, and start safety work within 5 working days. Emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours. Source: gov.uk, Awaab's law guidance for social landlords.

Passed for private landlords, not yet in force. Section 60 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends the same hazard rules in section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to "a lease of a dwelling-house in England". Section 61 covers licences. legislation.gov.uk shows section 60 as not yet in force when this page was checked.

Waiting on regulations. The government's consultation says "implementation of these provisions in the Renters' Rights Act will require regulations to be made". It runs "from 9 October 2026 to 11.59pm on 18 December 2026". It proposes a 10-working-day timescale to investigate and 24 hours for emergency hazards, mirroring social housing. These are proposals, not law. Source: gov.uk, extending Awaab's law to private rented tenancies.

The government's Renters' Rights Act roadmap gives the private rented start date for Awaab's law as "TBC – subject to consultation". For the Act's other dates, see the Renters' Rights Act in England.

What already applies to private landlords in England

Fit for human habitation. The home must be fit when the tenancy starts and stay fit during it. Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 9A, in force since 20 March 2019.
Damp is one of the tests. Fitness takes account of "freedom from damp". Source: section 10.
Repairs. The landlord must keep the structure and exterior in repair, "including drains, gutters and external pipes", and heating and hot water in "repair and proper working order". Source: section 11.
Council enforcement. "Damp and mould growth" is the first hazard in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which councils use to inspect homes.

The government's guidance on damp and mould is written for "social and private rented housing providers in England". It says to "identify and tackle the underlying causes of damp and mould, including building deficiencies". It calls it "totally unreasonable to blame damp and mould in the home on 'lifestyle choices'". It also says to re-inspect "at least 6 weeks after remedial work has been carried out". Source: gov.uk, understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home.

Scotland: timescales in force since 6 October 2026

The standard. The repairing standard now requires that "the house is substantially free from damp and mould". Source: Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, section 13, as amended from 6 October 2026.
The timescales. A competent person must investigate within 10 working days. The landlord must give the tenant a written summary within 3 working days, and start the repair within 5 working days. Source: section 14, inserted by The Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026.
Delays and completion. If a delay is outside your control, you must tell the tenant and take interim steps. The Scottish Government says "private landlords must ensure the repair is completed as soon as reasonably practicable". Source: gov.scot, Awaab's law guidance for landlords.
Tenants' route. Tenants can refer a breach to the First-tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber). Source: gov.scot, housing standards.

The older tolerable standard still requires a home to be "substantially free from rising or penetrating damp". Source: Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, section 86.

Wales: fitness for human habitation

The duty. The landlord must keep the dwelling fit for human habitation from the start of the contract and "for the duration of the contract". Source: Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, section 91. Section 92 covers repairs to the structure, exterior and installations.
Damp is listed first. The Fitness for Human Habitation (Wales) Regulations 2022 list 29 matters. The first covers "exposure to house dust mites, damp, mould or fungal growths".
Timescales. Welsh Government guidance says repairs must be done "in a reasonable time and to a reasonable standard", with no fixed number of days. Source: gov.wales, fitness of homes guidance for landlords.

Welsh hazard timescales from 1 April 2026 apply to social housing only. A Welsh Government statement says "these provisions focus on the social housing sector".

Northern Ireland: the fitness standard

The standard. A home must be "free from dampness prejudicial to the health of the occupants". Source: Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, article 46, which applies to private tenancies.
Repairs. Landlords must repair the structure and exterior, including gutters and pipes, and installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating. Source: Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, article 7.
Enforcement. nidirect tells tenants to contact the council's Environmental Health office, which "can take action against landlords". Source: nidirect, housing standards in rented accommodation.

We found no Awaab's law for Northern Ireland when this page was checked.

What to do when a tenant reports damp or mould

Log the report the day you get it. Scotland's timescales are counted in working days, so the date matters.
Inspect soon. In Scotland, the investigation must finish within 10 working days. Elsewhere the gov.uk guidance says to act promptly. Give the notice your nation requires before you visit.
Find the cause. Look for leaks, failed gutters, rising or penetrating damp, poor ventilation and heating faults before treating the mould.
Tell the tenant in writing what you found and what you will do, and when. In Scotland this written summary is due within 3 working days.
Do the work, then check again. gov.uk suggests a re-inspection at least 6 weeks after the work.

Records to keep

The date and words of the tenant's report.
Photos of the damp or mould before and after the work, with dates.
Inspection notes, the written summary you sent, and any surveyor's or contractor's report.
Invoices and dates for the work, and the re-inspection.
Every attempt to arrange access.

Keep the damp and mould record with Letbook

Letbook is a compliance tracker for private landlords in all four nations. Tenants can report an issue such as damp through their portal and follow your replies. Each report, reply and closure lands on the property's dated timeline, next to your notes and uploaded documents. Letbook does not work out Awaab's law deadlines. Sign up free.

Sources

Facts checked on 26 October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.