Many households suffer from health-damaging damp and mould in their homes, which during winter often become worse, and at times unliveable. Research from Shelter shows the health of one in five renters (22%) in England – or 1.9 million households - is being harmed by poor housing, with damp and mould affecting 26% of all renters. But what can be done about it?
Mould is caused by damp conditions. Jayne Atherton, who develops advice and information for Shelter's online advice pages, explains: "The first step is to work out where the problem is coming from.
"Sometimes it’ll be easy to spot the cause, such as with penetrating damp caused by an internal leak or external cracks in the walls. Rising damp can be a problem in older properties and happens when moisture from the ground soaks up into the bricks of the building.”
If you’re renting, your landlord should take action if the damp or mould is caused by a repair problem or affecting your health and safety. Jayne says: "With issues like penetrating or rising damp it will usually be your landlord’s responsibility to fix the problem and make good any damage.”
However, as a tenant you are expected to properly ventilate and heat your home so that damp doesn’t build up.
Everyday activities like cooking, showering and drying clothes create moisture in your home which can lead to condensation. It can help if you open the bedroom windows for a short while when you get up, use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathrooms and close internal doors when cooking or showering. Having a temperature of at least 15 degrees in all rooms can help too.
Faulty heating and ventilation systems are the responsibility of the landlord. If you report the problems to your landlord, they must organise an inspection and carry out any repairs they are responsible for within a reasonable time.
Jayne advises: "Make sure you follow up any initial phone calls to your landlord with a letter or email. We have information on how to report repairs on our advice pages and have also developed a template letter that tenants can use."
At the end of the day, your landlord must make sure your home is fit to live in from the start of your tenancy until you leave.
For more information on how to deal with housing issues and your rights, visit Shelter’s online advice pages.
