Serious damp and mould in social housing: from tenant report to safe home

The first decision is about risk, not blame. When a social tenant in England reports damp and mould that may be a significant hazard, an English social landlord must investigate and make it safe within the Awaab's Law timescales, address the underlying cause, and keep the tenant informed in writing. This is a Phase 1 operational response, in force since 27 October 2025.

What has happened

A social tenant reports damp, condensation or visible mould, perhaps with health concerns, damaged belongings or a bedroom they can no longer use. Since 27 October 2025, Awaab's Law (Phase 1) has required registered providers of social housing in England to act on damp and mould that presents a significant risk of harm, and on all emergency hazards, within set timescales. The duty is triggered by the landlord becoming aware of a potential hazard, so the report itself starts the clock, and the response must be risk-led rather than a debate about the tenant's "lifestyle".

Immediate actions and the timescales

Triage the report against the risk. If it is an emergency hazard (a significant and imminent risk of harm), investigate and make it safe within 24 hours. For a potential significant hazard such as serious damp and mould, investigate within 10 working days of becoming aware, provide the tenant a written summary of the investigation findings within 3 working days of the investigation concluding, and begin any relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding (with supplementary preventative work also to begin within 5 working days). Where safety work cannot be completed in time, the requirements include making suitable alternative accommodation available in defined circumstances. Record the dates against each step from the moment of the report.

What not to do

Do not default to blaming the tenant's behaviour or send generic "ventilate and wipe it down" advice instead of investigating. Do not treat a repeat report as a nuisance, and do not let the clock run without recording when you became aware. Do not close the case on a quick mould-wash that leaves the underlying leak, ventilation failure or cold bridge untouched, and do not apply the social-sector timescales to a private-sector property, which sits under different duties.

Who is responsible

The registered provider (the social landlord) holds the Awaab's Law duty; a managing agent or contractor may deliver the works under the arrangements, but the timescales and outcome rest with the landlord. A competent surveyor or damp specialist investigates the cause, and appropriate trades carry out the safety and remedial work. The tenant should report the problem and allow reasonable access; the landlord must make cooperating easy and keep the tenant informed.

Evidence and records

Record the date and time of the report and of becoming aware, the triage decision (emergency vs significant), the investigation and its findings, the written summary sent to the tenant and its date, the safety and preventative work with dates, any alternative accommodation offered, and the confirmation the home is safe. This record demonstrates the timescales were met and supports the landlord's wider consumer-standards obligations to the regulator.

Escalation

Escalate an emergency hazard for immediate 24-hour action and, where needed, temporary decant. Escalate a complex or recurring cause to a competent surveyor rather than repeating superficial treatments. Where management is changing, hand over the open case cleanly per managing-agent change handover. A tenant can escalate to the Housing Ombudsman, and the Regulator of Social Housing oversees consumer standards, so a complete, dated record matters. For the legal overview, see the Awaab's Law explainer.

Prevention

Move from reactive to proactive: use stock-condition and damp-and-mould data to find at-risk homes before tenants report, treat repeat reports as a signal of an unresolved cause, verify that ventilation and heating actually work, and track each case against the statutory timescales so none slips. A live case-tracking approach with the clock visible is what keeps a portfolio compliant, not case-by-case firefighting.

Where Complys can help

Complys can hold each property's damp-and-mould cases, investigation findings, tenant communications and works evidence, and track each case against the Awaab's Law timescales so investigation, written summary and safety-work deadlines are visible and evidenced. It does not investigate the cause of damp or carry out the works; competent surveyors and trades do, and the statutory judgement stays with the landlord. Ask the Complys team to show how case tracking against the timescales fits your repairs process.