Damp, mould and respiratory illness

The health link is the reason damp is treated as more than a cosmetic problem. It is also why the law has moved: Awaab's Law, which came into effect from October 2025, requires social landlords in England to investigate and resolve damp and mould within set time periods⁶. It is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from mould exposure⁴.

For a household, damp sits at the intersection of health, housing rights and energy. Cold homes and poorly insulated homes are where damp takes hold, and renters and people with health conditions are far more likely to be stuck in unsafe housing, with damp and mould a daily reality⁷. This page sets out the evidence, the duties, what tenants can do themselves, and where to get help.

Health effects: a 30 to 50 per cent rise in respiratory problems

The headline figure is consistent across the main independent sources. Damp and mould are associated with a 30 to 50 per cent increase in respiratory problems¹, and damp homes are linked to a 30 to 50 per cent increase in respiratory problems³. The same range appears in guidance on cold homes and fuel poverty².

What drives the range is the difficulty of isolating damp from the other conditions that travel with it. Damp homes are usually cold homes, and cold homes are usually low-income homes. The resultant mould and damp can lead to respiratory issues, skin irritation and poor mental health⁴, so the health effect is rarely respiratory alone. The 30 to 50 per cent band reflects study populations and exposure measures that differ between research projects rather than a single measured rate.

The survey evidence gives a household-level view. Among UK adults who experienced mould or damp, 14 per cent reported respiratory issues⁵. That is a self-reported figure from a consumer study, weaker than the clinical association, but it shows how common the symptom is among people living with the problem.

For a household's energy independence, the health link changes the calculation. A damp home is not just uncomfortable; it is a home where the building fabric is failing to manage moisture, and where the occupant may be running heating to try to dry it out. That is dependence on more energy to solve a problem that insulation, ventilation and repairs should address. The health evidence is the strongest argument for treating damp as a housing standards issue rather than a housekeeping one.

Why damp and mould take hold in rented and poorly insulated homes

Condensation damp has a specific set of causes. They include not having proper ventilation, not having good enough extraction fans in kitchens and bathrooms, broken heating systems such as a boiler not working properly, not having insulation on external walls or ceilings, and no suitable way to dry clothes¹⁰. Each of these is a building or equipment failure, not a lifestyle choice.

The retrofit paradox makes this worse. Insulation, double glazing and draught-proofing all help save energy, but they also trap moisture inside¹¹. A home that has been sealed without adequate ventilation will hold the moisture produced by cooking, bathing and drying clothes. Inappropriate insulation or ventilation strategies can lead to issues such as damp and mould¹², and substandard installation has been found to range from missing or incomplete paperwork, insufficient ventilation, or missing or exposed insulation, which if left unchecked could lead to damp and mould¹³.

Renters and people with health conditions are far more likely to be stuck in unsafe housing, with damp and mould a daily reality⁷. The private rented sector concentrates the problem because tenants cannot commission structural work and landlords have limited incentive to fund it. When viewing a home, the signs to check for are damp and mould, condensation, draughts and poor ventilation¹⁴.

Damp and mould problems often need to be fixed before other energy saving measures like insulation can be installed¹⁴. That sequencing matters: a household cannot improve the energy performance of a damp wall until the source of moisture is dealt with. It also means damp is a barrier to energy independence, not just a symptom of poor housing.

Landlord duties: fit for habitation, repairs and Awaab's Law

The legal position depends on the type of tenancy and the nation. In many cases the landlord is responsible for dealing with rising damp, because a term implied into the tenancy agreement says it is their responsibility to keep the exterior and structure of the home in repair¹⁰. The same applies to penetrating damp: the landlord must keep in repair the exterior and structure of the home as well as installations like basins, sinks, baths, toilets and their pipework¹⁰.

For private renters, the landlord might be responsible for the damp if it means the home is not safe to live in, for example if it has made you or your family ill¹⁰. For council and housing association tenants, the landlord is responsible if the damp means the home is not safe to live in or it is an ongoing serious problem affecting physical or mental health¹⁰.

Awaab's Law sharpens this for social tenants. From October 2025, it requires social landlords to investigate and resolve damp and mould in homes within set time periods⁶. The requirements compel social landlords to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould within set time periods¹⁵. Your social landlord has a duty to fix reported damp, mould and emergency repairs by law¹⁶. The government plans to extend Awaab's Law to the private rented sector through the Renters' Rights Bill, with implementation expected later in 2026⁴.

Gas safety runs alongside these duties. Your landlord is responsible for servicing boilers and appliances annually and must provide an up-to-date gas safety record, which is a legal requirement⁹. Maintaining pipework and appliances in safe condition is part of the maintenance duty¹⁷. In Wales, building regulations apply to providing services and fittings such as washing and sanitary facilities, hot water cylinders, foul water and rainwater drainage, replacement windows, and fuel burning appliances of any type¹⁸.

What renters can do themselves: ventilation, dehumidifiers and draught-proofing

The measures a tenant can take without landlord consent are mostly about moisture and air. All habitable rooms should be ventilated directly to the open air by opening a window¹⁹. That is the baseline, and it costs nothing.

Draught-proofing is more constrained. Official guidance for private rented housing fitness checks lists draught proofing external doors and windows, but not in rooms containing an open-flue gas appliance¹⁹. That exclusion is a safety rule: sealing a room with an open flue can affect combustion and ventilation.

Landlords have their own list of insulation and draught duties in properties rented to tenants: make sure roof spaces are insulated; replace draughty, ill fitting windows and doors; draught proof external doors and windows, subject to the open-flue exclusion; insulate exposed water pipes; and fit the hot water tank with a good quality insulation jacket¹⁹. These are landlord obligations, not tenant tasks, but knowing them helps a tenant frame a request.

Dehumidifiers are not named as grant-funded measures in the available guidance. The grant route that does exist is for insulation: consider insulating your walls and loft if they have not been done, and you may be able to get a grant for this²⁰. In Northern Ireland, the Department proposes that private rented sector landlords may access fully funded cavity and loft insulation, draught proofing, and ventilation where the tenant meets eligibility criteria²².

If damp and condensation persist after these steps, contact your landlord²⁰. The order matters: evidence that the tenant has ventilated and dried clothes sensibly strengthens a repair request.

Support and grants for health-vulnerable households

Support for households whose health is affected by cold or damp homes runs through the energy efficiency schemes and the health referral routes.

ECO Flex identifies households as low income and vulnerable, with an occupant whose health conditions may be impacted further by living in a cold home, and includes an NHS referral route²³. That is the clearest formal link between a health condition and eligibility for energy efficiency funding.

The Warm Home Discount supports two and a half million low-income and vulnerable households⁸, and other low income or vulnerable households may also be eligible²⁴. The Warm Healthy Homes Fund targets lower-income households in owner-occupied and private rented homes²⁵. In Northern Ireland, households may qualify for financial support towards the cost of loft and cavity wall insulation²⁶, and NI Energy Advice provides referrals to energy grants and other sources of help²⁶.

One caution on scheme delivery: the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 guidance states that there are special provisions that apply in respect of awarding grant funding to an ailing or insolvent enterprise²⁷. That is a signal that some delivery routes carry financial risk.

For households with an urgent health and safety risk, Manchester Care & Repair notes that grant assistance may be accessible where there is an urgent risk to Health & Safety²⁸.

Where to get help: advice services and trusts

The first point of contact for a tenant whose landlord will not act is the landlord, in writing, after the standard steps have been tried. If you live in a rented property and you have tried all the above, but the damp and condensation is not going away, then contact your landlord²⁰.

Beyond that, local authority and regional services provide routes in. The Warm Homes: Local Grant lists Bury Council as a contact for private sector housing²⁹. The WarmHomesEssex website has details of other funding, advice, and support available in Essex³⁰. Winter Wellbeing Guides are available as paper copies from Council Information Points, GP surgeries, NHS premises, libraries and other partner sources, plus downloadable copies³¹.

In Northern Ireland, NI Energy Advice provides referrals to energy grants and other sources of help²⁶. For households with health conditions, the NHS referral route into ECO Flex is the formal channel²³.

For the wider picture on rights and remedies, the site's pages on damp and mould in rented homes and landlord duties on energy, heating and home safety set out the duties and evidence in more detail. Tenants who want to understand what they can change without consent will find renting and home energy useful, and households whose health is the deciding factor should see vulnerable and medically dependent households. The broader context sits in the home energy guide.