Damp and Mould advice for tenants in private rented housing
When dealing with problems of damp and mould in your rented property, there are slightly different routes you should take depending on who your landlord is.
Tenants in the Social Housing Sector:
If you are a tenant in social housing, there is new legislation in place from 27 October 2025 which sets processes for how your landlord should respond to some problems of damp and mould in your property. The new legislation is not enforced by the Private Sector Housing team and you will instead be able to complain to the Housing Ombudsman if you feel your landlord is not dealing with the damp and mould. The Housing Ombudsman advises the following:
- your landlord must inspect your home when you report damp and mould within their policy timeframes. From 27 October 2025, they must also follow Awaab’s Law rules
- try to reduce moisture in your home when possible. If you think your building is causing the problem, tell your landlord.
- when reporting damp and mould problems, say clearly which rooms are affected and if it’s spreading
- tell your landlord if this is a new problem or one you’ve reported before
- if you are not happy with your landlord’s response you can raise a complaint through their complaints process
- if you are unhappy with your landlord’s final response to your complaint you can contact the Housing Ombudsman
If you are a South Oxfordshire District Council tenant, please see our web page ‘Damp and mould advice Council Tenants‘ to find out about the council’s approach to damp and mould in the accommodation we provide.
Tenants in the Private Rented Sector:
If you are a tenant in a private rented property and believe that you are experiencing problems with damp and mould then you should contact your landlord, in writing, to inform them of the problem and give them 14 days to provide you with a response.
If you do not receive a satisfactory response, please contact the Private Sector Housing Team using the details below. Please include your name, address, telephone number, details of the problem and landlord contact details. Please provide us with any photographs that you have of the issue.
When you decide to contact us about your damp and mould issue, we have a questionnaire that you can fill out and send to us. It helps us to understand your situation in more detail. You can find the questionnaire here.
Contact us - Private Sector Housing
01235 422436
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialing)
South Oxfordshire District Council
Private Sector Housing Team
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE
