Free guide · 16-page PDF · For landlords

Damp, mould and the law: the landlord's 2026 guide.

A free guide for landlords in England: what the law on damp and mould requires today, what is coming and when, and a step-by-step protocol for responding to a tenant's report. Written by Wojtek Pankowski, a Retrofit Assessor and Domestic Energy Assessor in Walsall.

The legal framework in one table: what is in force, what has passed and what is only proposed, with dates
Awaab's Law, HHSRS changes from June 2026, the Renters' Rights Act and the £40,000 fines explained
EPC C by 2030: the £10,000 cost cap, early compliance and the solid wall exemption
A response protocol with timescales, a record-keeping log and a template message to your tenant
A before-winter checklist and why paint, bleach and the wrong insulation make mould worse

What's inside.

Private landlords with one to ten homes in Walsall, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands who want to meet their duties, avoid fines and stop the same mould complaint coming back every winter.

01What this guide will do for you
02Key takeaways
031. The legal framework in plain terms
042. Awaab's Law explained
053. HHSRS: damp and mould as a hazard, council powers and fines
064. Fitness for Human Habitation: what tenants can claim
075. Your repairing duties under section 11
086. The Renters' Rights Act 2025: what changes on damp
097. EPC and MEES: E today, C by 2030
108. Why mould happens, and why "tenant lifestyle" arguments often fail
119. Step-by-step protocol when a tenant reports mould
1210. Fixing it properly
1311. Record-keeping log template
1412. Landlord checklist for each property before winter
1513. How aPlastering helps landlords

What this guide will do for you

If you let one to ten homes in the West Midlands, damp and mould is probably the complaint you dread most in winter. It comes back every year, tenants are more aware of their rights than ever, and the law around it has changed more in the last 18 months than in the previous 15 years.

I am Wojtek Pankowski. I run aPlastering from Walsall and I am a qualified Retrofit Assessor and Domestic Energy Assessor. I spend my working weeks inside cold, damp rooms working out why the mould keeps coming back. This guide puts the legal picture and the building science in one place, so you can respond to a report properly, keep the right records and fix the cause rather than the symptom.

Everything legal in here was checked against official sources (legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK) and is stated as it stood at the time of writing, 1 October 2026. Where something has passed but is not yet in force, or is only proposed, I say so and give the date.

Important: this guide is general information for landlords in England. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from a solicitor, your local council or a landlord association on your particular property or tenancy. The law in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is different. Laws and guidance change, so check the sources listed at the end before relying on any date or figure.

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