Who Can Help With Damp and Mould in a Council House?

Your landlord won’t deal with the damp and mould? Here are all your options, clearly explained, and where a claim fits in.

Short answer

Report the damp and mould to your council in writing first. If they don’t fix it in a reasonable time, you can escalate through Environmental Health, the Housing Ombudsman, free advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice, or a specialist housing-disrepair solicitor who can pursue repairs and compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis. Under Awaab’s Law, social landlords must act on damp and mould within strict legal deadlines.

Your options, in order

1. Report it to your council (in writing)

Your first step. Report the damp and mould to your council landlord in writing (email or their repairs portal) so there is a dated record. Councils have a legal duty to keep your home free from serious hazards.

2. Environmental Health

Your council’s Environmental Health team can inspect for a "category 1 hazard" (which serious damp and mould can be) and order the landlord to fix it. For a council-owned home you can ask a councillor or, in serious cases, seek advice about the courts.

3. The Housing Ombudsman

If you have been through your landlord’s full complaints process and are still not satisfied, the Housing Ombudsman can investigate and order repairs and compensation. This is a free, independent route, separate from a legal claim.

4. Independent advice (Shelter / Citizens Advice)

Shelter and Citizens Advice give free, independent advice about your rights and the best way forward. Useful before you commit to any route, they don’t take claims themselves.

5. A housing-disrepair solicitor

A specialist solicitor can pursue your landlord for the repairs and for compensation, usually on a No Win, No Fee basis. This is the route that can get you money for the harm and inconvenience, not just the repair.

6. UK Housing Claims (that’s us)

We are not a law firm, we are a free service that checks whether your situation is likely to qualify for a claim and, if it does, connects you with a specialist housing-disrepair solicitor from our panel. No cost, no obligation to proceed.

What to do right now

Whichever route you choose, these steps protect you and make any claim far stronger:

Report the problem to your council in writing and keep a copy.
Photograph the damp and mould (with dates), including any damaged belongings.
Keep every letter, email and repair reference in one place.
Note dates you reported it and any missed or failed repair appointments.
Make a formal complaint if nothing is done within a reasonable time.

Awaab’s Law: why now matters

Awaab’s Law, brought in after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from mould in social housing, requires social landlords, including councils, to investigate and fix damp, mould and other serious hazards within strict, legally set timescales. If your council has left you living with mould, you don’t have to accept it. Read our full guide to Awaab’s Law, or see the government’s guidance on GOV.UK for the current legal deadlines.

Common questions

Who can help me with damp and mould in a council house?

Start by reporting it to your council in writing. If they don’t act, your options include the council’s Environmental Health team, the Housing Ombudsman (after the complaints process), free independent advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice, and a specialist housing-disrepair solicitor who can pursue repairs and compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis. UK Housing Claims can check for free whether you may have a claim and connect you with a solicitor from our panel.

Can I claim compensation for mould in a council house?

Potentially yes. If you are a council or housing-association tenant, reported the damp and mould, and your landlord failed to fix it within a reasonable time, you may be able to claim compensation for the harm and inconvenience as well as forcing the repairs. Whether you can claim depends on the facts and evidence in your case.

What is Awaab’s Law and does it apply to council tenants?

Awaab’s Law was introduced after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from mould in social housing. It requires social landlords, including councils and housing associations, to investigate and fix damp, mould and other serious hazards within strict, legally set timescales. If your social landlord has left you living with mould, it is one of the strongest reasons to act. See GOV.UK for the current timescales.

Will I be evicted for complaining about damp and mould?

It is illegal for a landlord to evict you simply for reporting repairs or making a disrepair complaint or claim (this is called "retaliatory eviction"). You have the right to a safe home and to hold your landlord to account.

Do I have to choose between getting repairs and claiming compensation?

No. A properly handled housing-disrepair claim can seek both, forcing your landlord to carry out the repairs and pursuing compensation for the time you were left living with the problem.

This page is general information, not legal advice. UK Housing Claims is a free lead-generation service and is not a law firm. See also your rights as a tenant and how the claim process works.