Damp and mould

It's not always easy to work out if your landlord is responsible for resolving problems with damp. This is because it can be difficult to find the exact cause of damp without the help of a surveyor, unless, it's obvious, such as a leaking roof.

This page looks at rising, penetrating and construction dampness, who might be responsible for dealing with them and what action you may be able to take.

What is damp?

Damp is a common problem which many tenants experience when renting accommodation. There are several types of dampness:

• condensation dampness, which is one of the most common types of mould and generally happens when a property can't deal with normal levels of water vapour. It is not normally a building fault but is caused by moist air inside the property condensing on windows, walls and other surfaces.
• rising damp, which happens when moisture travels up from the ground through the masonry in a property to the height of about one metre
• penetrating damp, which happens when water penetrates into the fabric of a building from outside to inside, for example, because of a leaking downpipe
• construction damp, where dampness is caused by a problem in how the property was designed

Condensation damp

Condensation is the most common form of damp. Condensation is most likely to appear in cold or poorly ventilated properties. Homes heated intermittently are more likely to suffer with condensation problems than homes heated continuously.  This is because continuous heating keeps the surfaces of the rooms warm which reduces the risk of condensation forming on them. Normal daily activities such as taking showers and baths, washing and drying clothes, cooking and boiling kettles produce warm air containing a large amount of water vapour which can contribute to condensation related damp and mould.

For more advice and simple steps on keeping your home free from damp and mould please read the attached leaflet 'Keep your home from free from damp and mould'