Damp and Mould - Advice and Guidance

Damp and mould issues are common problems in many homes. Understanding the cause of the dampness is key to treatment of the problem. There are four main types of damp that may affect your home -

• Condensation
• Rising Damp
• Penetrating Damp
• Damp caused by Defective Plumbing

Click on any of the above 4 types of damp to take you to further information and guidance

Tenant’s Responsibilities

It is important you take the most appropriate action to reduce condensation in your home. You have a responsibility to use your accommodation correctly which includes not making your home damp or mouldy due to excessive condensation. You should ventilate and heat your home properly so that damp does not build up.

If the dampness is caused by other forms of damp such as penetrating damp, rising damp or defective plumbing (not including soft blockages from tenant behaviour), it will be your landlord’s responsibility to deal with it. You must report this to them as soon as possible.

Landlord’s Responsibilities

Your landlord has a responsibility to fix the damp or mould issue if it is either:

• Caused by a repair problem
• Or affecting your health and safety

Your landlord also has a legal obligation to provide you with a suitable fixed form of heating and means to ventilate your home.  

Common examples of problems your landlord must fix include:

• Faulty rainwater goods e.g., defective guttering
• Leaking pipes e.g., leak from bathroom waste pipe
• Broken heating systems
• Missing roof tiles

Your landlord should also replace any damaged plaster, skirting boards or flooring and redecorate if needed once the problem is fixed.

Ideally bathrooms and kitchens should be provided with mechanical ventilation with a humidity sensor.

Newcastle City Council’s Responsibilities

If the dampness is due to condensation, Newcastle City Council can only act if:

• You have inadequate heating or no heating
• You cannot open your windows, or they are in a severe state of disrepair
• The damp and mould are very severe
• You rent a property that does not have an EPC or has a failing EPC (below E)

Condensation dampness and mould caused by the lifestyle of the occupants cannot be enforced under the Housing Act 2004 and we are unable to help unless there are very severe extenuating circumstances. We will not consider condensation dampness and mould caused by the lifestyle of the occupants for the purpose of the housing register banding.

If you feel the dampness in your property is due to rising damp, penetrating damp or from defective plumbing then you should report the problem to your landlord first and ask for the work to be carried out.   

If after 7-10 days your landlord has failed to adequately respond to your request, you may wish to report the issue to us so we can look at your complaint in more detail.

Conditions involving serious or imminent danger

If the issue is serious and there is an immediate danger or a serious threat to health and you have not had an immediate response from your landlord, or your landlord is uncontactable, we would always encourage you to contact us without delay.

Energy Advice and Grants

Our Energy Services team provides expert advice and support for residents and businesses in Newcastle.

This includes working to:

• Improve energy efficiency
• Help households to keep warm at a reasonable cost (reduce fuel poverty)
• Offer energy saving and fuel debt advice

The team may also be able to help you access grants or support from a range of schemes.

Find out more on our Energy advice | Newcastle City Council page.
 

Newcastle City Council Damp and Mould Policy for privately rented homes

If you rent your home from a private landlord or housing association

The Council's Damp in Privately Rented Homes Policy explains how we work with landlords, tenants and managing agents to investigate and resolve damp and mould problems in privately rented accommodation, including housing association homes.

If you have reported a problem to your landlord and it has not been resolved, the Council may be able to help.

Read the policy Damp in Privately Rented Homes Policy

Contact the Public Safety and Regulation Team

For advice about damp and mould in privately rented homes:

• phone 0191 278 7878
• email
• write to Public Safety and Regulation, Newcastle City Council, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH
• visit Problems with damp and repairs

If you rent your home from Newcastle City Council

We are committed to identifying and addressing damp and mould in council homes. For information about our approach, read the Damp and Mould in Council Homes Policy.

If you have damp, mould or condensation in your home, you should report it as soon as possible.

Request a repair to your council home 

You can also read our Damp and Mould in Council Homes Policy for more information about how we investigate reports and support tenants.

Getting help

If you are unsure who is responsible for carrying out repairs or need advice about damp and mould in your home, contact us and we will help direct you to the appropriate service.

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards

Minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) aim to make private rented homes warmer and cheaper to heat.

Landlords must provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for any home they rent. If the rating is too low, they might need to improve the property to make it more energy efficient. Currently the EPC must be an E rating or above.

An EPC will tell you:

• about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs
• how to reduce energy use and save money

For further information for tenants and landlords please visit our MEES home page Minimum energy efficiency standards | Newcastle City Council