New guidance has been published by The Property Ombudsman to help agents, landlords and tenants deal with condensation, damp and mould in their homes.

A survey of 719 letting agents by TPO showed that nearly all had managed properties with damp and mould issues. Specifically, 42% of lettings businesses had ongoing issues relating to damp and mould in properties while 9% of agents surveyed said they were ‘unconfident’ in landlords’ ability to recognise issues and 72% were confident of a quick resolution.

Most agents believed that condensation due to tenant activities such as drying clothes on radiators, showers/baths and cooking without using extractor fans were the main causes of damp and mould. Where damp and mould occurred as a result of construction issues, most agents felt that the property should not be let until the problem was resolved. 

The Ombudsman’s casework in 2023 showed that over 1,000 damp and mould enquiries were received with over 200 damp and mould specific cases then accepted for investigation. Some £36,000 was then awarded in compensation to tenants.

While most respondents were confident about landlords recognising the consequences, 23% were not, which meant problems would usually be resolved more slowly as landlords would need to be educated about the consequences before agreeing to take action.