Tenant responsibilities - Aspergillosis Patients & Carers Support

Damp homes

Under Awaab’s Law, effective from 27 October 2025, tenants in social housing gain stronger legal rights — but they also assume clear responsibilities to help ensure health and safety hazards are identified and addressed quickly. These responsibilities are defined in government and local authority guidance as reciprocal obligations complementing a landlord’s statutory duties.

Timely Reporting of Hazards

Tenants are required to report health or safety hazards without delay.

Reports should describe visible signs of damp, mould, leaks, condensation, electrical faults, or structural issues as soon as they are noticed.
Notification can be made through online systems, phone calls, or written forms. Once a tenant reports the issue, Awaab’s Law deadlines for landlord action begin.
Where a hazard is not reported or access is denied, landlords are not legally liable for missed deadlines until re‑notification occurs.

Providing Reasonable Access

Tenants must allow landlords, inspectors, and contractors safe access to their homes.

Access must be granted within reasonable notice periods to investigate, assess, or complete repairs.
Repeated refusal or failure to provide access may suspend compliance obligations for landlords under the Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) Regulations 2025.
If access is denied for legitimate reasons (illness, safeguarding), tenants are expected to reschedule promptly and confirm availability.

Cooperating During Remediation

During repair works:

Tenants must follow any safety guidance (for example, keeping rooms ventilated or sealed off during treatment of mould).
They should not interfere with ongoing work or tamper with installed equipment such as ventilation systems, dehumidifiers, or insulation.
Where temporary relocation is necessary, tenants must cooperate with arrangements and maintain contact with the housing provider until safe return.

Maintaining Homes in a Tenant‑Like Manner

This long‑standing legal expectation, reaffirmed under Awaab’s Law, requires tenants to:

Maintain reasonable cleanliness, heating, and ventilation to avoid condensation and surface mould.
Inform landlords if heating or extractor fans fail, rather than attempting unsafe self‑repairs.
Avoid behaviours that worsen damp, such as blocking vents or drying clothes against walls without ventilation.
Landlords remain responsible for structural or design‑related causes of damp and mould, but tenants share a duty to prevent avoidable environmental neglect.

Accurate Information Provision

Tenants are advised to ensure that landlords hold up‑to‑date contact and household details:

Correct phone numbers, email addresses, and next‑of‑kin contacts help ensure rapid communication during emergencies.
Families with vulnerable members (young children, elderly, disabled, or medically compromised) should disclose this information voluntarily so repairs can be prioritised according to risk.

Respecting Communication and Record‑Keeping Processes

Since landlords must document every hazard case for at least six years, tenants should:

Cooperate with written acknowledgments and confirmation messages.
Keep copies of their own correspondence and inspection reports for evidence in the event of dispute.
Respond promptly to follow‑up checks after repairs to confirm whether mould or damp has recurred.

Acting Responsibly in Shared or Communal Areas

Where the social landlord manages shared premises:

Tenants must report leaks, damp patches, or ventilation blockages in communal corridors, stairwells, and laundry rooms.
Damage or negligence in shared spaces may delay compliance and will be recorded as tenant‑related under landlord reporting systems.

In essence, under Awaab’s Law, tenants share a duty of cooperation and vigilance. They must report hazards quickly, permit safe access, observe reasonable household maintenance, and communicate health vulnerabilities accurately. These obligations support the law’s purpose — ensuring that hazards like damp and mould are no longer dismissed, but resolved swiftly through joint responsibility between households and housing providers.

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