Information for Landlords

If you’re a landlord and in need of some extra information, or just curious about what a landlords responsibilities are, then look no further. All the information on this page is here to support you.

Government guidance on damp and mould

Damp and mould: understanding and addressing the health risks for rented housing providers is aimed at social and private rented landlords and other providers of residential accommodation.

The guidance sets out the legal responsibilities of landlords to their tenants and the serious health risks posed by damp and mould. It provides an overview of what landlords should consider when addressing reports of damp and mould. It gives examples of best practice to help reduce the health risks to the tenants and potential damage to the property, as well as support landlords to demonstrate to the relevant regulators that they are seeking to meet their legal dutie as well as supporting landlords.

The guidance states it is the landlord’s responsibility to identify the underlying causes of pervasive damp and mould, such as structural issues or inadequate ventilation, and to find long term solutions

What a landlord must repair under section 11

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 creates an implied term in tenancy agreements that a landlord must carry out certain repairs. An implied term is treated as though it is part of the contract between the landlord and tenant.
Section 11 overrides what is written in the contract, unless the contract gives the tenant additional rights. Landlords cannot avoid their obligations by writing in a term in the agreement that says section 11 does not apply
The landlord must keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling house. They must keep in repair and working order, the installations for the supply of:

Repairs and safety in rented homes

Landlords have a legal obligation to carry out repairs in properties they rent out.
A landlord’s main repairing obligation is under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenans Act. Section 11 requires landlords to make repairs to the structure and exterior, as well as to installations such as boilers, pipes and electrics. It applies to private and social landlords.
Section 11 applies to most residential tenancy agreements, with some exceptions including crown tenancies and fixed term tenancies of seven years or more. It does not apply to licence and lodger agreements.
A landlord might also have additional repairing obligations set out in the tenancy agreement. For example, if the contract says that they will repair appliances.
The landlord is usually not required to carry out repairs to the property until they have been notified of the problem. The landlord must keep common or shared parts of the building in repair even if they have not been notified by the tenant.

Guidance for addressing damp and mould. Section 1:

What can I do to reduce damp and mould in the first place?

1

Better routine maintenance and retrofit work

Regular maintenance work on properties to repair small defects can prevent them from escalating into major issues and will likely keep the costs down. By upgrading or modifying existing appliances, equipment or structures, it can help prevent problems from occurring in the first instance. Eg: improving heating systems, servicing boilers, improving energy efficiency through things like double glazing, will in the long run, likely save money and cause less issues.

2

Checks in-between tenancies

3

Staff training and organisational learning

4

To support the first 3 actions, the following advice and actions should be applied;

Easy to follow reporting process for tenants
Clear timescales for responding to and addressing reports of damp and mould
Better data collection related to damp and mould risk
Include the tenancy pack information and advice on reducing condensation in their home.

What if I need further advice?

Follow the links below for more information.