Damp and Mould Surveys and Reports for Landlords

Weather Wise Solutions Limited is a damp, mould and condensation specialist based in Newcastle-under-Lyme. When a tenant reports damp or mould, one of our surveyors visits the property, finds out what's causing it and tells you how to put it right. Our damp surveys are free.

Why damp and mould matter more for landlords now

Landlords in England already have to keep rented homes in repair and fit to live in, and councils can act when they find a serious hazard such as severe damp and mould. Since June 2026, councils can also fine a private landlord up to £7,000 for failing to take reasonable steps to keep a home free of the most serious (category 1) hazards.

Awaab's Law adds deadlines. It is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 after long exposure to mould in his family's social rented home in Rochdale. Since October 2025 it has applied to social landlords. When they learn of a potential significant damp and mould hazard, they must:

• investigate within 10 working days, using someone with the right skills and experience to judge the risk
• give the tenant a written summary of what they found within 3 working days of the investigation
• make the home safe within 5 working days of the investigation, and deal with emergency hazards within 24 hours

The government now plans to bring Awaab's Law to private landlords. Its consultation opened on 9 October 2026 and closes on 18 December 2026. It uses the social housing rules as its starting point and asks whether the same timescales would work for private landlords. It says 2027 is the earliest the rules could start, and nothing has been decided yet.

So a private landlord in England has no fixed Awaab's Law deadline today. The direction is clear, though: find the cause quickly, use someone who knows what they're looking at, and act on what they find.

North Wales works differently. Awaab's Law applies in England only. Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, landlords in Wales have had to keep homes fit for human habitation since 1 December 2022, and damp and mould growth is one of the matters that decides whether a home is fit.

This is a short summary, not legal advice. You can read the government's consultation on GOV.UK.

What our survey tells you

Most damp and mould in rented homes comes down to a handful of causes, and each one needs a different fix.

Condensation

Moisture from cooking, showers and drying washing settles on the coldest surfaces: windows, outside corners, behind wardrobes and on bathroom ceilings. The answer is usually better extraction, heating and ventilation, such as positive input ventilation, not damp proofing. See mould and condensation.

Penetrating damp

Rain gets in through worn pointing, cracked render, overflowing gutters, leaking downpipes or a tired chimney, and wet patches grow after heavy rain. The fix is to stop the water where it gets in, then repair the plaster inside. See penetrating damp.

Rising damp, or something bridging the damp proof course

Tide marks low down on a ground floor wall can be rising damp. Just as often a raised path, rendered plinth or plaster run down to the floor is letting damp past a damp proof course that still works. A survey tells you which. See rising damp.

Leaks and timber decay

A slow plumbing leak, or blocked air bricks under a suspended timber floor, can leave timber wet for long enough for wet rot or dry rot to start. A springy floor near a wall or a musty smell under the carpet is worth a look. See wet rot and dry rot.

Getting the cause right matters more in a rented home. If the first fix is the wrong one, you pay for work that didn't help, the mould comes back and your tenant reports it again. We wrote about one common case in why black mould keeps coming back on window seals and silicone.

Mould isn't automatically the tenant's fault

When mould appears, landlords and tenants often blame each other. Sometimes the way a home is used is part of it. But cold walls, a weak or missing extractor fan, trickle vents that can't be opened and gaps in loft insulation all make condensation far more likely, and those are building problems. Guidance for social landlords says they can't avoid acting on damp and mould by assuming it's down to the tenant's lifestyle, and the private rented consultation asks whether the same should apply to private landlords. Our surveyor looks at the building and at how the home is used, so you know which parts of the problem are yours to fix.

Fixing it, with guarantees

If work is needed, we can quote for it and carry it out. Every damp proof course we install comes with a 20-year insurance backed guarantee. For cellars and walls below ground, we use a Remmers tanking system to hold back the damp, followed by a suitable plaster, and because we're a fully approved Remmers installer the tanking is covered by a Remmers manufacturer guarantee. See basement and cellar work.

Written damp and mould reports

A free survey tells you what's wrong and, if work is needed, gives you a quote. If you need the findings in writing, for your own records, your tenant, your letting agent or a dispute, we offer two paid reports:

You can compare them on our reports page.

Where we work

We survey rented homes across Staffordshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, North Wales and Derbyshire, from our base in Newcastle-under-Lyme. See the areas we cover.

Our surveyors

Our surveying team includes professionals holding the Level 3 Award in Damp, Mould and Condensation in Buildings (L3 Award DMCB), the Certified Surveyor of Timber & Dampness in Buildings (CSTDB) qualification and the City & Guilds-recognised Federation of Damp Certified Surveyor (FODCS) qualification. Between them, our staff have over 40 years' combined experience. You can meet our surveyors here.

We're members of the Damp Proofing Association, the Federation of Damp and Trust a Trader, and we're CHAS accredited and Google Guaranteed. We have 1,400+ Google reviews.

Our co-founder Aaron Worrall hosts The Healthy House Podcast. In one recent episode he talks to Barry Marshall of Gold Star Property Group about the realities of property investing and running rental homes.

Questions landlords ask us

Is the survey free for landlords?

Yes. Our damp surveys are free. A surveyor visits, looks at the problem and tells you what's causing it. You only pay if you want a written report.

Can you arrange the visit with my letting agent?

Yes. We arrange survey visits with landlords and with letting agents, so tell us who to contact when you book.

Do I need a written report?

Not always. If you just want the problem found and fixed, the free survey and our quote are enough. A written report helps when you need a record: for a tenant, a letting agent, an insurer or a dispute.

Does Awaab's Law apply to my rental yet?

If you're a private landlord in England, not yet. The government is consulting until 18 December 2026 on how and when to bring it in, and says 2027 is the earliest it could start. Social landlords have had to meet it for damp and mould since October 2025, with more hazards due to be added from 30 November 2026, subject to Parliament's approval. It doesn't apply in Wales, where the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 sets the rules.

My tenant cleans the mould but it keeps coming back. Why?

Cleaning and anti-mould paint deal with the mould you can see, not with why it grew. If the wall stays cold and the air stays damp, it grows back. Finding and fixing the cause is the only way to stop it returning.

What guarantees come with the work?

Every damp proof course we install comes with a 20-year insurance backed guarantee. Our tanking is covered by a Remmers manufacturer guarantee, because we're a fully approved Remmers installer. Your surveyor will explain what applies to the work they recommend.

Do you cover landlords in North Wales?

Yes. North Wales is one of the six areas we cover. The law there is different from England, as explained above.

Book a free damp survey for your rental

If a tenant has reported damp or mould, or you want a property checked between tenancies, the quickest way to find out what's going on is a survey. Call us on 01782 901101 or book online, and we'll arrange the visit with you or your letting agent.

Book a free surveyCall 01782 901101