The Chartered Institute of Building and the Chartered Institute of Housing have partnered to release new guidance for the housing sector
The new damp and mould guidance reflects recent developments, including Awaab’s Law and the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025.
The guidance also includes a new section on the causes of damp and mould during housing construction.
Advising landlords on best practice
Landlords can find advice on recognising damp and mould and the most common scenarios or circumstances that allow mould to grow in a home. It also contains guidance on resolving these root causes and responding to hazardous situations.
The culture around damp and mould are also examined with case studies exploring real-world examples of solutions and collaborations to tackle the issue and benefiting towns, tenants, and families.
The first phase of Awaab’s Law came into effect in October 2025, and means that when their homes are presented with an issue considered to be a health and safety emergency, they will have to have taken action within 24 hours.
It also means that significant damp and mould issues must be investigated within 10 days of notification, and measures taken to make the situation safe within five days.
“A measure of what kind of sector we want to be”
Eve Blezard, policy lead at CIH and co-author of the report, said: “A central part of a landlord’s role is to provide safe homes for residents. Damp and mould are among the issues that can pose a significant risk to residents’ health, and are often symptoms of wider problems in housing, including disrepair, inequality, stigma and systems under pressure. Tackling them well, with professionalism and genuine care for residents, is both a legal requirement and a measure of what kind of sector we want to be.
“At CIH we are clear that we must continue to support the sector on complex issues such as hazards within residents’ homes and help set the standard for how professional values are understood and developed in practice, so that best practice is followed consistently.
“This guide is about resident safety, but it is also about being listened to and treated with respect. Addressing issues associated with damp and mould takes professionalism, empathy, and follow-through, and that is what we have set out to relay to our readers.”
David Barnes, head of policy and public affairs at CIOB, said: “The new guide will be a valuable resource for our members across a wide range of roles and responsibilities, as the need to prevent and better deal with damp and mould quite rightly has become a higher priority.
“Maintaining a strong focus on every individual property’s building pathology rather than rolling out one size fits all measures to tackle damp and mould is key. The guide is designed to support professionals who build, retrofit and maintain social housing to better understand building pathology and its place in ensuring measures to address damp and mould issues are impactful and don’t exacerbate problems.
“With the new prime minister putting social housing high on his agenda, the guide is being published at an ideal time.”
The new damp and mould guidance can be found for free here.
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