Damp in a Council Property
Damp and condensation is an important issue not to be ignored, as your landlord we must be aware if the issue is:
- caused by a repair issue
- or is affecting your health and safety
We will always ask you to clean any mould growth to avoid being adversely affected by mould spores, which can be harmful to your health. If you are worried that by cleaning the mould, it'll stop us from fixing the root cause, this will not be the case and we encourage you to record the issue by taking photos before cleaning it off. We will take your repair seriously and a maintenance inspector will visit to inspect the problem.
Your Tenancy agreement states:
3.6.2 You must let us know of any repair needed or damage caused to the property within a reasonable time of you becoming aware of this.
Do you suspect condensation might be causing your damp and mould issue? Read our condensation advice and try our condensation challenge to see if it helps.
If you are a tenant or leaseholder, use this form to let us know if you have damp and mould in your home.
Find out what repairs are your responsibility and which ones are our responsibility.
We might ask you to try to follow some lifestyle changes to reduce humidity in your home.
We might also expect you to clean mould off as soon as it appears to protect your health. Cleaning is part of your responsibility as a tenant.
Got damp and mould in your property?
If you have ongoing damp and mould caused by condensation, or you suspect you have any type of damp, please report a repair and we will come out and take a look.
Please report it and let us help fix it.
We've put together a Help Sheet for residents struggling with condensation.
Causes of damp
Unresolved and untreated damp may cause mould growth. The leading cause of damp is condensation. This is a much more common issue in recent years due to homes being well insulated which is causing little way for the water vapour to escape. There are steps you can take to help enable the vapour to escape, please read our condensation advice as this may resolve the issue. Please let us know if condensation is causing ongoing issues with mould growth as we can see if your home might need more sophisticated ventilation and fans.
Condensation isn't the only form of damp cause, others include penetrating damp and rising damp. You can help us to identify these by checking and noticing issues as they arise, although some are hard to spot so please get in touch if you're unsure.
Rising Damp
What is it?
Rising damp is when groundwater soaks up into the bricks or concrete of the building. It can affect basements and ground floor rooms.
This can be remedied by installing a damp proof course but might sometimes involve subcontractors, specialists and multiple repairs.
How can we help?
Please report a repair if you think this is happening at your home.
Penetrating Damp
What is it?
Penetrating damp is when water enters the property from outside, this can be caused by:
- a leaky roof
- faulty guttering
- cracks in external walls, such as pointing.
- internal leaks or leaks from an upstairs neighbour (if in a flat)
- plumbing problems
Penetrating damp is resolved by finding and fixing the cause of issue.
How can we help?
Please report a repair if you think this is happening at your home.
Condensation
What is it?
Damp caused by condensation can affect any room of your home, but is more likely in rooms where you create more water vapour from things like showering, cooking, sleeping or just living, you can look for tale tell signs like water droplets on windows and a humid feeling in the air.
You can measure humidity using a cost effective humidity monitor.
How can we help?
Please let us know if condensation is causing ongoing issues with mould growth as we can see if your home might need more sophisticated ventilation and fans.
Please read our condensation advice.
Haven’t found what you’re looking for? Please contact us on tenantinvolvement@dover.gov.uk if you think we have missed information or tell us how we can improve this page.