Landlords face £7,000 fines from TODAY for damp and mould

Landlords need to take damp and mould seriously. From 22 June 2026 (today!), councils can fine landlords up to £7,000 where a property has a serious Category 1 hazard under the updated HHSRS. Damp and mould are among the issues in scope, alongside excessive cold, fire risks, faulty electrics, and structural hazards.

Councils already had powers to enforce repairs, carry out emergency works and recover costs. The difference now is that another easier enforcement tool has been added.

Many damp cases will still involve condensation, and government guidance says condensation-related damp is the most common form. Tenant lifestyle can absolutely be part of that in real life: drying clothes indoors, poor ventilation, inconsistent heating, and furniture hard against cold walls. But landlords should be careful not to jump straight to blame. On a case-by-case basis, that lacks hard evidence.

If you want to dispute responsibility, you may need proper evidence, not opinions. That can mean a damp report, inspection records, photos, moisture readings, extractor fan checks, heating checks, and sometimes more specialist testing. Costly, yes, but probably necessary if you want to properly defend a complaint.

The other big change is the environment around the Renters’ Rights Act. With section 21 gone in England, tenants are more likely to report disrepair and damp issues to the council.

Practical takeaway: inspect faster, record everything, check ventilation and heating properly, and do not assume "tenant lifestyle" will win the argument unless you can prove the property itself is sound. The new normal is that damp and mould is now a compliance issue first, and a blame argument second.

The fine should only be given to Category 1 hazards, this is landlords that are failing to maintain the property and putting tenants' lives at risk.

Timeline

• 1 May 2026 The main Renters’ Rights Act tenancy changes started.

• 22 June 2026 Councils gained the new power to issue fines up to £7,000 for Category 1 serious hazards.

• 23 June 2026 The updated HHSRS framework comes into force, which is the system councils use to assess those hazards.

Source:

• https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/mortgage-news/2026/06/22/landlords-face-fines-of-up-to-7000-for-damp-and-mould/

• https://www.standard.co.uk/homesandproperty/renting/landlord-fail-fix-dangerous-problems-fines-b1287018.html

• https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/landlords-face-7000-fines-week-37320774