Mould

• Mould in rented houses is one of the biggest issues tenants, landlords and local authorities deal with.
• Traditionally, local authorities would not interveine between landlords and tenants if the cause of the mould was considered to be 'lifestyle mould'
• Llifestyle-mould describes a situation where a tenant hangs washing indoors with windows closed with perhaps heating too low to allow the moisture build up to escape via ventilation.  Added to this the building construction and lack of insulation might exacerbate the mould growth.
• Recent thinking now forces landlrods to demonstrate that, not withstanding the potential lifestyle cause of the resultant mould, the landlord has done all that could reasonabley be expoected to ameliorate the mould in all the circumstances.  This includes landlords inspecting the mould and communicating with tenants what to do to improve the situation as well as landlrods demonstrating they have taking proactive steps to improve insulation and provide de-humidifiers where appropriate. 
• As part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, Awwab's Law is due to become law in October 2025.
• Awwab died as a direct consequence of serious mould in a damp rented social housing property provided by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).
• See Heave,  Subsidence, Landslip. Timber Treatment, Fungal-Growth, Wet Rot, Dry Rot.