On 20 March 2019 a new law came into force to ensure rented properties are ‘fit for human habitation’, meaning they are safe, healthy, and free from things that could cause serious harm. This new law, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, helps tenants and landlords by making sure that their rental property isn’t causing them to live in dangerous or unhealthy conditions.
And according to The English Housing Survey for Housing Quality and Condition [1], 3.5 million occupied homes were not suitable and did not meet the Decent Homes Standard in 2020, with 4% having serious damp issues. Whilst 4% might not sound like a large number, it accounts for 941,000 houses. On top of this, the cost to the NHS to treat the impact of damp is approximately £38 million2. And landlords can also face high costs to carry out repairs, put right health and safety problems, or pay compensation to the tenant.