Condensation, Damp and Mould

Awaab’s Law is named in memory of two year old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 as a result of mould in his home. It sets strict time limits for social housing providers to fix dangerous health hazards. It is designed to make sure that all social housing tenants live in safe, healthy homes.

When Does the Law Take Effect?

Awaab’s Law is being introduced in phases. The first phase started on 27 October 2025.

• Phase 1 (October 2025): Focuses on damp and mould hazards, along with all emergency hazards
• Phase 2 (2026): Expands to include a wider range of health hazards
• Phase 3 (2027): Covers all remaining hazards identified by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

What the Law Means for You

You have new legal protections and stronger rights under Awaab’s Law. If your home has a potential hazard, we must now follow specific, legally enforced timescales.

You must report problems with your home as soon as possible. This allows us to help at an early point.

Please give us clear information about the damp and mould in your property. This information will help us assess the situation quicker:

• Which room and where the damp and mould is
• How long it has been there
• Send pictures of the area

You can contact us in the following ways:

• Phone: 24 hours, 7 days a week. Call 01392 273462 (option 1). If you are calling between 5pm and 9am you will be transferred to our out-of-hours service.
• Online: Report a Repair
• Email: repairs@cornerstonehousing.net

We will arrange for one of our Property Services Surveyors to visit you. Once we know about a potential hazard, we have 10 working days to investigate. For emergencies that pose a serious risk, we will respond within 24 hours to make it safe.

Within 3 working days of the investigation, you will receive a written summary of our findings. This will confirm if a hazard was found and what the next steps are.

Please make sure someone is available to let us into your home at the scheduled time. If this appointment is not convenient, please contact us as soon as possible so we can arrange another date.

During the survey, our surveyors will look at the affected areas. They may take photographs or measurements. They will also use equipment to check the moisture and humidity of your home.

We will complete relevant works as outlined in your investigation report within 5 working days of finishing the investigation.

Where further works are required and it is not possible to begin them within 5 working days, we will start these as soon as possible and within 12 weeks of finishing the investigation.

Condensation is caused by moisture in the air. When millions of tiny water particles in the air meet a colder surface, such as glass, a cold ceiling or a cold wall, they turn back into water droplets.

For example, if you breathe on the surface of a mirror, you can see a fine fog form on the surface. That is condensation. After a few seconds, it evaporates away into the air. It’s not gone though. It’s just invisible again, now floating in the air around you, waiting to form water droplets on a cold surface.

Another example is when you get in your car in the morning and the windscreen fogs up. After a few minutes of running the air conditioning or opening the window to allow airflow, the condensation will clear.

Condensation on Windows

Everyone has seen condensation on windows. This can be seen in autumn and winter, especially in the morning. If you have visible water droplets on the inside of your windows, you have excess indoor humidity. This can lead to dampness and the growth of mould. The room needs to be ventilated to remove some of the moisture.

Condensation in houses is caused by a build up of excess moisture from everyday activity. A family of four could create over 15 pints of moisture per day, but a typical 3 bedroom house may only naturally ventilate 2 pints per day without help.

Step 1 – Heat Your home

Heat evaporates moisture into the air. It doesn’t have to be very hot, just warmer than outside, ideally above 15°C. However, heating alone is not enough. You must also ventilate your home.

Step 2 – Ventilate

Everyday things like cooking, showering and even breathing add moisture to the air inside your home. If it can’t escape, it can lead to damp and mould.

Here’s how to let that moisture out:

• Open your windows, even just a little (an inch or two helps). Try to do this for at least 2 hours a day, in the mornings and again before sunset
• Use trickle vents if your windows have them. They help, but in winter they might not be enough on their own
• Open room doors to let air move freely around your home
• On colder days, open windows a bit wider for short periods to give the moisture a proper way out

Top tip: Ventilate your home while getting ready for work or school and moving around the building. You will be warmer and not notice colder air coming in.
Top tip: Dehumidifiers act like ventilation systems for your home by drawing moisture into a tank.

• Apply a generic anti mould solution (available in most supermarkets) and leave it on for the required period (refer to the instructions on the bottle)
• Wipe off in one direction
• Dispose of paper towel
• Bag it and bin it
• Don’t use reusable cloths. They can spread mould around your home. Instead, use kitchen roll or disposable paper cloths
• Wipe in one direction only to avoid spreading the mould. Throw the used paper straight in the bin after cleaning
• Always use a mould removal spray or solution. This helps kill the mould spores properly

You must report any damp or mould to us as soon as you notice it, particularly if it is spreading rapidly. You will need to allow us access to your home so we can understand how the issue is being caused and fix any problems.

Click here to report a repair.

This is the top cause of condensation. Try to dry clothes outside when possible. When you can’t, try the following:

• Use a vented tumble dryer that ventilates outside, or a condenser tumble dryer
• Use a dehumidifier with closed doors and windows to remove moisture from the air and clothes. Empty it regularly

Cooking generates a lot of steam, which can condense and lead to dampness or mould. Here’s how to keep your kitchen and the rest of your home dry and healthy:

• Use your extractor fan while cooking
• No extractor fan? Open a window a little while cooking and leave it open for an hour afterwards
• Close the kitchen door to stop steam from spreading to colder rooms

Top tip: Put lids on your pans. Your food will cook up to 30% faster, you’ll use less energy and you’ll stop extra moisture escaping into the air.

When you take a bath or shower, millions of tiny hot water droplets go into the air. Even after you leave the bathroom, the tiles and walls stay wet and keep releasing moisture.
To help stop mould from forming:

• Wipe down wet surfaces like tiles, mirrors and windows with a cloth or towel. Then wring it out into the sink
• Use your extractor fan while you’re bathing and keep it running for at least an hour afterwards
• No extractor fan? Open a window for at least an hour after your bath or shower
• Keep the bathroom door closed to stop damp air from spreading to other rooms

These small steps can make a big difference in keeping your home dry and healthy.

A dehumidifier is a powerful addition to the above measures. You can close your windows and keep valuable heat inside. You can also dry your laundry indoors when it’s too wet outside. Get one that’s effective, cheap to run and quiet.

Penetrating damp occurs when water (rainwater or otherwise) enters through a wall or roof (for example, under a loose roof tile) or through cracks.

It can be identified by:

• Discolouration of internal walls or ceilings
• The presence of tidemarks or salt deposits
• Blown or blistered plaster
• Rusted nails in skirting boards and floor timbers

Random damp patches to walls and ceilings (at any height) may appear and severe mould on internal walls and window frames may be present.

Rising damp occurs when water from the ground slowly moves up the walls of a building, much like a sponge soaks up water. This happens because the bricks have tiny holes that allow water to travel upwards.

It usually appears in parts of the house made from soft materials, such as plaster or wood, like floorboards or the bottom of the walls. These parts also absorb water, and the wood can begin to rot.

You can tell rising damp is happening when:

• The paint or wallpaper starts to peel off
• The wall feels wet or looks stained
• You might see a line on the wall where the water has reached
• Sometimes, white powdery stuff (called salts) appears on the wall

Mould is often found behind beds or other furniture placed close to outside walls. This stops airflow and makes it a good place for mould to grow.

It can also be found inside and outside wardrobes, as well as above skirting boards. Ventilation is key in these areas. A gap between the wall and bed or wardrobe will allow air to move between them and remove the moisture that is trapped.