Awaabs Law Damp Mould Tenant Evidence Checklist
If you are a social tenant in England and you are trying to use Awaab's Law for damp or mould, the useful job is not to prove the legal diagnosis yourself. It is to give your landlord a clear, dated evidence pack: where the mould is, when it appeared, who may be at risk, what you reported, what changed, and how the wall readings compare from spot to spot.
The current GOV.UK collection on Awaab's Law says Phase 1 covers social housing in England and includes all emergency hazards plus significant damp and mould hazards. The separate GOV.UK tenant guidance sets out the practical clocks: emergency hazards within 24 hours, significant damp and mould investigated within 10 working days, relevant safety work within 5 working days after investigation, and a written summary within 3 working days after the investigation finishes.
Use evidence to make the report hard to misunderstand
Write the first report as if someone who has never visited your flat will read it. Name the room, wall, height from the floor, date, visible mould area, smell, condensation pattern and any leak or heating change. If someone in the home has symptoms or vulnerability, do not diagnose the cause yourself; state the fact and seek medical advice where needed.
A moisture meter reading can help map the pattern, but it is not a legal finding. The reader-friendly way to use it is comparative: the mouldy wall, the adjacent clean part of the same wall, a similar internal wall, and the same points repeated later. That pattern is easier to understand than one isolated number.
Evidence checklist
| Record | What to capture | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Room, wall, height, nearby window or pipe | Shows whether the issue follows a cold corner, leak route or external wall |
| Photos | Wide room photo plus close-up with date | Prevents later confusion about size and spread |
| Conditions | Weather, heating, ventilation, visible condensation | Separates rain-linked damp from winter condensation clues |
| Meter map | Pinless scan first; optional pin check only where it will not cause damage | Creates a relative wall map without pretending to be a survey |
| Contact log | Email, portal ticket, phone notes and access offered | Shows when the landlord became aware and whether appointments were offered |
What not to claim
Do not write that your meter has proved a statutory hazard, proved a landlord breach, or proved a medical cause. Say instead: "I have attached photos and a dated relative moisture map showing higher readings on the mould-affected external wall than on the adjacent internal wall." That is calmer and harder to dismiss.
RICS damp and mould consumer guidance is also a useful reminder that damp problems should be traced to their moisture source. A meter can support that conversation, but it does not replace an inspection.
When to escalate
Escalate if the landlord does not acknowledge the report, misses the stated Awaab's Law timeframes for covered social housing, refuses to inspect, or gives a vague response without a written summary. Keep the tone factual: what was reported, what the guidance says, what happened next, and what access you offered.
When a meter is relevant
If you need to build a repeatable room map, a dual-mode moisture meter can be useful because pinless scanning lets you compare walls without marking them, while pin checks can be reserved for suitable timber or sacrificial spots. If that is your situation, the same-site dual-mode moisture meter detail page is the relevant next step; if you need legal advice, medical advice or a formal survey, it is not enough on its own.