Help CentreHave you noticed damp in your new home?
Your landlord has a responsibility for any damp or mould issues if it's this is caused by a repair problem and is affecting your health and safety
How you can help to prevent some of this damp
Condensation is the most common form of damp in rented properties. It appears when excess moisture in the air comes into contact with a cold surface, such as a window or a cold wall. It can lead to mould growing in your home and can get worse over the winter as the outside air gets colder. At times not ventilating or heating your home can add to this problem. You can help to ventilate your home by;
- Drying clothes in a ventilated room, outdoors or through a ventilated tumble dyer
- Opening windows, especially when you first wake up. Don’t forget to close these windows when you are not in the property
- Use extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens. Open a window for a short while after to get rid of any excess steam the extractor does not remove
- Close doors when cooking or bathing
- Leave gaps between furniture and wall
- Heating your home
For further information please see
Shelter - Damp and mould in rented homes
Raising concerns about living conditions
Not all damp is caused by poor ventilation and can be caused by inadequate insulation, faulty heating or ventilation systems or a disrepair such as damage to the roof. If you have concerns about the condition of your home or any disrepair, you are responsible for letting the landlord know.
Contact the Advice Team via su.advice@northumbria.ac.uk for further information on reporting these concerns.
Contacting Environmental Health
If you have already reported the disrepair to your landlord and they are either refusing to fix these or ignoring your emails, letters and phone calls, you have the right to report the disrepair to Environmental Health. Who will carry out an investigation of the property. Below are contact details for local councils, but most students live in the Newcastle City area. If you are a London Campus student please email the Advice Team and we can help you find your local council.
The Public Protection and Housing Team will deal with housing conditions, ASB and illegal eviction where enforcement action may be required.
If you live in student accommodation, please speak to your Halls Manager. You can discuss your concerns with the Advice Team.
Help with writing letters to report disrepair
We have found some template letters from the internet you may find useful to report any disrepair. We always recommend students formally write to their landlord first before reporting to Environmental Health. Even if you have already emailed them, we still advise writing a formal letter. You can use this letter and all previous correspondence as evidence when you report them.