The independent technical assessment sitting between the tenant's complaint and the landlord's remedial decision. Not just an inspection — a complete, audit-ready evidence trail your housing association can rely on.
The Legal Timescales
Phase 1 has been in force since 27 October 2025. Phase 2 expands the scope from 30 November 2026. Damp and mould remains subject to all of the following timescales.
| Stage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Emergency hazard reported | 24 hrs Investigate and make safe within 24 hours of becoming aware |
| Potential significant damp/mould reported | 10 days Investigate within 10 working days |
| Investigation completed | 3 days Written findings to the tenant within 3 working days |
| Significant hazard identified | 5 days Make safe within 5 working days |
| Underlying problem identified | 5 days Start or plan preventative works within 5 working days |
This page is a general guide and not legal advice. For the full legal requirements see the UK Government's official Awaab's Law guidance for social landlords (gov.uk) and the Housing Ombudsman's Awaab's Law learning resources. Awaab's Law currently applies to social housing in England.
Phase 2 — 30 November 2026
Phase 2 extends Awaab's Law to cover a wider range of housing hazards. Damp and mould remains within scope — but landlords now need processes and evidence trails for all of the following.
Phase 3 is coming. The Government's current roadmap sets out that Phase 3 is intended to extend requirements to the remaining HHSRS hazards in 2027, apart from overcrowding. Housing associations need to build inspection and evidence systems now — not when enforcement catches up. Our inspection system is built as a Healthy Homes / Housing Hazards Inspection, not just a damp report — so it grows with the legislation.
Our Service
We position our inspection as the independent technical assessment between the tenant's complaint and the landlord's remedial decision. Our retrofit background gives us a significant advantage over a traditional damp inspection company.
Rapid inspection following a tenant report. Produces a hazard classification for the housing association.
A rapid response inspection following a tenant's damp or mould report. Our inspector attends the property, assesses the situation and produces a clear hazard classification — so the housing association knows exactly what to do next and within what timescale. All documentation is audit-ready from the outset.
Every Level 1 inspection produces a clear classification: Emergency / Significant / Non-significant / Further investigation required — giving the housing association a defensible, evidence-backed decision rather than a judgement call.
Everything in Level 1, plus a detailed root-cause investigation and remedial specification.
Where Level 1 identifies a significant hazard or where the cause isn't immediately clear, Level 2 goes deeper. We carry out a full root-cause investigation — identifying whether the problem is condensation, penetrating damp, rising damp, a plumbing leak, roof defect, failed ventilation, cold bridging, insulation deficiency or a structural issue — and produce a remedial specification the housing association can act on.
Government guidance explicitly states that if damp and mould results from poor insulation or inadequate ventilation, the landlord must address the underlying deficiency — not simply clean the mould. Our Level 2 report gives the housing association exactly what they need to do that.
Where the investigation identifies a building-performance issue, we move into full retrofit coordination.
This is where The Retrofit Team's background gives us a significant advantage over any traditional damp inspection company. Where Level 2 identifies a building-performance issue — inadequate insulation, failed ventilation, cold bridging — we don't just specify the fix. We coordinate it. This is the same service we deliver across ECO4 and SHDF programmes, applied at property level.
We can take a housing association from tenant complaint → inspection → Awaab's Law classification → immediate action → root cause → remedial specification → contractor coordination → verification — rather than just complaint → mould wash → repaint.
Root Cause Analysis
Our inspectors don't just record visible mould — they identify which of the following is driving it. The government guidance says the landlord must address the underlying deficiency, not just clean the surface.
Most common cause — warm moist air meeting cold surfaces. Usually driven by ventilation and thermal performance.
Water ingress through the building fabric — failed pointing, damaged render, window seals or roofing.
Groundwater rising through walls or floors. Often misdiagnosed — our assessment distinguishes it from condensation.
Hidden leaks from pipework, radiators or appliances causing damp behind surfaces.
Failed or damaged roofing allowing water ingress, often manifesting as damp patches on upper floor ceilings.
Blocked, broken or absent extract ventilation allowing moisture to build up in kitchens and bathrooms.
Areas of low thermal resistance creating cold spots where condensation forms — typically at junctions and reveals.
Insufficient or absent insulation causing cold surfaces — our retrofit background means we can specify the exact remedy.
Complete Audit Trail
The government guidance says landlords should carry out follow-up after works to confirm the problem has been resolved and identify recurring hazards. We provide the full evidence trail.
Government guidance explicitly says that if damp and mould results from poor insulation or inadequate ventilation, the landlord needs to address the underlying deficiency rather than simply clean the mould. Most damp inspection companies stop at the diagnosis. We can take you from diagnosis all the way through to coordinated remedial works and verification — because we have been doing exactly that across ECO4 and SHDF programmes for years. Your housing association gets a single point of contact from first complaint to final closure report.
Book an Inspection
Book a property survey, or talk to us about setting up a damp and mould inspection process across your wider stock.
03301742903
admin@retrofit-team.co.uk
retrofit-team.co.uk
Palmerston House, Palmerston Street, SK10 5PX