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Manchester Central Library's round, columned front, with city buildings behind.
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Damp and mould help inManchester

Condensation in flats, leaks in Victorian terraces and cold spots in mill conversions, in a city where most households rent.

Including Didsbury, Chorlton, Levenshulme, Ancoats, Hulme, Moss Side, Gorton and Wythenshawe

Book a damp surveyWho can help you

Who can help you in Manchester

Who puts damp right depends on whether you rent or own. Choose your situation.

I rent privately

Your landlord has to fix damp caused by disrepair, such as leaks, broken gutters or failed pointing. Since 1 May 2026 the Renters' Rights Act has ended no-fault evictions, so asking for a repair shouldn't put your home at risk.

Write to your landlord or agent about the damp and keep a copy. Photos and any notes from a doctor help.

Wait two weeks. If nothing is done, contact them again and wait another two weeks.

Send a final letter or email giving them 48 hours to respond. If they still don't, report it to Manchester City Council, which will investigate.

I rent from the council or a housing association

If you rent from the council or a housing association, your landlord has to deal with damp and mould, and the law now sets deadlines for it.

Report the damp or mould to your landlord, which may be the council or one of the city's housing associations, such as One Manchester, Southway Housing Trust or Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and ask for a reference number. Photos help.

Under Awaab's Law your landlord must look into significant damp and mould within 10 working days, and start any safety work within 5 working days after that. Emergency hazards are faster.

If it isn't put right, use your landlord's complaints process. If that doesn't work, you can go to the Housing Ombudsman.

Who to contact

Read: Awaab’s Law: what tenants and social landlords need to know

I own my home

Damp in a home you own is yours to sort out, so the first job is finding the real cause. A treatment sold before anyone has found the cause is often money wasted.

Check the simple things first: gutters and downpipes, ground levels against the walls, blocked airbricks, and whether rooms get enough heat and air.

If the cause still isn't clear, get an independent damp survey before paying for any treatment. Damp proofing a wall that has a leak or condensation problem won't fix it.

If heating costs are part of the problem, check what help you could get with insulation and heating.

A red-brick cotton mill converted to flats beside a modern apartment block and a canal, with condensation on one window.
Typical homes in Manchester, drawn for this guide.

Homes in Manchester and the damp they get

Almost a third of Manchester households rent privately, and nearly another third rent from the council or a housing association. That makes the city's damp problems very much a renters' issue. The homes range from Victorian terraces in Levenshulme and Moss Side to new apartment blocks in the centre and mill conversions in Ancoats.

In flats, the most common problem is condensation. Modern apartments are well sealed, washing often has to dry indoors, and kitchens and bathrooms may only have small extractor fans. Windows running with condensation every morning and drying washing indoors without a damp house are the places to start.

Weather, ground and water in Manchester

Manchester's reputation for rain is a bit unfair, but it is a damp city with plenty of grey, mild days when washing won't dry outside. In older terraces, worn brickwork and leaking gutters let that rain in. In new-build flats, mould in a new-build home can also come from building moisture that hasn't dried out yet.

What to check first

Check whether the extractor fans actually clear steam, and whether trickle vents on the windows are open. If the damp is a patch on a wall or ceiling that doesn't change with how you use the room, it is more likely a leak, and a damp survey can trace it.

Kinds of home you will find here

Manchester in numbers

Local help in Manchester

Free, independent organisations that can help with housing problems, money and keeping warm. They aren't connected to Spore Shield.

Advice and rights

Tenants

Local details checked October 2026.

Questions people in Manchester ask

My new-build flat has mould already. Is that normal?

It is common in the first year or two, because concrete and plaster hold a lot of water that dries out slowly. Good ventilation helps it dry. If it doesn't improve, or a patch keeps growing, there may be a leak or a fault the builder should fix.

Do I have to keep the trickle vents open in winter?

Yes, ideally. They let moist air out slowly without making the room cold. Shutting them is one of the most common reasons for condensation on flat windows.

Where can I get help if my landlord won't fix damp?

Write to the landlord first, then again after two weeks, then send a final letter giving 48 hours. If nothing happens, report it to Manchester City Council. Citizens Advice Manchester and the Greater Manchester Tenants Union can also help you push for repairs.

Advice for homes here

What we do in Manchester

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