A damp and mould inspection under Awaab's Law has two jobs. It has to find out what is wrong and what will fix it. And it has to leave a record that shows, months later, exactly what was found, where, by whom and when.
This checklist covers both. Use it as the basis for your own inspection form and adapt it to your policy. It is general guidance, not legal or technical advice.
Before the Visit
- The date the landlord became aware of the problem, and who reported it
- The deadline for the investigation: 10 working days from that date, or 24 hours if it could be an emergency
- What was reported, in the reporter's own words
- Previous reports, inspections and works on the same property
- What is known about the household: children, older people, health conditions, disability, pregnancy
- Access arrangements, and a record of every attempt to arrange the visit
On Arrival
- The date and time of arrival
- Who is present, and whether the tenant has a representative
- The tenant's account of the problem: where, how long, whether it is getting worse, any health effects
- A note of the household's circumstances as they bear on the risk
- Any other hazards noticed on the way in; from 30 November 2026, many more of them fall within Awaab's Law
Room by Room
Inspect every room, not just the one reported. For each room:
- Whether there is damp or mould present
- Exactly where: which wall, ceiling, window, corner or fitting
- The extent, measured, not estimated
- The type of problem: surface mould, damp staining, wet plaster, a leak
- Photographs of each affected area, marked up to show the area and its size
- Moisture meter readings on affected and unaffected surfaces
- Relative humidity and temperature, and conditions outside
- Ventilation: trickle vents, extractor fans present and working, windows that open
- Heating: present, working and adequate for the room
- Anything that points to a cause: a leaking pipe, a blocked gutter, missing insulation, a cold bridge, rising or penetrating damp, condensation
- Damage to belongings, where relevant
Outside the Home
- Gutters, downpipes and drainage
- Roof, flashing and visible roof coverings
- Brickwork, render and pointing
- Damp proof course level and ground levels against the walls
- Window and door seals
- Neighbouring properties where a leak may come from above or next door
The Conclusion
- The likely cause or causes, and what the conclusion is based on
- Whether there is a significant hazard, an emergency hazard, or neither, and why
- Whether a further investigation is needed to establish the cause or extent
- The relevant safety work needed to make the home safe
- Any supplementary preventative work needed to stop it returning
- Whether the home can be made safe within the deadline, and if not, whether alternative accommodation is needed
- Any advice given to the tenant
Condensation is a cause, not a conclusion. Government guidance on damp and mould is clear that landlords should not blame it on tenants' lifestyle. If condensation is the cause, record why it is happening in this home: ventilation, heating, insulation, occupancy.
Sign-Off
- The inspector's name, role, and why they are competent to carry out the investigation
- The date and time the inspection concluded, which starts the 3 working day deadline for the written summary and the 5 working day deadline for safety work
- The tenant's acknowledgement, where appropriate
After the Visit
- The written summary sent within 3 working days of the investigation concluding, with a copy kept
- Works orders raised, with dates
- Safety work completed within 5 working days, with photographs of the finished work
- Supplementary preventative work begun, or steps taken to begin it, within 5 working days
- Any delay recorded at the time, with the reason and what was done about it
- A follow-up visit to check the problem has not returned
The full record keeping list, from the first report to the finished repair, is in what records Awaab's Law requires.
Turning This Checklist Into a Form
A checklist on paper tends to be completed differently by every inspector. A form on a phone asks the same questions in every room, in the same order, and ties each answer and photograph to the room it belongs to.
In SiteSurvey you can start from a ready-made damp and mould template and adapt it, or describe the form you want and have it built with AI, then edit any field. Findings sit against the room on a floor plan, photographs are marked up and measured on the spot, and every entry records who captured it and when, with or without signal. See the damp and mould inspection app.
