Your tenant has reported mould. It's winter. Now what?

November to March is when most damp and mould reports come in. Windows run with water, washing dries indoors, and heating gets rationed. If you let a home in Scotland, this is also the first winter under Awaab's Law, which puts working-day deadlines on how you respond.

Here's what to do from the moment a tenant tells you.

The clock starts when you're told

The deadlines run from the day you, or your agent, first hear about it, whether that's a text, an email or a comment at an inspection. Write the date down. Our free Awaab's Law deadline calculator works out the dates for you and skips weekends and Scottish bank holidays.

Christmas matters here. Report on 22 December and the investigation deadline lands on Monday 11 January, because the holidays don't count. That sounds generous, but most contractors are booked up in the first week back.

Is it condensation or something worse?

Condensation mould usually shows up on cold outside walls, window reveals, behind wardrobes and in bathroom corners. It tends to come back every winter.

Other causes need a different fix:

• Rising damp: a tide mark low on ground-floor walls, often with flaky plaster.
• Penetrating damp: patches that grow after heavy rain, often below gutters, rhones or a cracked render.
• Leaks: a patch on a ceiling, or near pipework, that doesn't follow the weather.

Blaming the tenant's lifestyle is rarely the full answer. Missing extract fans, cold spots and failing insulation are common in older Scottish flats.

What to do this week

1. Reply to the tenant in writing and say when someone will look at it.
2. Ask for photos and where in the home it is.
3. Book an investigation within the deadline.
4. Check the basics: extractor fans, trickle vents, heating, and any blocked gutters or leaks.
5. Keep a record of everything you do and when. Our landlord checklist has a step-by-step version.

Quick fixes that help over winter

While a proper repair is arranged, a few things make a real difference. Fit or repair extractor fans. Offer a dehumidifier. Clear blocked vents. Make sure the heating works properly. These don't replace the repair, but they show you're acting.

When to call in a specialist

If the mould keeps coming back, covers more than a small patch, or the cause isn't obvious, get a damp specialist to look. Tell us what's happening and we'll pass it to one independent local specialist to visit and quote. It's free to ask. We cover Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, with a page for each.

Last checked 26 October 2026. This is general guidance, not legal advice. The full rules, and the official Scottish Government guidance, are in our Awaab's Law guide.