Damp proof course: is your landlord responsible for repairing it?

Direct answer

Yes. A damp proof course is part of the structure of the building, so a failed or missing one that is causing rising damp is your landlord's responsibility to put right under their repairing duty. Report the damp in writing, ask for the cause to be investigated rather than just the symptoms treated, and keep a dated record.

Rising damp is one of the most damaging forms of damp in rented properties, and a failed or absent damp proof course (DPC) is often the cause. You will find out what a damp proof course is, when the landlord is responsible for it, and what tenants can do if rising damp is affecting their home.

Key facts

• The 2024 to 2025 English Housing Survey found serious condensation (3% of homes) was more common than penetrating damp (2%) or rising damp (1%). English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK
• The same survey found about 5% of homes in England, around 1.4 million, had a problem with damp, most common in privately rented homes (10%). English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK

What is a damp proof course?

A damp proof course is a layer of impermeable material built into the base of a wall to prevent moisture from the ground rising up through the masonry. Most properties built after the late Victorian era have one. In older properties, they may be absent or have degraded over time.

A failed, absent, or bridged damp proof course allows moisture to rise up through walls, causing:

• Damp patches on lower parts of walls
• Peeling or bubbling plaster
• White crystalline deposits (efflorescence) on walls
• Mould growth at low levels
• Rotting skirting boards and timber

Is the landlord responsible for the damp proof course?

Yes. The damp proof course is part of the structure of the property. Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords must keep the structure of the property in repair. A failed or absent DPC that causes rising damp is a structural failure that falls within this duty.

The landlord cannot argue that rising damp is simply an old-property problem and therefore not their responsibility. If the property is in disrepair because of the failed DPC, they must address it.

What causes a damp proof course to fail?

• Physical damage to the DPC material over time
• The DPC being bridged, where external soil, paving, or render has been raised to a level above the DPC, creating a path for moisture to bypass it
• Chemical or injection DPCs installed in older properties that have degraded or were poorly installed
• A complete absence of a DPC in some older properties

What should a landlord do about rising damp?

Addressing rising damp properly requires:

1. Identifying the cause (independent survey is the best way)
2. Fixing the cause, installing, repairing, or renewing the DPC, or lowering ground levels that are bridging it
3. Repairing the consequential damage, replastering affected walls, replacing rotten timber, treating mould

A landlord who simply repaints a wall without addressing the damp is providing a temporary fix that will fail.

How do I report this?

Report the problem to your landlord in writing, by email, text, or letter. Include photographs of the affected areas. Ask them specifically to arrange a damp survey and to carry out the necessary repairs.

If the landlord does not respond or refuses to act, the local council's housing enforcement team can inspect the property and require repairs under the Housing Act 2004.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

If you have rising damp in your rented home that your landlord has not addressed, we may be able to help you bring a disrepair claim. Call us to discuss.

Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Act 2004 (legislation.gov.uk)