Do you regularly feel unwell at home? Headaches, tiredness, sore eyes or throat, breathing trouble, but you feel better when you leave the house? That
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Do you regularly feel unwell at home? Headaches, tiredness, sore eyes or throat, breathing trouble, but you feel better when you leave the house? That pattern may be linked to the state of your home. Here is what sick building syndrome is, how it can connect to disrepair, and what to do.
What is sick building syndrome?
Sick building syndrome (SBS) is the name for a cluster of symptoms that seem tied to time spent in a building, without one clear single cause. Common symptoms:
- Headaches
- Sore or irritated eyes, nose, or throat
- Dry or itchy skin
- Tiredness and trouble concentrating
- Sensitivity to smells
- Feeling sick
SBS is a pattern, not a single illness: the symptoms come on in the building and fade when you leave.
How can housing disrepair cause these symptoms?
Several defects in a rented home can cause or feed these symptoms:
Damp and mould. Damp lets mould grow. Some moulds, especially Stachybotrys chartarum, often called "black mould", release toxins and allergens. These can irritate your airways and cause headaches, tiredness, and allergic reactions. Tenants with asthma or other breathing conditions are hit hardest.
Poor ventilation. Blocked extractor fans, dead air vents, and sealed windows let carbon dioxide, cooking fumes, and other indoor pollutants build up. The worse the airflow, the higher the levels of airborne irritants.
Gas appliances. A badly maintained or badly vented gas appliance can give off carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other combustion gases. These cause headaches and dizziness, and at worst can kill. Always fit a carbon monoxide detector.
Damp and dust mites. Damp homes breed dust mites, and their droppings are a major trigger for asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some building materials, glues, and paints give off VOCs that irritate airways and cause headaches, especially where ventilation is poor.
Sewage smells or drain problems. Broken drains or failed seals can let sewer gas, including hydrogen sulphide, into the home. That brings headaches, nausea, and stinging eyes.
Is my landlord responsible?
If the symptoms trace back to a defect in the property, broken ventilation, mould from penetrating or rising damp, a faulty boiler, bad drainage, the landlord must repair that defect under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The landlord is responsible for the cause. The label on the symptoms does not matter.
Where the disrepair has harmed your health, that harm is part of the damages in a claim. Medical evidence linking your symptoms to the home makes the claim much stronger.
What should I do?
- See your doctor. Describe the symptoms and when they happen, and ask for the possible environmental trigger to be noted in your records. A letter from your doctor is valuable evidence.
- Fit a carbon monoxide detector if gas appliances could be involved.
- Report every suspected defect to your landlord in writing: poor ventilation, damp, broken seals, drain smells, all of it.
- Keep a symptom diary. Dates, how bad it was, and whether you felt better away from home.
- Photograph any visible mould or damp and keep dated records.
Can I make a disrepair claim?
Yes, if the symptoms link to a defect your landlord was told about and failed to repair. A claim can cover:
- Damages for the lost enjoyment of your home
- Compensation for the health impact, based on your doctor's records and, where needed, an independent medical report
- Extra costs the problem caused you
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
If you believe your symptoms are linked to disrepair in your rented home, and your landlord has not fixed the defects behind it, call us.
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
- Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) guidance (GOV.UK)
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only, not a promise; every case is different.
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Still stuck?
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