Damp and mould: the monthly check

• A torch, for corners, cupboards and behind furniture
• A phone, to photograph anything you find with the date showing
• Last month's sheet, so you can see whether anything has spread
• A list of every room, including stores, plant rooms and empty rooms

This is a walk round prompt for whoever looks after the building. It does not replace your fire risk assessment, your landlord or provider procedures, or any statutory inspection.

Print this checklist

• Black or grey speckling, especially in corners, behind wardrobes and around windows
• Brown rings or tide marks on ceilings, which usually mean water from above
• Peeling paint, bubbling plaster or wallpaper lifting at the edges
• White powdery salts low down on walls
• A musty smell, or walls that feel cold and damp to the touch

• Heavy condensation on windows in the morning, or water pooling on sills
• Mould on window seals, frames or the reveals around them
• Trickle vents open and not painted shut
• Bathroom and kitchen extractor fans running and actually pulling air
• Air bricks and vents outside clear, not blocked by furniture, ivy or bins

• Drips or staining under sinks, around toilets and behind washing machines
• Cracked or blackened sealant around baths, showers and basins
• Overflow pipes dripping outside
• Gutters overflowing or downpipes leaking down the wall
• Cracked render or missing pointing where walls are wet

• Date, room and what you saw
• A photograph of each item
• Who you reported it to, and when
• Anything from last month that has come back or spread

Mould that comes back after cleaning, a damp patch that is growing, or anything worrying a resident should be reported through your organisation's procedure straight away rather than left for next month.

Damp and mould is a regular part of our work. In supported housing we have dealt with it across 23 jobs for IKE Supported Housing, finding the cause, putting it right and leaving a dated, photographed note of what was done.