Most people in Pembrokeshire can describe their home long before they ever think about the law that governs it. But a home is more than four walls and a roof. A home is safety, stability, and the psychological ground people stand on.
When that ground cracks — damp creeping up a wall, mould blooming behind furniture, heating breaking in winter, electrics that flicker — people often assume it’s “just one of those things.”
Welsh housing law says otherwise.
Since the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 came into force on 1 December 2022, every rented home in Wales — private, housing association, or council — must be Fit for Human Habitation (FFHH). This is not a guideline, not a favour, and not dependent on who your landlord is. It is the law.
And with social landlords across Wales undergoing huge compliance shifts (including here in Pembrokeshire), it is worth understanding what FFHH actually means, how it works, and what protections renters truly have.
FFHH: What “Fit for Human Habitation” Actually Means
FFHH is the backbone of renting law in Wales. It sits inside the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, supported by the Fitness for Human Habitation Regulations 2022.
In simple terms:
A landlord cannot let, or continue to let, a home that is unfit.
Unfit means the property contains hazards or deficiencies that make it unsafe or unhealthy for occupation. This applies to:
Housing associations
Councils
Private landlords
Supported accommodation providers
Under Welsh law, FFHH is not negotiable, and tenants cannot sign away their rights.
The 29 Legal Hazards Landlords Must Address
These come directly from the Fitness for Human Habitation (Wales) Regulations 2022, which are based on the Welsh adaptation of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Landlords must ensure the home is free from serious risk in all of the following:
Physiological Requirements
- Damp and mould growth
- Excess cold
- Excess heat
- Asbestos and manufactured mineral fibres
- Biocides
- Carbon monoxide and fuel combustion products
- Lead
- Radiation
- Uncombusted fuel gas
- Volatile organic compounds
Psychological Requirements
- Crowding and space
- Entry by intruders
- Lighting
- Noise
Protection Against Infection
- Domestic hygiene, pests and refuse
- Food safety
- Personal hygiene, sanitation and drainage
- Water supply
Protection Against Accidents
- Falls associated with baths
- Falls on level surfaces
- Falls on stairs, ramps and steps
- Falls between levels
- Electrical hazards
- Fire
- Flames, hot surfaces and materials
- Collision and entrapment
- Explosions
- Position and operability of amenities
- Structural collapse and falling elements
If any of these hazards exist at a serious level, the property is legally unfit.
Damp and mould is the most common — and the one currently under greatest scrutiny across Wales.
Social Housing Providers: Higher Scrutiny, Same Law
While FFHH applies to all landlords equally, social landlords (like Ateb, Barcud, Wales & West, Tai Tarian) undergo additional oversight through:
- Welsh Housing Quality Standards 2023 (WHQS 2023)
- Regulatory Oversight by Welsh Government’s Housing Regulation Team
- Internal asset checks and compliance cycles
- Tenant safety reporting duty
WHQS 2023 raises the bar by setting expectations such as:
- Safe, warm, secure homes
- Damp/mould resolved quickly
- Adequate ventilation
- Modern heating systems
- Safe electrics
- Healthy indoor environments
Private landlords do not have to meet WHQS 2023 - But they must meet FFHH, and environmental health can enforce it.
How Dangerous Mould Became a National Issue
Many people in Pembrokeshire don’t realise this, but the events that changed housing law in England also hit Wales indirectly.
Awaab’s Law (England-only)
Following the death of Awaab Ishak (2020), England introduced legislation requiring landlords to fix damp and mould within strict timeframes.
Wales has not adopted Awaab’s Law, but the case influenced policy reviews, WHQS updates, and increased compliance expectations for Welsh social landlords.
Grenfell Tower Fire (2017)
Grenfell did not lead to identical laws in Wales - Housing is devolved. But it did lead to:
- Strengthened Welsh building safety frameworks
- New fire safety guidance
- More rigorous scrutiny of landlord compliance
- Better alignment between fire authorities and social landlords
The Welsh Government has openly acknowledged increased expectations for landlords regarding housing safety, tenant involvement, and property standards.
What Tenants in Wales Can Actually Expect When They Report Damp or Mould
Under FFHH:
- A landlord must assess the reported issue
- A landlord must take action where there is a hazard
- Repairs must be done within a reasonable timeframe
- If the property is unfit, the landlord cannot enforce rent until it is made fit
- A landlord cannot issue a no-fault eviction in retaliation for reporting hazards
Environmental Health teams in Pembrokeshire can:
- Inspect under the Housing Act 2004 powers
- Issue improvement notices
- Intervene where mould or disrepair poses a risk
- Force landlords to act
Tenants do not have to “prove” the cause of damp — only that it exists.
The Legal Framework Behind It
This section is for those who want the deeper detail behind the law.
Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
Reformed renting in Wales, replacing ASTs with Occupation Contracts.
Introduced fundamental rights and duties.
Implemented fully on 1 December 2022.
Fitness for Human Habitation Regulations 2022
Welsh regulations listing the 29 hazard categories.
Create legal obligations for all landlords.
Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
National hazard assessment model adapted for Wales.
Environmental Health rely on this.
Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023 (WHQS 2023)
Applies to social housing only.
Drives higher standards around safety, warmth, ventilation, damp and mould.
Awaab’s Law (England)
Does not apply in Wales.
But influences expectations and political pressure around damp and mould responses.
Post-Grenfell Reforms (Wales)
Improved fire safety rules and operational guidance.
Greater focus on landlord compliance and tenant safety.
What This Means for Pembrokeshire Households Today
If you’re renting — privately or through a housing association — and you have:
- Damp
- Condensation mould
- Structural issues
- Unsafe electrics
- Poor ventilation
- Recurring leaks
- Heating that breaks
- Water ingress
- Broken windows/doors
- Safety hazards
You are not being “fussy.”
You are not “bothering the landlord.”
You are raising a legitimate health and safety concern that the law clearly covers.
In Wales, FFHH is not optional — and no landlord, private or social, is exempt from the obligation to keep your home safe.
Final Note
Homes shape our health - mental, physical and emotional.
When a house begins to harm the people living inside it, it stops being a home and becomes a risk - Welsh law recognises this.
It is not perfect, and it is not yet fast, but the protections exist for a reason.
If you report a hazard, you are not being difficult — you are exercising a legal right that exists to prevent avoidable harm.
This article provides factual, non-clinical, non-legal advice based on current Welsh housing law and guidance. For case-specific legal support, contact Citizens Advice, Shelter Cymru, or Pembrokeshire County Council Housing Standards.
