If you let a property in Derby or Derbyshire — or rent one — the Awaab's Law extension expected to land on England's 4.6 million private rentals from 2026–2027 changes the maths on damp and mould. Under the framework already in force for social housing since 27 October 2025, landlords have fixed timescales to investigate and remediate. The cheapest way to comply is to never have a complaint to remediate in the first place. A handyman-led mid-tenancy walk-through, twice a year, catches the issues at £ not £,000. Here's the Derby version.
Why a mid-tenancy check, not just a check-out
End-of-tenancy inspections are too late by design. The mould is already there, the deposit dispute is already loaded, and the relationship is already adversarial. A mid-tenancy walk-through, with the tenant present and the landlord (or letting agent) on the agreed visit notice period, surfaces issues while everyone still wants the same thing: the property in good condition, the tenancy continuing. mydeposits, Total Landlord Insurance and Citizens Advice all flag mid-tenancy inspections as best practice in 2026.
The fifteen-point Derby walk-through
Run this in order, with a phone for photos and a pad for notes. It typically takes 60–90 minutes for a 2–3 bedroom Derby semi.
External envelope (15 minutes)
- Roof tiles — any visibly slipped, cracked or missing? Note ridge tiles too
- Gutters — any sagging, blocked, or vegetation growing? Photograph from below
- Downpipes — any displaced or leaking joints? Stains down the wall below are the signal
- Pointing on brickwork — any cracks, missing mortar, or efflorescence (white salt deposits)?
- Window frames — any rot at the lower edge, particularly south-west exposure?
- Ground levels — has anything been built up against the wall above the damp-proof course?
Bathrooms (15 minutes)
- Extractor fan — working, vented to outside, on humidity-trigger or run-on timer?
- Sealants around bath/shower — mould, gaps, or pulled away?
- Tile grout — stained, cracked or missing in patches?
- Window frame around bathroom window — condensation damage?
Kitchen (10 minutes)
- Extractor over hob — working, filter clean, vented (or activated charcoal recently changed)?
- Cupboards under sink — any damp, staining, smell? Push tissue against pipework joints
- Floor under fridge/freezer — any damp from a slow defrost or condenser drip?
- Splashback grout/sealant — mould visible in tile lines?
Bedrooms (15 minutes — do every bedroom)
- Window reveals — any black mould around frame, especially north-facing?
- Behind wardrobes against external walls — pull furniture forward 6–12 inches and check for mould
- Carpets at skirting board — any damp, staining or musty smell?
- Air movement — trickle vents in windows open and clear?
Hallway, stairs and structural (15 minutes)
- Stair carpet — secure, no rucks or trip hazards (becoming a hazard under 2026 Awaab extension)
- Banister and handrail — firmly fixed, both sides where required
- Smoke alarms and CO alarms — working, dated, within their replacement window
- Loft hatch — insulation in place, no signs of vermin or roof leak
What to do with what you find
Group findings into three buckets: 'fix today' (anything that's a safety hazard or actively making things worse — a blocked extractor, a slipped roof tile letting water in, a missing CO alarm), 'fix in 30 days' (sealant renewal, hairline grout cracks, a window that needs draught-proofing, a handrail that needs re-fixing), and 'monitor' (a small mould patch you've cleaned and want to watch, a hairline render crack you'll re-photograph in three months). Photograph and date everything in all three buckets. The tenant gets a copy. The landlord keeps a copy. The deposit-protection scheme (mydeposits, TDS or DPS) gets a copy of any 'fix today' work and the receipts.
"The Awaab's Law clock starts when the hazard is reported. The mid-tenancy walk-through means the hazard isn't there to report — because it was caught small and fixed before it ever became one."
What's specifically in scope for a Derby handyman
Most of the 'fix in 30 days' bucket is handyman work: sealant renewal, grout repair, draught-proofing, re-fixing handrails, replacing CO and smoke alarms, clearing gutters, fitting trickle vents, draught-proofing loft hatches, replacing extractor-fan filters, securing stair carpet. None of it requires a specialist trade. None of it is expensive when caught early.
Out of handyman scope (the boundaries we politely won't cross): any gas work (Gas Safe registered engineer only), any notifiable Part P electrical work (electrician), structural work to a brick wall or roof timber (builder), and anything involving climbing higher than safe ladder access. The Working at Height Regulations apply to us as much as to anyone. (See our companion blog on the eight categories we cover and the five we don't.)
How Kirk Group Handyman runs a Derby mid-tenancy walk-through
We offer a structured 90-minute mid-tenancy walk-through in Derby and Derbyshire as a flat-fee service. The handyman runs the fifteen-point check above with the tenant present (with the landlord's notice given), photographs every finding, hands you and the tenant a same-day report, and books any 'fix today' or 'fix in 30 days' work into our diary. We're vetted, insured, and DBS-checked. Reviews are unfiltered. Our complaints process is on the website.
Book a Derby mid-tenancy walk-through
Kirk Group Handyman runs a structured 90-minute Derby/Derbyshire walk-through with same-day photo report and on-the-spot booking for any small fixes. Vetted, insured, DBS-checked. Flat fee published online.
Published by Kirk Group Editorial
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