Derby Damp and Mould: Three Wards, Safer Renting and the Landlord's Charter

Derby City Council's own analysis has identified the Abbey, Arboretum and Normanton wards as having the poorest private rented housing conditions in the city. In those older terraced areas, excess cold, damp and mould are consistently among the most common hazards that housing standards officers find. For landlords, that is useful guidance: the council has effectively pointed to where the problems are.

Derby in numbers

• Private rented households: 21.3% (England 20.5%); social rented: 18.8% (England 17.1%)
• Terraced homes: 21.8% (England 23.0%); flats: 14.1% (England 21.4%)
• Homes with no central heating: 1.7% (England 1.5%)
• Overcrowded households: 5.0% (England 4.4%)
• River or sea flood risk: 0.9% (England 1.9%); surface-water risk: 7.3% (England 5.9%)
• Rainfall: about 716 mm a year at Watnall, roughly eleven miles away

What should a landlord in those wards expect?

Derby's rented stock includes Victorian terraces from its railway and engineering heritage, plus a lot of interwar housing. Solid-wall terraces without cavity insulation are a common source of both penetrating and condensation damp. If a property is in or near a ward the council has singled out, assume it is more likely to be inspected, and have the paperwork in order: dated repair records, evidence of heating and ventilation, and a record of how you responded to any report.

The council's carrot and stick

Derby runs a Safer Renting project that combines landlord education, including sessions specifically on damp and mould, with enforcement. It also publishes a Landlord's Charter setting out the standards it expects. Housing standards officers assess damp and mould severity using the 29-hazard Housing Health and Safety Rating System, with a duty to act on any category 1 hazard. Attending the education sessions is a cheap way to learn what an inspector will look for.

Surface water is the flood measure to watch

River and sea flood risk is below the England figure, but surface-water risk, at 7.3%, is above it. Blocked gullies, overloaded drains and water running against walls are the likely routes, so gutters, drains and external ground levels deserve a regular check.

What landlords must do

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires a rented home to be fit to live in. Investigate promptly, fix the cause and keep a record.

Awaab's Law currently applies to social housing, with private landlords expected to follow. Our guide to Awaab's Law and the private rented sector explains the current position.

To find a specialist, see our Derby damp and mould page, and see the council's help for private sector tenants.