Ely Damp and Mould: Fenland Drainage, Low-Lying Ground and a Cathedral City Core

Ely has a Georgian and Victorian core around its cathedral, on low-lying Fenland that relies on drainage systems to stay dry. The official figures below are for the whole of East Cambridgeshire, a largely rural district, so they describe the area around Ely rather than the city alone.

East Cambridgeshire in numbers

• Private rented households: 16.5% (England 20.5%); social rented: 14.0% (England 17.1%)
• Terraced homes: 16.9% (England 23.0%); flats: 7.4% (England 21.4%)
• Homes with no central heating: 0.8% (England 1.5%); overcrowded households: 1.8% (England 4.4%)
• River or sea flood risk: 1.5% (England 1.9%); surface-water risk: 6.4% (England 5.9%)
• Rainfall: about 583 mm a year at Mepal, roughly seven miles away

Why does Fenland drainage matter to a tenant?

Land that depends on pumps, drains and watercourses to stay dry has a water table that sits close to the surface, so ground moisture is a standing risk rather than a one-off event. For an older house this means checking the damp-proof course, sub-floor ventilation, external ground levels and any drains close to walls, and not assuming that low rainfall means low damp.

Surface water is the flood measure to watch

River and sea flood risk is below the England figure, while surface-water risk, at 6.4%, is slightly above it. In flat country, rain that cannot drain quickly can sit against walls, so gutters, gullies and ditches next to a property are worth a regular look.

A rented sector of houses

Only 7.4% of homes in the district are flats, so most rented homes are houses. That often means roofs, walls and drains are the landlord's own responsibility rather than a shared one, which makes it easier to act promptly and harder to point to someone else when a tenant reports damp.

Heritage homes

Georgian and Victorian properties near the cathedral may be listed or in a conservation area. Check what consent a repair needs and use breathable materials. That limits the options but not the duty to provide a home free from serious damp.

What landlords must do

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires a rented home to be fit to live in, and the council can assess damp and mould under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

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 covers the current position.

To find a specialist, see our Ely damp and mould page, and the council's condensation, damp and mould page.