Hereford Damp and Mould: Older Homes, a Small Rented Sector and Landlord Duties

Hereford is a small cathedral city at the centre of a large, mostly rural county, and the official statistics reflect that. Census and flood figures are published for Herefordshire as a whole rather than for the city alone, so they describe a wide area of market towns, villages and farmland. Only 18.8% of households rent privately, below the England figure of 20.5%, which usually means a landlord base of individuals with a handful of properties rather than large portfolios.

Herefordshire in numbers

• Private rented households: 18.8% (England 20.5%); social rented: 13.7% (England 17.1%)
• Terraced homes: 16.3% (England 23.0%); flats: 11.1% (England 21.4%)
• Homes with no central heating: 1.9% (England 1.5%)
• Overcrowded households: 1.8% (England 4.4%)
• River or sea flood risk: 2.5% (England 1.9%); surface-water risk: 4.1% (England 5.9%)
• Rainfall: about 696 mm a year at Credenhill, roughly four miles away

Heating is the number that stands out

Herefordshire has the highest share of homes without central heating of the five West Midlands places we profile, at 1.9%, while overcrowding is among the lowest. That points the risk away from busy, crowded homes and towards cold ones. A rented cottage or older house that is heated only in one room gives moisture a cold wall to condense on. Landlords of older properties should check that a fixed heating system reaches every habitable room, that loft and wall insulation is adequate, and that kitchens and bathrooms have working extraction.

River flooding matters more here than in most of the region

The share of properties at river or sea flood risk, 2.5%, is above the England figure and the highest of our West Midlands profiles, while surface-water risk is below. For homes beside the Wye and its tributaries, the practical checks are for damp floors and lower walls, damaged plaster after any past flooding, and air bricks and sub-floor ventilation that has been blocked or built over.

What landlords must do

Small landlords are held to the same standard as large ones. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires a rented home to be fit to live in, and Herefordshire Council can assess damp and mould under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. In an older property, getting a proper survey before deciding on a fix avoids paying twice for a treatment that addresses the symptom rather than the cause.

Awaab's Law currently applies to social housing, and the government has said private landlords will follow. Our guide to Awaab's Law and the private rented sector explains the current position, which is worth reading before a tenancy renewal.

To find a specialist, see our Hereford damp and mould page.