Lancaster Damp and Mould: Student HMOs, Heavy Rain and River Flood Risk

Lancaster is a Georgian county town with a large student houseshare market driven by Lancaster University. Three numbers define its damp picture: 1,060 mm of rain a year at the nearest station, river and sea flood risk of 3.3% against 1.9% in England, and only 10.3% of households in social housing, which leaves private landlords carrying most of the rented sector.

Lancaster in numbers

• Private rented households: 21.7% (England 20.5%); social rented: 10.3% (England 17.1%)
• Terraced homes: 25.5% (England 23.0%); flats: 15.1% (England 21.4%)
• Homes with no central heating: 1.9% (England 1.5%)
• Overcrowded households: 1.9% (England 4.4%)
• River or sea flood risk: 3.3% (England 1.9%); surface-water risk: 4.2% (England 5.9%)
• Rainfall: about 1,060 mm a year at Morecambe, roughly three miles away

Student lets and the winter handover

Student HMOs in older terraces concentrate moisture-producing activity, with several people cooking, showering and drying clothes in one house, and they are often let on fixed-term tenancies that begin in September, just before the heating season. The census overcrowding figure for the district is below the England rate, so this is about how rented houses are used rather than a general shortage of space. Practical measures a landlord can take:

1. Fit and test extractor fans in every kitchen and bathroom, ideally humidity-controlled.
2. Provide somewhere to dry laundry that is not a bedroom.
3. Give tenants a short written note on ventilating and heating, and keep a copy.
4. Respond to any mould report quickly and record the response.

Rain and a river estuary

With over a metre of rain a year, penetrating damp is a constant risk for older solid-wall buildings, and the above-average river and sea flood risk means low-lying properties need checking for rising damp and past flood damage. Surface-water risk is below the England figure. Landlords should keep drainage and gutters clear and look closely at any ground-floor property in a flood-risk area before re-letting.

What landlords must do

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires rented homes to be fit to live in, and where a property is let as an HMO, licensing and management rules add further duties. 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 explains the current position.

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