Leicester Damp and Mould: Overcrowding, Terraces and a New Reporting Portal

At 12.4%, Leicester's share of overcrowded households is nearly three times the England rate of 4.4%. In a city where 29.4% of households rent privately and 29.2% of homes are terraced, it is the number that most shapes the damp and mould picture.

Leicester in numbers

• Private rented households: 29.4% (England 20.5%); social rented: 23.2% (England 17.1%)
• Terraced homes: 29.2% (England 23.0%); flats: 21.9% (England 21.4%)
• Homes with no central heating: 1.9% (England 1.5%)
• Overcrowded households: 12.4% (England 4.4%)
• River or sea flood risk: 2.4% (England 1.9%); surface-water risk: 7.3% (England 5.9%)
• Rainfall: about 630 mm a year at Sutton Bonington, roughly fifteen miles away, so treat this as a regional guide only

Why overcrowding drives condensation

People add moisture to a home just by living in it: breathing, cooking, bathing and drying washing indoors. Put more people in the same rooms and the moisture load rises, while the walls of a Victorian or Edwardian terrace, built for the textile industry's workers, stay cold. The result is condensation on walls and ceilings and mould on the coldest surfaces. In an overcrowded home, telling tenants to ventilate more is not a solution on its own.

What can a landlord do about it?

• Fit extractor fans that run on humidity or a timer, so they work without relying on tenants
• Insulate lofts and walls where possible to warm the internal surfaces
• Make sure heating reaches every room, with a controllable thermostat
• Provide a practical place to dry laundry, ideally a ventilated room

Reporting routes are changing

Leicester City Council has flagged that private tenants' damp and mould reports have historically been lower than the size of the sector suggests, because reporting routes were harder to find than for council tenants. It has said it is building a dedicated online portal where private tenants can report with photo evidence, and training more officers as energy performance assessors. A smoother route to the council means more reports will reach inspectors, so landlords who respond quickly are better placed.

Energy performance matters too

Minimum energy efficiency standards currently stop most private lets in England being rented below an EPC rating of E, and poor insulation is a major driver of condensation damp in older stock. Improving the rating and reducing damp risk go hand in hand.

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 Leicester damp and mould page, and see the council's damp and mould reporting page.