Nottingham Damp and Mould: Selective Licensing, HMOs and Victorian Terraces

More than half of Nottingham households rent: 28.6% privately and 25.5% from a social landlord. The private rented sector is built on a large concentration of Victorian and Edwardian terraces, alongside a significant HMO sector, and the city runs one of the largest selective licensing schemes in England, covering an estimated 30,000-plus privately rented homes. For landlords here, damp and mould is a licensing issue as well as a repair issue.

Nottingham in numbers

• Private rented households: 28.6% (England 20.5%); social rented: 25.5% (England 17.1%)
• Terraced homes: 27.4% (England 23.0%); flats: 22.7% (England 21.4%)
• Homes with no central heating: 1.6% (England 1.5%)
• Overcrowded households: 6.0% (England 4.4%)
• River or sea flood risk: 3.5% (England 1.9%); surface-water risk: 4.6% (England 5.9%)
• Rainfall: about 716 mm a year at Watnall, roughly five miles away

What does selective licensing change for a landlord?

In a licensed area, a landlord needs a licence to let and must meet property-condition standards, with the risk of losing the licence if they do not. Reports from the council's second licensing phase, which began in December 2023, say 318 households reported damp and mould directly to the council, and inspections logged 1,778 hazards including damp and mould. Those figures show that damp and mould is being found by inspectors, not only reported by tenants.

Overcrowding at 6.0%

The overcrowding rate is above the England figure of 4.4%, and the city's HMO sector concentrates many people in older terraces. More occupants means more moisture from breathing, cooking, washing and drying clothes, so condensation is the natural suspect in a shared house. Extraction, heating that reaches every room and written tenant guidance are the landlord's tools.

Rivers and the lower ground

River and sea flood risk, at 3.5%, is almost double the England figure, while surface-water risk is below it. For properties close to the river corridor, check ground floors for rising damp and any history of flooding before re-letting.

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 in addition to its licensing powers.

Awaab's Law currently applies to social housing, which is a quarter of Nottingham households, and private landlords are expected to follow. Our guide to Awaab's Law and the private rented sector explains the current position.

To find a specialist, see our Nottingham damp and mould page, and read about the council's selective licensing scheme.