St Albans Damp and Mould: A Conserved Georgian and Victorian Core

St Albans is a cathedral city with a well-preserved Georgian and Victorian core, and commuter demand into London keeps older housing well occupied. Heritage and conservation area restrictions can limit remediation options across much of the historic centre, so a landlord often cannot simply choose the standard repair.

St Albans in numbers (compared with England)

• Private rented households: 16.3% (England 20.5%); social rented: 12.2% (England 17.1%)
• Terraced homes: 20.0% (England 23.0%); flats: 22.1% (England 21.4%)
• Homes with no central heating: 0.8% (England 1.5%)
• Overcrowded households: 3.1% (England 4.4%)
• Properties at medium or high flood risk: rivers and sea 0.4% (England 1.9%); surface water 4.0% (England 5.9%)
• Rainfall: about 715 mm a year at Rothamsted, roughly four miles away

What do the numbers say about risk?

Flood risk from rivers and sea is a fraction of the England figure at 0.4%, central heating is nearly universal and overcrowding is below England. Flats, at 22.1%, are the one measure marginally above the national figure. Put together, structural damp, condensation in poorly ventilated flats and the condition of period buildings matter more here than flooding.

Working within conservation rules

• Check whether the property is listed or in a conservation area before commissioning work
• Use breathable materials such as lime plaster on old solid walls
• Fix the cause (gutters, pointing, ground levels, ventilation) before treating the symptom
• Get a survey with moisture readings before any injection or replastering

Commuter occupancy

A home that is empty all day and heated only in the evening can run cold and damp. Make sure tenants know the home needs steady background heat and ventilation, and that fans are working.

What landlords must do

Private landlords in England must already meet the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, which requires a home to be fit for habitation throughout the tenancy, and councils can act on damp and mould hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). 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 what to expect.

To find a specialist, see our St Albans damp and mould page, and the council's tenants page.