Damp and mould · Chelsea
Damp and mould in Chelsea
Found at the source. Fixed properly.
57,920 of Kensington and Chelsea's 89,660 homes were built before 1919.
Damp survey £120. Meter readings and a full visual inspection.
No injections unless a test proves rising damp.
Call any day. We book the next available engineer, usually the next working day.
Kensington and Chelsea's homes, in numbers
Why damp happens in Kensington and Chelsea's homes
Chelsea is in Kensington and Chelsea. The facts on this page are for the whole borough.
- 64.6% Built before 19191
57,920 of Kensington and Chelsea's 89,660 homes were built before 1919. - 80% Households in flats2
56.7% of households live in purpose-built flats and 23.5% in converted or shared houses. - 39.6% Rent privately2
39.6% of households rent privately, up from 35.8% in 2011. - 500+ Properties flooded in July 20213
Heavy rain on 12 July 2021 caused sewer flooding in over 500 properties across the borough. - 38 Conservation areas4
38 conservation areas cover nearly three quarters of the borough, where some damp treatments need planning advice first. - 10% Private rented homes with damp (England)5
Damp affects 10% of private rented homes in England against 5% of all homes.
What causes it here
Causes we see in Kensington and Chelsea's housing
Solid walls. Homes built before 1919 (64.6% in Kensington and Chelsea1) usually have solid walls with no cavity, so rain can soak through brickwork and show inside as damp patches.
Flats. 80% of Kensington and Chelsea households live in flats.2 A house split into flats shares one roof and one set of gutters, so a leak upstairs becomes mould downstairs.
Basements and flooding. Properties flooded in July 2021 in Kensington and Chelsea: 500+.3 Lower-ground rooms sit where heavy rain collects, so check the flood map before treating walls.
Condensation. Drying washing, cooking and too little air: black mould on cold corners.
How we fix it
- Find the source: rain, rising, leak or condensation
- Fix the cause, then the plaster and decoration
- A written report you can share with a landlord or insurer
Renting out in Kensington and Chelsea
Property licensing
Additional HMO licensing covers the whole borough (3 or more people from 2 or more households), 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2028.6
Check your street on the council's licence checker before you let.
Period and protected homes in Kensington and Chelsea
In a Kensington and Chelsea conservation area or listed building, check with Kensington and Chelsea planning before any damp treatment.
Social landlords
We work to Awaab's Law timescales for social landlords
Rent from a council or housing association? Report damp and mould to your landlord first. They must act within these timescales.
| Step | Timescale | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency hazard | 24 hours | Investigate and make safe |
| Investigate | 10 working days | For significant damp and mould |
| Written summary | 3 working days | To the tenant, after the investigation |
| Safety work | 5 working days | After the investigation |
gov.uk guidance, updated 16 Jul 2026.7
Book a damp survey in Chelsea
Price agreed on the phone before anyone comes out.
Written by the Local Property Group damp team.
Sources (read 3 Nov 2026)
- VOA Council Tax stock of properties 2026 (CTSOP4.1), 24 Sep 2026
- Census 2021 (ONS TS044), Jan 2023
- Kensington and Chelsea Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2024 to 2030, Apr 2024
- Kensington and Chelsea Council conservation areas, 2 Nov 2026
- English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025, 29 Jan 2026
- Kensington and Chelsea Council licensing, 14 Apr 2025
- Awaab's Law: guidance for social landlords (timeframes for repairs), 16 Jul 2026
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.