Damp and mould · Islington
Damp and mould in Islington
Found at the source. Fixed properly.
48,360 of Islington's 112,310 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.
Islington's homes, in numbers
Why damp happens in Islington's homes
- 43.1% Built before 19191
48,360 of Islington's 112,310 homes were built before 1919. - 79% Households in flats2
57.4% of households live in purpose-built flats and 21.3% in converted or shared houses. - 31.2% Rent privately2
31.2% of households rent privately, up from 27.0% in 2011. - 42 Conservation areas3
42 conservation areas, where some damp treatments need planning advice first. - 10% Private rented homes with damp (England)4
Damp affects 10% of private rented homes in England against 5% of all homes.
What causes it here
Causes we see in Islington's housing
Solid walls. Homes built before 1919 (43.1% in Islington1) usually have solid walls with no cavity, so rain can soak through brickwork and show inside as damp patches.
Flats. 79% of Islington 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.
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 Islington
Property licensing
Additional HMO licensing covers the whole borough, 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2031. Selective licensing covers Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington wards (20 May 2024 to 19 May 2029), and from 23 November 2026 to 22 November 2031 also Barnsbury, Caledonian, Highbury, Junction, Laycock, Mildmay and Tufnell Park.5
Wards: Barnsbury, Caledonian, Finsbury Park, Highbury, Hillrise, Junction, Laycock, Mildmay, Tollington, Tufnell Park.
Check your street on the council's licence checker before you let.
Period and protected homes in Islington
In a Islington conservation area or listed building, check with Islington planning before any damp treatment.
Islington building control: 020 7527 5999
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 2026.6
Book a damp survey in Islington
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
- Islington Council conservation areas, Sep 2025
- English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025, 29 Jan 2026
- Islington Council licensing, Aug 2026
- 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.