Halifax
West Yorkshire
Damp and mould help inHuddersfield
Stone houses in Huddersfield and the Colne and Holme valleys face the Pennine weather. What that means for damp, and where to get help.
Including Holmfirth, Marsden, Slaithwaite, Lindley, Mirfield, Dewsbury and Batley
Who can help you in Huddersfield
Who puts damp right depends on whether you rent or own. Choose your situation.
I rent privately
Your landlord has to fix damp caused by disrepair, such as leaks, broken gutters or failed pointing. Since 1 May 2026 the Renters' Rights Act has ended no-fault evictions, so asking for a repair shouldn't put your home at risk.
Tell your landlord or letting agent about the damp in writing, by email, letter or text, and add photos. Keep a copy of what you send.
Give them a reasonable time to reply and arrange the work. Chase them once if you hear nothing.
If the repair still isn't done, contact Kirklees Council using its online disrepair form. They can inspect the home and make the landlord put it right.
Who to contact
- Kirklees Council: report private rented disrepair (opens in a new tab)
The form takes about 10 minutes. Have your landlord's contact details ready.
I own my home
Damp in a home you own is yours to sort out, so the first job is finding the real cause. A treatment sold before anyone has found the cause is often money wasted.
Check the simple things first: gutters and downpipes, ground levels against the walls, blocked airbricks, and whether rooms get enough heat and air.
If the cause still isn't clear, get an independent damp survey before paying for any treatment. Damp proofing a wall that has a leak or condensation problem won't fix it.
If heating costs are part of the problem, check what help you could get with insulation and heating.
Who to contact
- GOV.UK: find ways to save energy in your home (opens in a new tab)Phone 0800 098 7950
Free advice on insulation, heating and grants you may qualify for.
Homes in Huddersfield and the damp they get
Huddersfield and the valleys around it are full of Pennine stone houses: weavers' cottages with long rows of upstairs windows, terraces stepped up steep streets, and farmhouses on open hillsides. They are built of thick sandstone, and many face straight into the weather coming over the moors.
That exposure is the big local story. Rain driven by strong wind can soak deep into a wall that faces west or south-west, and a damp patch inside that comes and goes with the weather is often penetrating damp through brickwork and pointing, not rising damp. Many older houses here have also had their stone walls insulated, and insulating solid walls without trapping moisture needs care.
Weather, ground and water in Huddersfield
The upper Colne and Holme valleys get much more rain than the towns lower down, and houses on the valley sides often have hillside behind them. Water running down the slope and roofs exposed to wind both play a part. Look at roof flashings and damp after rain if a ceiling or chimney breast stains after a storm.
What to check first
Note which walls are damp and which way they face. If it is the weather side and it gets worse after wind and rain, the cause is almost certainly outside. If it is cold corners and windows in a well sealed house, it is more likely condensation.
Kinds of home you will find here
Weavers' cottages
Stone cottages with long mullioned windows on the top floor, where cloth was once woven at home.
Look out for: Driving rain soaking the exposed gable, and old lime walls sealed with modern paint or cement.
Hillside stone terraces
Terraces cut into steep valley sides, sometimes with rooms below the street at the back.
Look out for: Water held against the back wall by the hillside, and damp in lower rooms.
Insulated older homes
Stone houses that have had internal or external wall insulation fitted.
Look out for: Cold spots where insulation stops, and mould on the inside of outside walls.
Huddersfield in numbers
27%of homes in Kirklees were built before 1919. Across England it is 20%.
Source: Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax stock of properties (opens in a new tab), March 2026
19.1%of households in Kirklees rent from a private landlord. Across England it is 20.5%.
Source: Census 2021, ONS table TS054 (opens in a new tab), 2021
14.8%of households in Kirklees rent from a council or housing association. Across England it is 17.1%.
Source: Census 2021, ONS table TS054 (opens in a new tab), 2021
Local help in Huddersfield
Free, independent organisations that can help with housing problems, money and keeping warm. They aren't connected to Spore Shield.
Advice and rights
- Kirklees Citizens Advice and Law Centre (opens in a new tab)
Free advice on housing, money, benefits and debt across Kirklees.
- Shelter England (opens in a new tab)
Free housing advice for renters, including what to do when a landlord won't do repairs.
Phone 0808 800 4444
Energy and warmth
- Citizens Advice energy affordability helpline (West Yorkshire) (opens in a new tab)
Help with energy bills, debts with suppliers and staying warm for less.
Phone 0800 448 0721
Community support
- Third Sector Leaders Kirklees (opens in a new tab)
Points people to local community groups and neighbourhood organisations across Kirklees.
Local details checked October 2026.
Questions people in Huddersfield ask
Why is only one wall of my house damp?
In the Pennines it is often the wall that faces the prevailing wind and rain, usually west or south-west. Driving rain soaks into stone and pointing that needs repair, and the damp shows inside after storms.
Will waterproofing spray stop rain getting into my stone wall?
Sometimes it makes things worse. A coating can trap water already in the wall and stop it drying outwards. Repairing pointing, gutters and copings is usually the first step, and anything applied to old stone should let it breathe.
I rent from Kirklees Council and have mould. Who do I call?
Call 01484 414800 or report it through the council's damp, mould and condensation page. A surveyor should visit, and the council checks back after the work is done.
Advice for homes here
What we do in Huddersfield
Damp & Mould Survey
A professional damp and mould survey with a written report provided for £50.
About Damp & Mould SurveyDamp & Mould Cleaning & Treatment
A three-stage initial damp and mould cleaning and treatment process, including a discounted survey and written report.
About Damp & Mould Cleaning & Treatment
I rent from the council or a housing association
If you rent from the council or a housing association, your landlord has to deal with damp and mould, and the law now sets deadlines for it.
Report the damp or mould to Kirklees Homes and Neighbourhoods, or the housing association that runs your home and ask for a reference number. Photos help.
Under Awaab's Law your landlord must look into significant damp and mould within 10 working days, and start any safety work within 5 working days after that. Emergency hazards are faster.
If it isn't put right, use your landlord's complaints process. If that doesn't work, you can go to the Housing Ombudsman.
Who to contact
Call straight away if mould is affecting someone's health.
If your landlord's own complaints process hasn't put it right.