New data shows more than 1 in 4 of us live in homes that could harm our health

Source: Health Equals, 27 October 2025

Data released today by Health Equals, the UK’s campaign to improve health inequalities, has revealed that 28% of people in the UK report living in homes with damp, mould or cold. 

This rises to 42% of people in the West Midlands and 39% in Yorkshire and the Humber. 

The nationally representative survey of 3,982 people in October 2025 also showed that some people are much more affected by these health-harming issues than others. 

People from the lowest income households are almost twice as likely to live in homes with issues like damp or mould (21% vs 12%), and four times as likely to live in a cold home (25% vs 6%) than the highest income households.  

 21% of renters have issues like damp or mould, rising to 23% for those in rented social housing. And almost half (47%) of people with issues like damp or mould have children living with them.  

Being exposed to damp, cold and mould for a long time can cause or worsen existing conditions like asthma, cause other respiratory symptoms like coughing and wheezing, cardiovascular issues like heart palpitations, and mental health conditions like stress, anxiety and depression. At their worst, like in the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, non-decent housing can cause death.

The first phase of Awaab’s law, which promises to protect tenants from dangerous social housing conditions, comes into force in England today (27 October), in memory of a two-year-old boy who died after exposure to mould in his home.