Damp affects 5% of all homes in England — the highest level in five years — and the private rented sector is the worst affected tenure at 9% of dwellings. The Housing Ombudsman now finds maladministration in 81% of the damp and mould cases it investigates, up from 46% four years earlier. This page collects the key UK damp and mould statistics from official sources in one place, updated as new data is released. Last updated: July 2026.
How Common Is Damp in English Homes?
The English Housing Survey 2023-24 (the government's authoritative survey of housing conditions) found:
- 5% of all dwellings in England had a problem with damp — higher than in any of the previous five years (3–4%).
- Private rented sector: 9% of dwellings had damp — the highest of any tenure, and up from 7% in 2019.
- Social rented sector: 7% of dwellings had damp.
- Owner-occupied homes: 4% — the lowest of any tenure.
With approximately 4.6 million private rented households in England, the 9% prevalence figure suggests roughly 400,000 private rented homes have a damp problem (MouldPros calculation based on English Housing Survey data). Separate survey research by Citizens Advice has found that almost half of private renters report living with cold, damp or mould — a broader measure of lived experience than the survey's physical inspection standard.
What Types of Damp Are Most Common?
The English Housing Survey 2023-24 breaks damp problems down by type: serious condensation affects around 3% of dwellings, rising damp around 2%, and penetrating damp around 2%. Condensation — the type most closely associated with visible mould growth — is both the most common and the most preventable, typically driven by inadequate ventilation, poor insulation and cold surfaces rather than structural failure.
Complaints and Enforcement: The Housing Ombudsman Data
Damp and mould is one of the largest and fastest-growing areas of the Housing Ombudsman's casework in social housing:
- The failure or maladministration rate in damp and mould cases has risen from 46% to 81% over the past four years.
- For property condition complaints generally, the maladministration rate rose from 42% in 2021/22 to 74% in 2024/25.
- The Ombudsman's October 2025 severe maladministration report — published as Awaab's Law came into force — covered almost 100 cases involving damp and mould, with delays to inspections and works the recurring theme.
The direction is unambiguous: complaints are rising, upheld rates are rising, and regulators are treating slow responses to damp and mould as a systemic failing rather than a maintenance backlog.
Awaab's Law: The Legal Timeframes Driving Demand
Awaab's Law came into force for social housing in England on 27 October 2025. Under the regulations, social landlords must investigate and make safe emergency hazards within 24 hours, investigate significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days, provide tenants with a written summary of findings within 3 working days of the investigation concluding, and undertake relevant safety works within 5 working days. The law expands to further hazard types in 2026 and to nearly all HHSRS hazards by 2027. Extension to the private rented sector is legislated for under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, with the commencement date subject to consultation.
Health Context
The NHS advises that damp and mould can cause or worsen respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies and asthma, and can affect the immune system — with babies, children, older people and those with existing skin, respiratory or immune conditions most at risk. The death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, caused by prolonged mould exposure in his Rochdale home, is the reason the law now carries his name.
Sources
English Housing Survey 2023-24: headline findings on housing quality and energy efficiency (GOV.UK)
English Housing Survey 2023-24: rented sectors (GOV.UK)
Housing Ombudsman: damp and mould severe maladministration report, October 2025
Awaab's Law: guidance for social landlords — timeframes for repairs (GOV.UK)
Citizens Advice: almost half of private renters living in homes with cold, damp or mould
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Search the directory →Frequently Asked Questions
- How common is damp in UK rental homes?
- According to the English Housing Survey 2023-24, 9% of private rented dwellings in England had a damp problem — the highest of any tenure, compared with 7% of social rented homes and 4% of owner-occupied homes. Across all tenures, 5% of English dwellings had damp, the highest level in five years.
- Is damp and mould in rented housing getting worse?
- Yes. The English Housing Survey shows damp increased across all tenures between 2019 and 2023-24, with the private rented sector rising from 7% to 9% of dwellings affected. Complaint escalation is rising even faster: the Housing Ombudsman's maladministration rate for damp and mould cases increased from 46% to 81% over four years.
- What is the most common type of damp in English homes?
- Serious condensation is the most prevalent type, affecting around 3% of dwellings, compared with roughly 2% for rising damp and 2% for penetrating damp (English Housing Survey 2023-24). Condensation is also the type most commonly behind mould growth in rented properties.
- How many private rented households are affected by damp in England?
- With around 4.6 million private rented households in England and 9% of private rented dwellings recording a damp problem in the English Housing Survey 2023-24, roughly 400,000 private rented homes are estimated to be affected — before counting the larger share of renters who report living with cold, damp or mould conditions in survey research.