Respiratory Diseases
(asked on 8th June 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of damp, mould and cold housing conditions on people living with (a) COPD and (b) chronic respiratory illnesses.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not made an assessment on the impact of damp, mould and cold homes on people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) specifically, but has quantified the health burden in the English population from key respiratory illness/conditions associated with residential exposures to damp and/or mould, as well as cold-associated mortality. In 2019, 3.4% of all homes in England were estimated to have damp and/or mould and according to the Annual fuel poverty statistics report: 2025, 11.0% English households live in fuel poverty.
The presence of damp and/or mould was associated with approximately 5,000 cases of asthma, 8,500 lower respiratory infections among children and adults, and contributed to 1% to 2% of new cases of allergic rhinitis in that year.
In addition, the first UKHSA cold mortality monitoring report for England showed significant cold‑associated mortality occurring in people whose place of death was their own home, with an estimated 864 cold‑associated deaths during the winter of 2024/25.
From October 2025, Awaab’s Law introduced a requirement for landlords to repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours and fix dangerous damp and mould within fixed timescales. The Renters’ Rights Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.
It is a requirement for rented homes to be free from category 1 hazards and this includes where they are affected by damp and mould.
The Government also publishes guidance aimed at social and private rented housing providers on understanding and addressing the health risks of mould at the following link: