Over the last five years, Birmingham City Council has received more than 50,000 complaints from tenants living in damp, mouldy, and condensation-affected homes. This equates to approximately 866 complaints for every 1,000 homes in the city.
Despite a £15 million initiative aimed at addressing the worst 4,000 cases of damp and mould, residents continue to face these issues, highlighting ongoing challenges for local communities and public health services. The NHS faces annual costs exceeding £1.4 billion due to health problems associated with damp and mould exposure.
These statistics were released by private GP clinic Midland Health following a Freedom of Information request to the council for data from January 2021 onward.
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Dr. Rupa Parmar, Medical Director at Midland Health, emphasized the critical importance of safe housing for vulnerable populations. “Everyone deserves a healthy home regardless of whether they rent from a council, housing association, or private landlord. Responsibility for damp and mould can be complex: landlords must address structural causes such as leaks or poor ventilation, while tenants are responsible for reporting issues promptly,” she explained.
Dr. Parmar added that councils and landlords often struggle with limited resources, which hampers swift action. She stressed that with Awaab’s Law now in place to hold landlords accountable, there is a pressing need for MPs to drive awareness and foster collaboration among landlords, health services, and tenants. According to her, increased funding, new programs, and sustained support are essential to accelerate response times and improve housing conditions.
Damp and mould are not just unsightly — they pose serious health risks by aggravating respiratory conditions such as asthma, especially in children and older adults. To minimize harm, tenants are advised to ventilate rooms, manage condensation promptly, and report problems immediately.
A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council reaffirmed the council’s commitment to tackling these issues. “No one should live in a damp or mouldy home. We take these complaints very seriously, especially where residents’ health is concerned. Improving the quality of council homes is a top priority, with dedicated teams working to repair issues and support tenants,” they said.
The council is investing over £200 million annually in upgrading council homes, the largest investment of its kind in the UK. In the past year alone, 35,000 upgrades were completed across 6,000 homes, resulting in warmer, more energy-efficient living environments. The council aims to meet the Decent Homes Standards fully by 2032, continuing to improve their housing stock at pace.
If you have been affected by severe damp and mould in your home, the council and healthcare providers encourage you to share your experience to help improve conditions.