Awaab’s Law, introduced in 2023, was brought in to tackle mouldy homes by mandating faster response times from social housing landlords following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak
The UK’s mouldiest towns and cities have been exposed in a damning list after research by thermal imaging experts.
Although Awaab’s Law was introduced last year to tackle mouldy homes by mandating faster response times from social housing landlords, internet searches for various relevant terms, such as “mould removal cost” and “black mould removal” remain frequent.
And these keywords have been analysed by experts to pinpoint exactly which towns and cities appear to suffer from mould the most. Bolton, Greater Manchester, tops the list – and, worryingly, is less than 20 miles from Rochdale, where the tragic two-year-old Awaab Ishak died after exposure to mould in his home.
The toddler died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to the mould and his inquest was told “action to treat and prevent the mould was not taken”. Yet, despite Awaab’s Law, mould continues to be an issue for homeowners and tenants alike.
Croydon in south London and Manchester – home to more than 550,000 people – also rank highly on the list. It was put together after thermal imaging experts at Tester measured the average monthly search volume for various mould related terms over the past 12 months.
In Bolton, “magic mould” was the most searched for term while “anti-mould paint” interested those living in Croydon, the only London borough in the top ten places. Residents of Manchester searched for “black mould” an average of 163 times per month. Below is the full list, and the number beside each place is the average monthly search volume for mould-related terms of 945 per 100,000 people.
Full list of UK’s mouldiest cities and towns
- Bolton – 945.18
- Croydon – 933.28
- Manchester – 922.43
- Bath – 914.10
- Bristol – 847.53
- Lincoln – 826.00
- Bournemouth – 776.28
- Norwich – 763.85
- Stockport – 761.71
- Wakefield – 727.30
A spokesperson for Tester said: “The surge in searches for mould related terms in the UK is worrying to say the least. The study shows that UK residents are actively seeking out mould removal solutions, pointing to a wider problem of mould and mildew growth in homes not being properly dealt with, either by landlords or homeowners themselves.”
Awaab lived with his parents, Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Aminin, in the one-bedroom housing association flat in Rochdale. Following six days of evidence at Rochdale Coroners’ Court, it was concluded in November 2022 he “died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home environment.”
Giving her findings, senior coroner Joanne Kearsley said: “I’m sure I’m not alone in having thought, ‘How does this happen? How, in the UK in 2020, does a two-year-old child die from exposure to mould in his home?
“The tragic death of Awaab will and should be a defining moment for the housing sector in terms of increasing knowledge, increasing awareness and a deepening of understanding surrounding the issue of damp and mould.”