FOI Data Reveals 41% Surge in Damp and Mould Complaints Across Manchester’s Private Rented Sector
Freedom of Information data obtained by Scrubbed With Love in June 2026 has revealed a dramatic rise in damp and mould complaints linked to private rented housing in Manchester, with figures climbing from 649 reports in 2021 to a peak of 918 in 2023 – a 41% increase in just two years.
The data, which covers the period from 2021 to 2025, also shows that housing enforcement complaints have remained persistently high across the same period, with the council receiving more than 1,600 housing requests for service every single year.
Manchester Tenants Facing Growing Health Hazard Risk, Data Shows
The figures, obtained directly from Manchester City Council under the Freedom of Information Act, paint a concerning picture of conditions facing renters in the city.
Damp and mould complaints relating to private rented properties rose steadily from 649 in 2021 to a peak of 918 in 2023 before falling slightly to 897 in 2024 and 759 in 2025. Even at their most recent level, reports remain significantly higher than they were at the start of the five-year period.
The pattern mirrors national concern over housing standards in the private rented sector following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale in 2020, which led to a coroner’s ruling that prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s housing association property directly caused his death. The case triggered widespread scrutiny of damp and mould conditions across both social and private rented housing.
Manchester’s own figures suggest that scrutiny is warranted. Despite awareness growing significantly in the years following Awaab’s Law, complaint volumes remained elevated through 2024 and have not returned to 2021 levels.
Housing Enforcement Complaints Remain Stubbornly High
Alongside damp and mould, the FOI data reveals that general private rented housing enforcement complaints have stayed consistently high, with little sign of meaningful improvement over the five-year window.
The figures are as follows:
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2021: 1,665 housing requests for service
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2022: 1,609
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2023: 1,755
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2024: 1,694
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2025: 1,627
The 2023 figure of 1,755 represents the highest point in the dataset. While the number has reduced slightly since then, the overall picture is one of sustained demand on the council’s housing enforcement capacity rather than a declining problem.
For tenants living in substandard conditions, the practical consequence is often a lengthy wait for council intervention. Where enforcement is delayed or disputes are prolonged, the underlying conditions – damp, mould growth, structural deterioration – can worsen significantly before professional remediation takes place.
Discarded Needles and Sharps: Over 1,000 Reports in Five Years
The FOI request also captured data on discarded needle and sharps reports received by Manchester City Council’s street cleansing teams. The figures reveal that the issue remains a persistent feature of the city’s public environment, even as reported incidents have fallen from their 2021 peak.
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2021: 304 reports
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2022: 199
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2023: 198
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2024: 193
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2025: 182
Across the full five-year period, the council received at least 1,076 reports of discarded sharps requiring street cleansing intervention.
The decline in reported incidents since 2021 may reflect changes in service demand, reporting behaviour or operational priorities rather than a straightforward reduction in the problem on the ground. Discarded needles present a significant contamination risk in communal areas, car parks, alleyways and open spaces, and require specialist handling and disposal to protect public safety.
The Gap Between Complaint and Resolution
One of the most significant issues the data raises is not simply the volume of complaints, but what happens in the period between a report being made and the problem being resolved.
For damp and mould, that gap can span weeks or months. During that time, mould colonies can spread across walls, ceilings and soft furnishings, releasing spores that aggravate respiratory conditions, trigger allergic reactions and in vulnerable individuals pose a serious health risk. Standard cleaning products and DIY approaches are often ineffective against established mould growth, and in more severe cases, specialist biohazard-grade remediation is required.
For landlords, the consequences of delayed action can be severe under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and, increasingly, under the provisions being introduced through Awaab’s Law. For tenants, the longer the problem is left, the greater the harm caused.
Scrubbed With Love who are regarded as one the best and most highly reviewed cleaning companies serving Manchester, works with landlords, letting agents, housing associations and private tenants to carry out safe and thorough remediation of damp, mould, contaminated waste and sharps incidents across the Greater Manchester and Liverpool area.
“What these figures confirm is something we see on the ground every week,” said Josie Cookson the owner of Scrubbed With Love. “Tenants are living with mould that has been there for months, sometimes longer. By the time we’re called in, it has gone well beyond what a landlord can deal with themselves. The council is doing what it can with the resources it has, but there is a real gap between a complaint being lodged and conditions actually improving. That is the gap we exist to fill.”
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