Mould and damp in social housing : Insights from tenant research in Greater Manchester
Abstract
This paper examines the prevalence, causes and impacts of mould and damp in social housing, drawing on tenant-focused research conducted in Greater Manchester as part of the Social Housing Quality Fund (SHQF) programme. The study combines survey data (582 responses) and in-depth qualitative interviews (n=41) to explore how mould and damp are experienced in the home, and how these conditions affect tenants’ health, wellbeing and daily lives. The findings highlight the pervasive nature of these issues and their complex and interrelated drivers, including structural deficiencies in housing, energy affordability constraints and limitations on tenants’ ability to manage moisture within the home. The research demonstrates significant impacts on both physical and mental health, with particular effects on vulnerable households. It also shows how occupants adapt their behaviours to cope with poor housing conditions, often at personal, social and financial cost. While interventions delivered through the SHQF programme show evidence of improvement in some cases, the findings underline the importance of addressing underlying structural issues alongside occupant practices. The paper concludes by identifying implications for housing providers, emphasising the need for integrated approaches that combine technical interventions with tenant engagement, improved communication and a better understanding of lived experience in managing housing quality. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Graeme Sherriff is Reader in Environment and Society in the School of Health and Society at the University of Salford, and co-director of the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU). He leads research at the interface of environmental sustainability and social justice and is interested in fair and equitable approaches to contemporary challenges. Graeme works on a range of societal issues including housing, fuel poverty, energy-efficient retrofit, active travel, sustainable transport and shared mobility. With a background in planning and sustainability and experience of working in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) and local government sectors, he works with a range of organisations including universities, government, housing providers and the private sector. He combines locally rooted research with communities and stakeholders in the UK with international activity, recently in Europe and Australia. He is a founder member and Chair of the Fuel Poverty Research Network and a committee member of the Cycling and Society Research Group.
Siobhán Kelly is a Research Fellow at the University of Salford. Her research interests span several areas related to social care, with a particular focus on supporting marginalised individuals and groups/communities. She has contributed to projects around ageing, dementia, social participation, social housing and care homes. Currently, she is working on a five-year study centred around elevating and empowering the social care workforce. As part of this, she is involved in projects focused on disability inclusion and the use of creative methodologies.
Philip Martin is a Research Fellow at the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU), University of Salford. He joined the university in 2014, after careers in the public and voluntary sectors. Philip is an experienced qualitative researcher, having been involved in multiple studies across topics as diverse as energy efficiency and retrofit, employment and health, military veterans, the inclusion of third country nationals and the welfare benefits system. This has involved a variety of modes including primary research, commissioned evaluations and Delphi reviews, across urban and rural locations, in the UK and abroad. In 2025 he completed a PhD by Published Works on the concept of ‘deservingness’ and citizenship. His current research interests centre around the implications of factors such as work, welfare, ethnicity, race and migration on ideas of social rights and citizenship, particularly for communities made vulnerable by mainstream polity. He is interested in co-production and creative methods of research engagement and policy impact including graphic novels and animation.
Joshua Pink is an Associate Professor in Health Economics in the Centre for Digital Innovations in Health and Social Care at the University of Bradford. He has worked as a health economist and statistician at the Universities of Warwick, Salford and Bradford, and at the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. His current research interests are around health technology assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis, in particular evaluations of digital health technologies, including patient and public preferences as part of decision making, and developing frameworks for disinvestment in older or less effectiveness interventions or practices.
Citation
Sherriff, Graeme, Kelly, Siobhán, Martin, Philip and Pink, Joshua (2026, June 1). Mould and damp in social housing : Insights from tenant research in Greater Manchester. In the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, Volume 15, Issue 1. https://doi.org/10.69554/SHOS3708.
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