REVEALED: The UK cities with the highest Mould related problems

From damp flats to poorly ventilated houses, the battle against mould seems constant for many UK residents. Awaab’s Law, introduced in 2023, was brought in to tackle this very problem by mandating faster response times from social housing landlords for dealing with damp and mould issues – but even with this new legislation, mould continues to be an issue for homeowners and tenants alike. 

New research by thermal imaging experts at Tester measured the average monthly search volume for various mould related terms over the past 12 months, including ‘mould removal cost’ and ‘black mould removal,’ to determine the UK’s mouldiest cities. 
 
Bolton takes the title of the UK’s mouldiest city, with an average monthly search volume for mould related terms of 945 per 100,000 people. ‘Magic mould’ was the most searched term in Bolton, averaging 148 searches, with residents eager to find a simple solution to their ever-growing mould problems. 
 
Croydon ranks second on the list, with an average monthly search volume of 933 per 100,000 residents. ‘Anti-mould paint’ was one of the highest-ranking terms for residents of Croydon, averaging 46 searches per month. 
 
Manchester is placed third on the list, with an average monthly search volume of 922 per 100,000 people. Residents of Manchester searched for ‘black mould’ an average of 163 times per month. 
 
Ranking fourth is Bath, with residents searching for mould related terms an average of 914 times per 100,000 residents. ‘How to clean mould off walls’ was searched 36 times by people living in Bath, highlighting a growing concern related to household mould. 
 
Bristol ranks as the fifth mouldiest city in the UK, with an average of 847 monthly searched per 100,000 residents. People in Bristol searched for ‘mould cleaner’ 190 times per month on average. 
 
Placed sixth in the ranking is Lincoln, with an average monthly search volume of 826 per 100,000 people. ‘Mould,’ the top search term across all UK cities, was searched for an average of 96 times per month by residents of Lincoln, seemingly looking to learn more about their mould and mildew problem. 
 
Bournemouth ranks as the seventh mouldiest city in the UK, with residents searching for mould related terms an average of 776 times per 100,000 people. The term ‘how to get rid of mould’ was searched for 17 times a month on average, the third most out of any city on the list. 
 
Ranking eighth is Norwich, with residents searching for mould related terms an average of 763 times per 100,000 residents. A product that claims to solve bathroom mould issues, ‘HG mould spray,’ was the third most searched for term in Norwich, at an average of 56 times per month. 
 
Ninth on the list is Stockport, with an average monthly search volume of 761 per 100,000 people. ‘How to clean mould off walls’ was searched 37 times on average by residents of Stockport and was the sixth most popular term across all UK cities. 
 
Rounding off the top 10 is Wakefield, with 727 average monthly searches for mould related terms per 100,000 residents. The term ‘mould spray’ was searched for 25 times per month on average in Wakefield.

A spokesperson for Tester says:“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.”