Do you live in the UK’s ‘mouldiest’ place?

From damp flats to poorly ventilated houses, the battle against mould seems constant for many UK residents.

Awaab’s Law, introduced in 2023, came in the wake of tragic toddler Awaab Ishak, who died due to the damp and mould in his home, which was managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.

The new law 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 despite the new legislation, mould continues to be a major problem up and down the country.

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 towns and cities.

And it’s Bolton that takes the title of the UK’s mouldiest town, 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.

Placing third on the list is Manchester, 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.

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.”