Today, data analysis by People’s Health Trust shows a worrying pattern that tenants in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country pay more for housing while rates of damp, mould and other harmful hazards remain high in private rented homes across England.
The evidence points to private renters facing the fastest rent rises while also experiencing some of the highest rates of damp, mould and other hazards that damage tenants’ health. This means people are paying more for homes that put them at risk.
Rent inflation in the North East was the highest in England at 7.6 per cent in the 12 months to February 2026. This is more than double the average rent inflation of 3.5 per cent over the same period in England overall.
The North West of England has the second highest rent inflation at 5.7 per cent over the past 12 months, 1.4 per cent higher than the national average.
The data comes as new evidence from People’s Health Trust’s ‘Homes for Health’ programme shows that relatively modest, flexible and targeted neighbourhood investment can enable communities to take action to improve conditions and improve poor health caused by poor housing.
People’s Health Trust’s Homes for Health programme has worked with partners across Great Britain to respond to the growing problem of non-decent rented homes, and their effect on tenants’ physical and mental health. An independent evaluation of the programme, led by Ecorys and published today shows that community-led action can meaningfully improve both housing conditions and health outcomes.
This new evidence shows that over the duration of the 24-month programme, tenants voices and confidence grew, landlords became more aware and responsive to their tenants’ concerns, and tenants experienced tangible improvements to their housing conditions. The evaluation also shows both immediate and long-lasting improvements to health such as reduced stress and improvements to respiratory conditions caused by damp and mould.
Non-decent housing conditions are a threat to tenants’ health. Damp and mould can worsen asthma, cause heart attacks, cause poor mental health and are particularly harmful for already vulnerable people. The Decent Homes Standard imposes a minimum set of requirements that homes need to meet to ensure they do not harm the health of tenants.
Rates of damp, mould and other health harming hazards in the private rented sector remain higher than in any other housing tenure. Figures from the English Housing Survey show 1.1 million private rented sector dwellings – 22 per cent of the total number of private rented housing - were non-decent compared to 15.4 percent for all tenures. Damp was present in 10 per cent of private rented homes -the highest rate for any tenure and more than two times higher than rate of damp in owner-occupied homes (3.8 per cent) and 10 per cent of private rented homes contained serious hazards.
However, although the Government’s Renters’ Rights Act 2025 extends the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time, compliance is not required until 2035. This leaves tenants exposed to unsafe housing conditions for nearly another decade. The Government must bring forward implementation for the private rented sector and provide adequate resourcing for enforcement for private and social rented properties.
Data from the People’s Health Trust’s ‘Homes for Health’ programme shows that relatively modest, flexible and targeted neighbourhood investment can enable communities to take action, improve conditions and improve poor health caused by poor housing.
John Hume, CEO at People’s Health Trust, said:
“New rent inflation data confirms what communities are telling us every day: people in some parts of England are paying more than ever for housing that is damaging to their health. Tenants should not have to live in damp, cold, insecure, and increasingly expensive homes. It’s unacceptable that they must wait nearly a decade to benefit from the Decent Homes Standard that already applies to social tenancies. It doesn’t have to be this way. Evidence from our Homes for Health programme shows what is possible when tenants have the support and foundations they need to drive change and alongside bringing compliance forward and proper resourcing of enforcement, this can help tenants live longer, healthier lives.”