Crack down on mouldy homes in England or more will die, warns doctors’ body

Royal College of Physicians urges government to introduce new law amid rising damp, mould and leaks in social housing

• ‘I considered putting my kid into care’: one London family’s fight against mould

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has called on Michael Gove to accelerate a promised crackdown on landlords failing to fix tens of thousands of mouldy homes with a warning that unless laws are toughened many more people will die from the effects.

As the housing ombudsman reported increasing failures among landlords to properly tackle damp, mould and leaks in England’s social housing, Prof Sir Stephen Holgate, special adviser on air quality to the RCP, warned of widening ill-health as more people inhale fungal toxins.