The latest housing data published in 2026 points to a change in the way homes in England need to be designed, renovated and maintained. According to the English Housing Survey 2024–25, 12% of households reported that their home became uncomfortably hot in 2024, while 13% said they were unable to keep comfortably warm during winter. The same research found that 7.7 million households, equivalent to 31%, reported an issue with condensation, damp or mould. These figures suggest that indoor comfort is becoming a more complicated building-performance issue, with homes expected to cope with heat, cold and moisture rather than simply retain warmth.
The significance of those numbers becomes clearer when viewed alongside the regulatory changes introduced during 2026. The government published a new edition of Approved Document F in March, covering ventilation requirements for dwellings in England, and updated it in September. The same month saw updated 2026 guidance for energy efficiency under Approved Document L. Meanwhile, government advice published in July specifically warns that some highly insulated and energy-efficient homes can still be vulnerable to overheating if heat becomes trapped inside. Energy efficiency, ventilation and cooling are therefore increasingly connected parts of the same design conversation.
The 2026 housing data reveals a two-sided temperature problem
The English Housing Survey’s latest findings do not suggest that overheating has replaced the problem of cold homes. Instead, they reveal that both problems exist at considerable scale. In 2024–25, 13% of households reported being unable to keep comfortably warm during winter, while 12% said their home became uncomfortably hot. Around 1.4 million homes also had damp problems recorded by surveyors, while household reports of condensation, damp or mould were substantially higher at 7.7 million. The figures measure different aspects of housing quality, but together they show why temperature and moisture management cannot be treated as separate issues.
The latest statistics also show how uneven the experience can be. Households renting from local authorities were the most likely to report difficulty keeping warm, with 25% reporting that problem, compared with 21% of private renters, 22% of housing association renters and 8% of owner occupiers. Overheating showed a different pattern: 13% of owner occupiers reported that their home became uncomfortably hot, compared with 11% of private renters and 10% of housing association renters. This matters because there is no single housing intervention capable of solving every property’s problem. The appropriate response depends on the building, its construction, its occupants and how it is used.
What the latest 2026-published figures show
| Housing measure | Latest figure published in 2026 |
| Households reporting an uncomfortably hot home | 12% |
| Households unable to keep comfortably warm in winter | 13% |
| Households reporting condensation, damp or mould | 7.7 million / 31% |
| Homes with surveyor-assessed damp | 1.4 million / 6% |
| Households reporting storm-related moisture damage | 4.3 million / 17% |
| Households reporting an overheating bedroom | 7% |
| Households reporting an overheating living room | 4% |
| Homes rated in energy-efficiency bands A–C | 56% in 2024 |
Source: English Housing Survey 2024–25 findings published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government during 2026.
Better energy efficiency makes ventilation more important, not less
One of the most important findings from the 2026 housing research is the continued improvement in the energy efficiency of England’s housing stock. More than half of dwellings, 56%, were in energy-efficiency bands A to C in 2024, compared with 26% in 2014. The proportion in bands E to G fell from 23% to 9% over the same period. Those changes represent a substantial improvement in the energy performance of the housing stock, but they also make it increasingly important to understand what happens to air and moisture inside better-insulated buildings.
The government’s May 2026 insulation fact sheet makes the relationship particularly clear, describing insulation installed alongside appropriate ventilation as a cornerstone of energy efficiency. The research found that 54% of dwellings had cavity or solid wall insulation in 2024, while 42% had at least 200mm of loft insulation and 89% had full double glazing. At the same time, around 823,000 dwellings were recorded as having serious condensation or mould. The point is not that insulation causes condensation; rather, energy-efficiency improvements need to be considered as part of a properly balanced building system that also manages moisture and ventilation.
For homeowners planning renovations, this changes the order in which some decisions need to be considered. Replacing windows, adding insulation and improving airtightness may all contribute to better thermal performance, but the ventilation strategy should be considered at the same time. Depending on the property, that may involve background ventilators, extractor systems or mechanical ventilation. A specialist ventilation contractor can assess how air is intended to move through the building rather than treating individual fans, vents or openings as isolated pieces of equipment.
The 2026 ventilation rules reflect a more integrated approach
The publication of Approved Document F 2026 is an important development in this wider story. The document supports Part F of the Building Regulations in England and provides guidance concerning ventilation in dwellings. The March 2026 edition was subsequently updated in September to correct minor errors. Its guidance covers not only the provision of ventilation but also information that should be supplied to homeowners about controls, maintenance, filters, duct cleaning and system operation.
That emphasis on operation is significant because ventilation only works properly if a system is used and maintained as intended. The 2026 document says relevant information should include manufacturer details, the location of controls, maintenance requirements and instructions for cleaning components and ducts where appropriate. This moves the conversation beyond installation. A ventilation system is part of a home’s ongoing performance, much like a boiler, heat pump or electrical installation, and its condition and operation can affect how effectively the building manages indoor air and moisture over time.
The latest housing survey shows why that matters. Among households that reported condensation, damp or mould, opening windows was the most commonly reported method of dealing with the problem, used by 83% of those households. Extractor fans were reported by 42%, while 20% mentioned trickle vents. These figures demonstrate how heavily households continue to rely on relatively simple forms of ventilation, while also showing that mechanical extraction and background ventilation already form part of everyday moisture management in many homes.
Overheating is becoming a design issue rather than just a summer inconvenience
The government’s updated July 2026 heat guidance provides a useful explanation of why some homes are more vulnerable to overheating than others. It identifies top-floor flats, properties with opening windows on only one side, homes with limited shading and properties with large unshaded east-, west- or south-facing windows among those that can be more susceptible. It also highlights densely built-up urban areas and warns that some highly insulated or energy-efficient homes may trap heat unless overheating is considered as part of the refurbishment or design process.
The English Housing Survey provides a sense of how that problem appears inside homes. Seven per cent of households reported that a bedroom became uncomfortably hot, making it the room most frequently associated with overheating. Four per cent reported an uncomfortably hot living room, while 3% reported an overheating conservatory and 2% an overheating attic. Homes containing children under five were particularly likely to report overheating, with 16% saying their home became uncomfortably hot, compared with 12% of households without a child under five.
These findings help explain why cooling is increasingly appearing alongside ventilation and insulation in discussions about residential design. Passive measures remain important, including shading, appropriate window management and allowing air to move through a property when outside conditions are cooler. But passive measures do not perform identically in every building or during every heat event. For properties where they are insufficient, mechanical cooling can form part of a wider strategy, provided the system is appropriately designed, installed and maintained.
Air conditioning is becoming part of the wider conversation about comfort
Air conditioning has sometimes been treated as an unusual addition to an English home, but the policy conversation in 2026 is more nuanced. Government communications published in June explicitly stated that there is no blanket ban on domestic air conditioning and confirmed that air conditioning can be installed in both existing and new homes, subject to the relevant planning and building considerations. The government also announced an extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to eligible air-to-air heat pumps, which can provide both heating and cooling.
That does not mean every property needs mechanical cooling. In many homes, reducing solar gain, improving shading and ensuring effective ventilation may provide a substantial improvement. The important point is that cooling should be considered in relation to the building rather than selected as an isolated appliance. Where mechanical systems are installed, regular air conditioning services can also become part of responsible property maintenance, helping owners keep equipment operating as intended rather than waiting until performance deteriorates during the hottest part of the year.
The modern home needs to manage heat, air and moisture together
The 2026 evidence points towards a broader change in residential construction and renovation. Energy efficiency remains essential, but better insulation and improved airtightness do not remove the need to manage indoor air. Similarly, ventilation can help remove moisture and stale air, but it does not automatically prevent overheating. Shading can reduce solar gain, while mechanical cooling may provide additional temperature control, but neither replaces the need for a well-considered building envelope. The strongest approach is therefore likely to be one in which these measures are considered together from the beginning of a project.
For homeowners, that means the traditional sequence of fixing individual problems may become less useful. Instead of treating condensation, overheating, insulation and cooling as four unrelated issues, renovation planning can look at the building’s performance as a whole. The 2026 housing figures provide plenty of evidence for doing so: 7.7 million households reported condensation, damp or mould; 3.2 million reported difficulty keeping warm; and 12% reported an uncomfortably hot home. Those are different problems, but they often meet at the same point — the way a building handles heat, moisture and air.
The result is a shift in what good home design means. The energy-efficient home is no longer simply one that loses as little heat as possible in winter. It also needs to cope with warmer weather, remove excess moisture and provide adequate fresh air without creating unnecessary energy losses. With new 2026 guidance strengthening the focus on ventilation and energy performance, and official housing data showing that overheating and moisture remain widespread, these systems are moving closer to the centre of residential design. Ventilation and cooling are no longer just technical additions to a finished home; they are increasingly part of the architecture of comfortable living.
