Hoarder houses are more common than many realise, affecting an estimated two to five per cent of the UK population. You may live next to someone with a hoarding disorder and not realise. Without the right support, it can have an impact on both a person’s health and their property.
What is hoarding?
Hoarding is a mental health condition where a person has persistent difficulty of letting possessions go. They may feel a strong emotional attachment to items or believe they might need them in the future. Over time, this leads to the accumulation of large amounts of items in a home.
As the number of items grow, it can begin to affect day‑to‑day life. Living spaces may become cramped with narrow pathways and rooms that can no longer be used. In more severe cases, the environment can become dangerous with structural damage, fire risks and poor hygiene.
Why do people hoard?
While people may have collections such as stamps or model figures, hoarding is different. Hoarding can begin at any age, and there are many reasons why someone may develop hoarding behaviours. Hoarding can be driven by a strong emotional attachment to possessions, a belief that items may be useful in the future or have difficulties with organisation. For example, hoarding may develop after the loss of a loved one. They may believe that the items they keep preserve memories of the person they have lost.
How can hoarding affects others?
Living in a cluttered and unhygienic environment can put a strain on relationships. Even when friends or family try to help, their efforts can unintentionally create frustration or conflict. People who hoard may avoid inviting others into their home because they feel embarrassed about the condition of their living space, which can create emotional distance from loved ones.
Hoarding can also contribute to compulsive shopping, resulting in financial strain and increased stress within households. The excessive accumulation of possessions can make everyday tasks impossible to complete, such as cooking and cleaning.
The dangers of a hoarder house
Hoarding can increase the risk of property damage, making the home unsafe and dangerous to live in. Some of the impacts on a property include:
Pests: Cluttered items can make it difficult to differentiate between belongings and rubbish. Keeping waste can attract pests, which may cause damage to the property and require specialist services to restore it.
Fire hazards: Materials such as paper, clothing and furniture can fuel fires. In the UK, hoarder houses were linked to 1,028 fires in 2025.
Structural damage: The excessive weight of stored items can cause floors to sag or collapse entirely.
Property damage: The neglected maintenance of the property can decease the home’s value.
Reporting an empty property
Hoarder houses may be mistaken for abandoned properties, as certain areas of the property can appear neglected.
For this reason, it is important not to assume that a neglected-looking property is empty. If you are unsure whether a property is occupied or abandoned, please report it to us. We can then investigate the property and contact the owner if necessary. For more blogs like this click here!
