Hoarding
Learn about hoarding, its impact on health and safety, and respectful ways to get help.
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Download printable PDFDeveloped with:
Dr. Sheila Woody
Director of the Centre for Collaborative Research on Hoarding at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Dr. Woody holds a PhD in psychology and is a professor in UBC’s Department of Psychology. Her work focuses on understanding hoarding behaviour and developing effective, community-based responses.
Reviewed by:
Dr. Sheila Woody, PhD (Psychology)
Last reviewed: January 2026
Disclaimer
This information is for general education purposes only and does not replace advice from a healthcare professional.
What is hoarding?
Hoarding disorder (HD) means that a person:
Collects and keeps a lot of items, including some things that other people see as useless
Has trouble using their home in typical ways (for example, preparing food, socializing, sleeping in a bed, or using the washroom) because of these items, and
Feels distress or experiences problems in daily life as a result.
Hoarding is not the same as collecting
Collectors usually focus on a specific type of item and keep their material organized. Collecting does not interfere with daily living or cause distress in the same way hoarding does.
Hoarding is not the same as clutter
Many homes have clutter. With hoarding disorder, clutter takes over living spaces, making them hard to use. People with hoarding disorder also have great difficulty letting go of items, even if they think they have too much stuff.
If you are looking into ways to manage clutter in your home, please visit our content on safety in your home.
Written by:
Laura Busheikin
What you need to know
Hoarding behaviour can increase risks to health and safety, especially for older people
Hoarding can be managed in small steps—it doesn’t have to involve getting rid of all the stuff
Dealing with hoarding often includes:
Having sensitive conversations
Working with community services
Dealing with practical challenges
Steps you can take today
Learn how serious the hoarding situation is in your home
The Home Environment Assessment Tool for Hoarding offers simple ways to measure risk and decide on action.
Educate yourself
Books and websites can help you understand hoarding and effective responses. See Resources below.
Be patient
Change takes time. Set realistic goals and celebrate small improvements.
Be ready to work with others
Responding to hoarding often involves a team. This might include the fire department, social workers, mental health professionals, cleaning and hauling services, pest control, hospital staff, and landlords. When people work together and share information, results are better.
Are you concerned about someone else’s hoarding?
Concerned about hoarding? Choose the situation that best applies to you.
Are you concerned about someone else’s hoarding?
Start with compassion
Many people who hoard have faced hurtful criticism and had their belongings removed without their consent. This can make them avoid conversations about hoarding.
Let the person stay in control
You can offer to help—such as taking away items that the person has decided to part with. Just remember it is their stuff, so they should be in charge of decisions.
Focus on safety
- Identifying the most important pathways to keep clear, such as stairs
- Creating safe pathways to exits and to the bathroom
- Clearing areas around heaters and stoves to avoid fire risk
- Improving ability to use the kitchen to safely store and prepare food
Check in with yourself
If your concern is based on moral judgment or personal distaste for conditions in the home, you might not be the best person to get involved.
Begin gently
“People live in all kinds of ways. Is there anything about your home that bothers you?”
Get help
Some communities have hoarding response teams. You can call 311, a free information service, to find support in your area.
Are you concerned about your own hoarding behaviour?
Have compassion for yourself
Learning more about hoarding disorder will help you feel less alone and discouraged, especially when change takes time. See Resources below.
Talk to your health care provider
A doctor, nurse practitioner, or other care provider can offer advice and connect you to community support.
Why is hoarding a problem?
Impacts in the home
Poor sanitation
Hoarding makes cleaning difficult. Food may be left out or stored unsafely, leading to pests and infestations. Toilets and bathtubs may become unusable.
No space to move
A cramped space can lead to falls, bumps, and other injuries. Older adults are especially at risk. Anyone who uses a walker will face extra challenges. In extreme cases, people can become trapped.
Fire risk
- Hoarding often includes materials that catch fire easily, such as paper or clothing.
- Maintaining and testing smoke alarms can become impossible.
- Items may be too close to heat sources.
- Emergency responders may have trouble entering the home.
- Escape routes can be blocked.
Nutrition and sleep
If the kitchen or bed is not accessible, eating well and sleeping safely become difficult.
Loneliness
- People may stop inviting other people into their home.
- Family members might visit less often.
- Fear of judgement can lead people to withdraw from social contact.
Health care
Medications, glasses, mobility aids, and health equipment can get lost or be unreachable.
Impacts on neighbours
Fire risk
A fire in a hoarding space can easily spread to nearby apartments and buildings.
Pests
Hoarding makes pest management more difficult, and infestations can spread to neighbouring units.
Treatment and harm reduction
In most cases, the best approach to hoarding is harm reduction. This focuses on safety and health rather than trying to stop the behaviour completely.
Harm reduction respects the individual who is hoarding, allowing them to stay in control of their home and their life.
Harm reduction can include:
- Reorganizing items to improve fire safety and create space to move around
- Working with hospital staff when someone is leaving the hospital and returning to a home with hoarding
- Helping the person decide what they are willing to part with
- Involving a community hoarding response team
Treatment for the individual
Treatment can help when a person is unhappy with their situation and wants to make changes.
Treatment:
- Is usually provided by a psychologist
- Can include a specialized form of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy targeted to the particular issues involved in hoarding
- May involve treatment for depression and anxiety as well, if needed
- Happens gradually over time
A clean-out means removing a large amount of clutter from someone else’s living space over a short period of time. But clean-outs are usually not a good idea, even if television shows make them seem that way.
Before considering a clean-out, it’s important to consider that:
- Experts on hoarding do not recommend clean-outs except in extreme situations
- Clean-outs do not teach skills for people to manage their hoarding symptoms
- They can cause severe emotional distress
A clean-out may be necessary when nothing else has worked, and there is an immediate risk. Sometimes a clean-out can help avoid eviction, fire danger, forced relocation to a care home, or worsening health.
Guidelines exist to reduce harm. See Resources below (specifically, see Clean-Out Resources ).
Myth vs. Fact
People who hoard don’t care about their homes.
People who hoard often care very much about their home. Many feel strongly about not wasting. They believe their objects could be useful in the future. Even when they see that their hoarding behaviour is creating problems, they may not know how to change.
Hoarding disorder mainly affects people with low income and low education.
Hoarding occurs at all income and education levels. It may be more visible in smaller spaces, but research shows it affects people in all social groups.
What the numbers say
Hoarding disorder is more common than many people think.
Hoarding is three times more common in older adults.
Over 60% of people with hoarding disorder also have another mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety.
When to get help
The sooner you seek help, the better.
A hoarding situation is likely becoming a problem when:
Someone is bringing home items they can’t afford, don’t have space for, or won’t use
People can’t move safely through the home
People can no longer do everyday activities inside their home
See your doctor or nurse practitioner or talk to a mental health provider. You can call 311 and ask about hoarding support in your region. Try using the Home Environment Assessment Tool to measure how serious the situation is.
Learn more: what research tells us
Researchers are still learning why people hoard. Hoarding sometimes runs in families. This could be due to genetics, family habits, or both. Trauma can trigger hoarding or make it worse.
Older adults are more likely to engage in hoarding. Older adults have had longer to collect objects and sometimes take on the belongings of friends and family members who have died. Also, mobility limitations can make it harder to get rid of things.
People who hoard often feel strong emotional attachment to their belongings. They may be fascinated with their things. They often feel pleasure from imagining how the items could be re-used, repaired, or sold.
At the same time, thinking about what to keep and what to throw out can be very emotionally challenging. This mix of pleasure and stress can make hoarding disorder hard to overcome.
Resources
Books
Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding
By David F. Tolin, Gail Steketee, and Randy O. Frost
A science-based guide for people with hoarding disorder and their families and friends. The authors offer practical strategies that are easy to understand.
Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring
By Michael A. Tompkins, Tamara L. Hartl, and Randy O. Frost
A guide to helping a friend or loved one with a hoarding problem create a healthier, safer way of life, using harm reduction strategies.
Online tools and information
Home Environment Assessment Tool for Hoarding (HEATH)
Learn if and how to do a clean-out
Call 311 to find help in your area
A free information line in British Columbia that can connect you with social and community services. Hours vary by location.
Need more help?
🟦 HealthLink BC
📞 Call 811 (24/7)
Health information and advice from registered nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, exercise professionals, and health service navigators.
🟩 BC 211
📞 Call 811 (24/7)
Community programs, financial assistance, housing, transportation, caregiving, resources, and more.
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