Stock and flow models of housing should be driven by empirical schedules of mortality. A selection of analytic, life table, and stock and flow models used to estimate the mortality of housing are examined. The assumptions which underpin each of these models, data difficulties, issues of validation and misapplication of mortality indicators are addressed. A stock and flow model is used to estimate the energy and mass flows required to sustain dwelling services in the companion paper (Johnstone IM. Energy and mass flows of housing: a model and example. Building and Environment 2000;36(1):27–41).