A literature search was performed to evaluate the current state of knowledge regarding housing quality in Italy and the adequacy of methods used to assess it. The simple adoption of current criteria required by national and local legislation for the evaluation of dwellings seems to be inadequate, because some crucial parameters, including radon testing and evaluation of accessibility are not considered. Also, current assessment methods have been used exclusively at the local level, and the health impact of housing quality in Italy has never been estimated. There is a strong need for more sensitive methods of evaluation of indoor environments, to be validated on large and representative samples. The authors discuss two possible alternative models which may ensure a multifactorial, holistic assessment of the quality of housing spaces, also by including an evaluation of psycho-social components.