Millions of tenants across England will benefit from stronger safety measures as new rules under Awaab’s Law come into effect today.
The first phase of the legislation requires social landlords to address dangerous conditions in their properties promptly. Landlords must fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of being reported. Significant damp and mould must be investigated within 10 working days and made safe within five working days, with findings communicated to tenants within three working days of inspection.
Landlords are also required to consider tenants’ circumstances, including young children, disabilities, or health conditions, when assessing risks. If properties cannot be made safe within the specified timeframes, alternative accommodation must be offered.
Failure to comply can result in legal action, including enforcement orders, compensation payments, and potential loss of rent if homes are uninhabitable.
The law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in December 2020 after exposure to mould in his Rochdale home. The legislation follows efforts by his family to ensure greater safety and accountability in social housing.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “Everyone deserves a safe and decent home to live in and Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life or death.
“Awaab’s family has fought hard for change and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son.
“Our changes will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.”
More of Awaab’s Law will be phased in next year and in 2027 to make homes safer from more hazards, alongside work to build 1.5 million new homes, including the biggest boost of social and affordable housing in a generation.
To bring further transformative and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing and give tenants a stronger voice, a new £1m fund has been launched by the government today to create new ways of helping tenants engage with their landlords and have more influence over decisions that affect them.
Up to £100,000 will be granted to successful bidders who propose strong ideas for improving communication between landlords and tenants and help tenants have more of a say in how their homes are managed.
Damp, mould and Awaab’s Law – are agents ready for the next compliance flashpoint?
I dont know the details of Awaab’s case but, whoever was at fault, it was a tragedy that rightly should not be allowed to happen. However, I do know that many cases of damp and mould in a property have nothing to do with negligent landlords or sub-standard housing. It is quite simply tenants ignoring the advice given to keep their homes warm (when it’s cold) and well ventilated. Many refuse to do so but it’s their lifestyle that causes the problem. Wet washing drying in unventilated rooms, not opening windows and not having some heating on will inevitably lead to damp and mould problems. Convection, ventilation, extraction, three simple principles that will avoid the problem. If tenants continue to ignore these, the problems will never go away but it should never be assumed it’s the landlord’s (or the agent’s) fault.
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The facts of Awaab’s case are on record as mould being caused by Cooking and drying clothes indoors !! ( aka Lifestyle ) The Housing Association were painted the villains for the property ” not having sufficient ventilation, – couldn’t have been any windows in that property !!!
Of course Main stream media lap-dogs follow politicians cue to throw Housing Association under the bus and not condemn the actual parents for their [ main, if not exclusive ] part in this tradjedy.
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