Social landlords forced to fix dangerous mould from October under Awaab’s law

Awaab’s law to force social landlords to fix dangerous damp and mould will come into force in October.

The legislation is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died as a direct result of exposure to mould in the social home his family rented in Rochdale in 2020.

From October, landlords will have to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould within a set period of time and repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours.

The law will then be strengthened over time and from 2027 it will require landlords to fix all dangerous hazards.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again.

“Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk.

“Our new laws will force them to fix problems quickly, so that people are safe in their homes and can be proud to live in social housing.”

Housing charity Shelter urged the Government to “fully and swiftly” implement the law.

Chief executive Polly Neate said: “Awaab Ishak’s legacy must be that no other family has to witness poor housing conditions putting their child’s life at risk.

“These delays to implementation represent a real risk to the health and safety of tenants, and puts lives at risks.

“The Government must make good on their promise and fully and swiftly implement Awaab’s law.”

The Government plans to lay its legislation in Parliament as quickly as possible to secure protections.

The first phase of the law will apply from October and it will then be extended to cover a wider range of hazards.

It is expected to cover excess cold and excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and hygiene hazards from 2026.

Then from 2027 another expansion is planned to cover remaining hazards under the housing health and safety rating system, excluding overcrowding.

The Government is also seeking to extend the powers to the private rented sector through its Renters’ Rights Bill, Ms Rayner said.

She said they would be consulting about how to apply Awaab’s law to privately rented homes in a way that is “fair and proportionate” for tenants and landlords.