Landlords to be forced to fix mouldy homes under new proposals

Social housing landlords will have to fix emergency repairs within 24 hours under new Government proposals, Housing Secretary Michael Gove has said.

This comes after an investigation into the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak found the toddler had died from exposure to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020.

The planned reforms are part of a public consultation on Awaab’s Law and would impose on landlords a fixed timeframe to investigate hazards, while tenants will be able to take their landlords to court should they fail to comply with the proposed legislation.

Faisal Abdhulla, the father of Awaab welcomed the move.

“We hope that Awaab’s Law will stop any other family going through the pain that we went through. Landlords need to listen to the concerns of tenants and we support these proposals,” Mr Abdhulla said.

The family had repeatedly raised concerns with their local housing association after their landlord had told them to “paint over” the mould. Following the death of their son, a surveyor had described their housing conditions as “unfit for human habitation.”

Housing Secretary, Michael Gove said: “The tragic death of Awaab Ishak should never have happened.

“Today is about stronger and more robust action against social landlords who have refused to take their basic responsibilities seriously for far too long.

“We will force them [social housing landlords] to fix their homes within strict new time limits and take immediate action to tackle dangerous damp and mould to help prevent future tragedies.”

The Government’s new guidance on the health risks of damp and mould for landlords states that residents should not be blamed for the presence of mould in their homes.

The changes will impose a new legal requirement on social housing landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days, start fixing within a further seven days, and make emergency repairs within 24 hours.

This will form part of a new tenancy agreement, so that tenants can take landlords to court if they fail to comply and can ordered to pay compensation.

Social Housing campaigner, Kwajo Tweneboa said the mould was “creating misery” and “risks” for the health and safety of tenants.

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“I’m pleased to see Awaab’s Law reach the consultation phase and hope that it goes far enough to prevent other families going through the tragedy Awaab’s family have had to.

“It’s crucial the government is able to make sure this law has teeth and is enforced for it to work as intended.”

According to the latest English Housing Survey data, 177,000 social homes had been affected by damp and mould in July 2023.

This comes after the passage of the Social Housing Act last year which strengthened the regulator to carry out regular inspections on rogue social landlords.

The legislation also implemented new measures to issue unlimited fines for landlords failing to comply with government guidance.