Social landlords in England now forced to fix emergencies within 24 hours | Housing

The first phase of the Awaab Act, which promises to protect tenants from unsafe social housing conditions, comes into force in England on Monday, in memory of a two-year-old boy who died after being exposed to mold in his home.

The new legal obligations require landlords to remediate emergency health and safety risks within 24 hours of being reported, investigate significant damp and mold within 10 working days of being notified, secure properties within five working days of the inspection and write findings to tenants within three working days of the inspection being completed.

Awaab Ishak died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mold at the property his parents rented on the Freehold estate in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, from social landlords Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).

Awaab’s law followed campaigning by his family and the Manchester Evening News.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says these changes will improve the lives of tenants and families living in the 4 million rented social homes in England.

The reforms mean that social landlords must also take into account tenants’ circumstances which could put them at risk – including having young children, a disability or health problems. Tenants must be offered alternative accommodation if their accommodation cannot be secured within the required time frame.

Landlords who fail to comply with these rules may be subject to legal action, enforcement orders and compensation and court costs.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “Everyone deserves a safe and decent place to live in, and Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life and death.

“Awaab’s family fought hard for change and their work to protect the lives of millions of tenants will remain a legacy for their son. Our changes will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are in danger, to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.”

As the rules come into force in England, a UK-wide survey found that 23% of those who reported having problems such as damp, mold or condensation in their home were social renters, while 21% lived in private accommodation.

A survey of 3,982 adults was carried out by Censuswide this month for the Health Equals campaign, which suggests lives are being cut short across the UK, with damp, cold and mold in homes part of the problem.

Campaigners are calling for new, tougher requirements for social landlords to act more quickly on problems to be urgently applied to the private rental sector.

Next year, Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law will extend tenant protection against more risks, including excess cold and heat, fire and electrical hazards and hygiene. Phase 3, in 2027, will expand it to all remaining risks covered by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, except overcrowding.

The government is also committed to extending the Awaab law to the private rental sector. This will become law thanks to the Tenants’ Rights Bill which was passed by Parliament on October 22.

Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “We welcome Awaab’s Law as an important step in ensuring that all social housing tenants live in safe and decent homes. It is the culmination of the committed efforts of Awaab Ishak’s family and provides an important new framework for addressing serious health and safety issues, starting with damp and mold.

“Social landlords are preparing for this change and have put new processes in place to meet these new requirements. We also welcome the new funding to strengthen tenant engagement, a vital investment to help build cultures of trust, responsibility and safety in social housing.”