Consultation ‘step closer to enacting Awaab’s Law’
It proposes timeframes for inspections and repairs
THE Government is backing calls for damp and mould in social housing to be repaired within a week of inspection – or 24 hours in severe cases.
A consultation is being launched on the timeframes for inspections and repairs which form part of Awaab’s Law.
The legislation was passed last summer following the death of Awaab Ishak.
The two-year-old’s death in December 2020 was linked by a coroner to mould at his family’s social flat in Rochdale, while an investigation in 2022 found other residents on the same estate were living with similar issues.
It sparked a successful campaign for Awaab’s Law, backed by more than 177,000 readers in a Change.org petition.
The consultation launched on Tuesday proposes new legal requirements for social landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days and start fixing them within a further seven days, in line with the demands of the Awaab’s Law campaign.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove is also recommending emergency repairs are made within 24 hours. He said: “The tragic death of Awaab Ishak should never have happened.
“His family have shown courageous leadership, determination and dignity to champion these changes and now it’s time for us to deliver for them through Awaab’s Law.
“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 to fix their homes within strict new time limits and take immediate action to tackle dangerous damp and mould to help prevent future tragedies.”
Welcoming the latest development, Awaab’s father, Faisal Abdullah said: “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.”
The Express and the MEN campaigned for Awaab’s Law with the support of Shelter, change.org and Greater Manchester MPS – including Rebecca Long-bailey and Tony Lloyd, whose offices supported the work behind the scenes.
Last June, Awaab’s father, Faisal Abdullah, delivered the change.org petition for Awaab’s Law to 10 Downing Street.
It was attached to the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill as an amendment, before the Bill became law in July 2023. The Act also strengthens the Regulator of Social Housing with Ofsted-style inspections, ensures clear information is provided to tenants on their rights and means housing association bosses must have professional qualifications.
“Alongside Awaab’s Law, our landmark Social Housing Act will drastically improve the quality of life in social housing, granting residents a proper voice to fight those who think they can cheat the system and ensuring rogue landlords face the full force of the law,” Mr Gove added.
The Government says the new reforms will ‘clamp down on rogue social landlords who fail to provide safe homes’.
Social landlords who fail to meet the new timeframes for inspection and repairs can be taken to court, where they may be ordered to pay compensation for tenants.
Landlords will also be expected to keep clear records to improve transparency for tenants, showing every attempt is made to comply with the new timescales.
Meanwhile, new enforcement powers will also be available for the Regulator of Social Housing to tackle bad landlord practices, including issuing unlimited fines and entering properties with 48 hours’ notice to make emergency repairs in the most severe cases.
A consultation has also taken place on what tenants need to better understand their rights, with a direction being sent to the Regulator in the coming weeks, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Reacting to the consultation, social housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa said: “As we know many families across the country are still living in homes with damp and mould, creating misery but more worryingly risks their health and safety.
“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 are able to make sure this law has teeth and is enforced for it to work as intended.”
The consultation will run for eight weeks, before ‘secondary legislation’ will be introduced to make the timeframes law. Details on the consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/ awaabs-law-consultation -on-timescales-for -repairs-in-the-social -rented-sector.
In a statement from the Legal Team, Kelly Darlington, Partner at Farleys Solicitors, and Christian Weaver of Garden Court
North Chambers said: “We are pleased to announce that the government has initiated the consultation process for Awaab’s Law. Effective participation is paramount in shaping the robustness and efficacy of this legislation.
“We strongly urge all relevant stakeholders to participate during this consultation, including tenants who are able to put forward their perspectives on these important issues.
“Awaab’s Law holds the potential to address tenant concerns by ensuring their voices are not only heard but also acted upon.
“Through this process, the system can be refined to offer tenants enhanced protection and transparency.
“We welcome these proposals which would bring in strict timelines that social landlords would have to comply with when a serious risk to the health and safety of tenants living in their properties is reported to them.”
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “For too long, too many social housing tenants have been left in dangerous conditions in homes riddled with mould. But Awaab’s legacy must be that no other family has to witness poor housing conditions damaging their child’s health.
“This consultation brings us a step closer to enacting Awaab’s Law, which will force landlords to deal with serious hazards in social homes in a timely manner. Crucially, where inspections or repairs will take some time, tenants must be offered suitable alternative accommodation to keep them safe in the meantime.
“But stronger regulation alone cannot fix this country’s serious housing problems.
“Social housing has a vital role to play in providing decent, secure homes that are genuinely affordable for people, but to do that it desperately needs more government investment to both improve the existing homes and build new ones.”