Plans to clamp down on rogue social landlords who fail to provide safe homes have been announced as part of the government pledge to deliver Awaab’s Law.   

Two-year-old Awaab Ishak from Rochdale died of a respiratory condition caused by extensive mould in the flat where he lived, consequently, the government is taking action to introduce reforms in social housing in order to prevent future tragedies.  

The Awaab’s Law consultation launched by Housing Secretary Michael Gove proposes introducing strict time limits for social housing providers, forcing them to take swift action in addressing dangerous hazards such as damp and mould.

Proposals include new legal requirements for social landlords to:

• Investigate hazards within 14 days
• Start repairs within a further seven days
• Make emergency repairs within 24 hours

Landlords who fail can be taken to court where they may be ordered to pay compensation for tenants.  
  
Landlords will be expected to:

• Keep clear records to improve transparency for tenants
• Show every attempt has made to comply with the proposed timescales

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

He went on to say: 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.  

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.  

The measure is backed by Faisal Abdullah Awaab’s father, who 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.

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