The government has tabled an amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill forcing landlords to investigate and fix dampness and mold in their properties within strict new time limits.

Awaab's Law will be added as an amendment to the legislation in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in the flat where he lived with his parents in Greater Manchester.

A watchdog found that Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) displayed a lack of urgency in dealing with dampness across its properties even after Abwaab’s death.

Consequently, the government has blocked funding to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to build new homes until it can prove itself to be a responsible landlord.

The new law aims to make sure no other child, or anyone else, dies due to mould in their home and should force social housing landlords to act quickly when problems arise.

The new rules will form part of tenancy agreements, so tenants can hold landlords to account by law if they fail to provide a decent home.

The law will also mean that where conditions are so severe that repairs cannot be made, tenants will be moved into a new property.

Consultations will be launched later this year to set the timeframes within which landlords will have to act to investigate hazards and make repairs.

Awaab's parents have campaigned tirelessly for changes to the law following the inquest into their son's death, wanting the timeframe to be 14 days to investigate issues and seven days to make good repairs.

A spokesman for RBH said they recognise the failures and mistakes made and accept the judgment, and are working closely alongside regulators in addressing their concerns and meeting their expectations.

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