It’s been a year since Awaab’s Law came into force, setting strict new rules that registered social landlords must follow in dealing with damp and mould.
The law was named after 2-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 of severe respiratory failure as a result of prolonged exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale.
In the three years leading up to his death, the housing association took no action to deal with the mould, despite repeated notifications.
Now, under Awaab’s Law, landlords have to respond to “emergency” mould hazards within 24 hours, and “significant” hazards within 15 days.
Serious challenges
Complying with the law poses serious technical, resource and public engagement challenges for landlords, and the sector is still feeling its way.
To help, CIOB and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) joined forces to publish a useful playbook – Tackling damp and mould: Professional practice, cultural change and regulation in social housing – providing landlords with advice on recognising damp and mould, problem solving with residents and taking steps to resolve root causes.
Update from the front
In this month’s 21CC podcast, we speak to experts who contributed to the playbook, and provide an update from the frontline in the ongoing battle against this serious problem.
We hear from Professor John Edwards FCIOB, who wrote the section on how to inspect properties for the hazard, and CIH policy lead Dr Eve Blezard on the need to avoid scapegoating residents.
Claire Hawley and Leon Sidebottom, who lead customer engagement for Berneslai Homes, share what they learned about what works and what doesn’t in engaging tenants.
And researchers Dr Graeme Sherriff and Philip Martin from the University of Salford’s Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit share insights from their extensive research into how damp and mould affects households in Greater Manchester.
We think this pacey podcast will interest people across a wide range of roles and responsibilities in the housing sector.
