Awaab’s Law: what it means for tenants

From Monday 27 October landlords must respond to damp, mould and emergency repairs within specific timeframes. This law has come in due to campaigns for change after the death of Awaab Ishak in 2020 who died from long-term exposure to mould.

We know how important it is to provide a safe home for tenants, and we take reports of damp and mould seriously.

Read our advice on preventing condensation, damp and mould in your home and always remember ‘STAR’:

• Spot the signs – have you noticed misting, water droplets on windows or black mould growing?
• Try our tips – increasing the ventilation and wiping down windows are some of the things you can do to reduce condensation in your home.
• Act fast – as soon as you spot condensation, damp or mould follow the tips on this page to safely remove it.
• Report it – if the damp or mould problem doesn’t go away please contact us.

For urgent damp and mould issues please call us on 01226 787878.

Report non-urgent damp and mould concerns online using our e-form.

As the weather gets colder damp and condensation can increase, and you may be worried about the cost of putting the heating on. Please talk to us if you need support:

• Contact the Income team if you’re worried about paying your rent and bills.
• Contact the Tenant First team for help with the cost of living.

Helping us to help you

While it’s our responsibility to provide safe homes, there are some things you can do to help:

• Remember the key tips from ‘STAR’.
• Make sure we have the right contact details if we need to visit you for a repair.
• If we’ve booked a visit to your home, please make sure you’re in so we can respond to reports of damp and mould, and emergency repairs promptly.

Getting ready for the changes

We’re sharing regular messages with colleagues internally to make sure they know about Awaab’s Law and what to do if tenants report damp and mould.

Over 60 people have already completed training about Awaab’s Law, with tailored sessions for:

• Colleagues in ‘technical’ roles (e.g. property services colleagues who respond to reports of damp and mould)
• Colleagues in ‘non-technical’ roles (e.g. people who may receive reports but aren’t responsible for dealing with damp and mould).

As well as sharing advice on social media and in the Berneslai e-bulletin for tenants, we’ve delivered training in the community to help tenants to prevent damp and mould.

Read more about dealing with damp, mould and condensation in your home.

The government has specific guidance on Awaab’s Law for social housing tenants.