New regulations have been enacted, compelling social housing landlords in England to swiftly address issues like damp, mould, and cold, which a recent survey reveals affect almost a quarter of their tenants.
This legislation, known as Awaab's Law, is the direct legacy of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died in December 2020.
His death was caused by a respiratory condition linked to prolonged mould exposure in his family’s Rochdale housing association flat.
The toddler’s death sparked outrage, prompting the law's passage. Landlords now face court action and compensation orders if they fail to fix reported hazards speedily, and must rehouse tenants in safe accommodation when necessary.
As the rules come into force in England, a UK-wide survey found 21% of renters said they had issues such as damp, mould or condensation in their homes, rising to 23% when taking into account only those in rented social housing.
Some 3,982 adults were surveyed by Censuswide earlier this month for the Health Equals campaign, which claims lives are being cut short across the UK with damp, cold and mould in people’s homes being part of the problem.
Campaigners are calling for the new tougher requirements for social landlords to act more quickly on issues to be applied urgently to the private rented sector.
While the Government has committed to extending Awaab’s Law to this sector, through the Renters’ Rights Bill which is currently awaiting royal assent, no firm timeframe has been given.
The research by Health Equals – which surveyed homeowners as well as renters – also found people from the lowest-income households were almost twice as likely to live in homes with issues like damp or mould than the highest income households – 21% compared with 12%.
Chief campaigns officer Paul McDonald said while Awaab’s Law is an “important milestone”, their research shows “we need to go further”.
The new rules, coming into force from Monday, mean landlords across England’s four million social rent homes will be required to take urgent action to fix dangerous homes.
The new legal duties include an obligation to fix health and safety hazards which are classed as an emergency within 24 hours of reporting.
Landlords must ensure damp and mould which is classed as significant is investigated within 10 working days of being notified and have a further five days to make properties safe.
They are also required to communicate their findings in writing to tenants within three working days of inspection.
If there are young children, disabled people or those with health conditions living in the property, alternative accommodation must be offered if homes cannot be made safe within the required timeframes.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “Everyone deserves a safe and decent home to live in and Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life or death.
“Awaab’s family has fought hard for change and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son.
“Our changes will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.”
The Government has also announced a £1 million fund aimed at creating new ways of helping tenants engage with their landlords and having more influence over decisions affecting them.
A report published by the Housing Ombudsman in May warned of “simmering anger” at poor housing conditions, with complaints to the watchdog about substandard living conditions more than five times higher than they were five years ago.
The ombudsman found “clear and consistent failings” in maintenance to properties which it said has become a more “complex and costly” issue over the years.
The ombudsman, which deals with disputes between residents and social housing landlords in England, said there were 6,380 complaints investigated in the year to March 2025, up from 1,111 in the year to March 2020.
Reasons for complaints included asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control and leaks, damp and mould.
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