Awaab’s Law has changed the way we tackle mould | Tenant news

If you haven’t heard already, a new law is coming in October 2025 that will require all social housing landlords to investigate and fix serious damp and mould within strict timeframes.

In 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died after prolonged exposure to mould in his home and, as a result of his death, Awaab’s Law was introduced.

To ensure we comply with the law, we’re changing the way we manage reports of mould.

What’s changing at Habinteg?

Under the new law, serious mould problems are now split into significant and emergency categories.

A significant hazard is a serious problem that could harm your health or safety but is not an immediate threat. Landlords must investigate these within 10 working days.

An emergency hazard is a problem that could cause immediate harm, for example widespread mould making it hard to breathe, and landlords must deal with it within 24 hours.

New working group

We’ve set up a working group from across the organisation to review how we handle every mould case. This group will:

• Revise our Damp, Mould, and Condensation Policy
• Update processes to meet the new legal time limits for assessing and fixing issues
• Create clear information for tenants about how to identify and report mould
• Introduce new monitoring measures to track how quickly we respond and complete works
• Provide extra training for staff to identify and manage damp and mould
• Support tenants to prevent condensation, damp, and mould, including advice on heating and ventilation
• Keep detailed records of reports, repairs, and complaints to help us improve services.

We’re also working with our contractors to ensure they complete repairs properly; keep you informed and work respectfully in your home.

We’ll keep track of how many mould reports we get and how quickly we fix them, so we can see how well we’re supporting tenants and making improvements where needed.

If you report the same issue more than once, it will be passed up to our Customer Services Manager and then the Head of Service to ensure it’s resolved properly.

How to report mould

If you notice mould in your home, please report it as soon as possible so we can act quickly and prevent it from getting worse.

Contact our Customer Service Team on 0300 365 3100 or direct@habinteg.org.uk or use the mould and damp form on our website.

For more information, visit www.habinteg.org.uk/mould-and-condensation.

************