The tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale, was a devastating reminder of just how important safe, healthy homes are.
Awaab’s story sparked a national conversation about the dangers of damp and mould and led to the Regulator of Social Housing releasing a report highlighting the issue and recommending improvements.
Since then, we’ve worked hard to strengthen how we spot, manage and fix issues, because everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their home. We’re pleased to share our progress.
With new rules, known as Awaab’s Law, now being introduced across the country to ensure faster action, the work we’ve done has put us in a good position. We know there’s still more to do in speeding up inspections and repairs, and we’re committed to doing so.
Our approach
We take a proactive approach to prevent and respond to damp and mould, including:
Surveying all homes every five years
Monitoring homes at higher risk
Acting on customer reports
Preventing water from entering homes by replacing doors, windows and roofs when needed
Improving energy efficiency of homes
Training teams to better identify and resolve issues
Recruited more surveyors to do damp and mould inspections
Invited customers to review our overall approach and suggest changes
Trialled sensors in several homes to better understand causes of damp
2025
Prepared for Awaab’s Law – making sure we can respond within timescales
Created a dedicated Damp and Mould Team
Created a Major Works Team to resolve complex cases
Introduced technology to check customers are satisfied the issue has been resolved and to help to manage appointments
Visit our dedicated damp and mould webpage for more information, including every day tips we can all follow to help to manage the issue, here: damp and mould webpage.
What is Awaab’s Law?
Starting 27 October 2025, housing associations must investigate serious repair issues within strict timeframes, including 24 hours for emergencies posing immediate risk and 10 working days for extensive damp and mould.
If the issue can't be resolved immediately, a letter or email will be provided to customers within three working days, detailing findings and next steps. After any damp inspection, customers will receive a summary with outcomes, recommended works and timelines.
From 2026, the rules will go beyond damp and mould, covering a wider range of risks like extreme temperatures, fire safety, structural issues and hygiene hazards.
In 2027, Awaab’s Law will extend again to cover a wider range of health and safety issues in homes, based on the nationalHousing Health and Safety Rating System, excluding overcrowding. It includes pest infestations, lighting issues, acoustic problems and more.
The tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale, was a devastating reminder of just how important safe, healthy homes are.
Awaab’s story sparked a national conversation about the dangers of damp and mould and led to the Regulator of Social Housing releasing a report highlighting the issue and recommending improvements.
Since then, we’ve worked hard to strengthen how we spot, manage and fix issues, because everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their home. We’re pleased to share our progress.
With new rules, known as Awaab’s Law, now being introduced across the country to ensure faster action, the work we’ve done has put us in a good position. We know there’s still more to do in speeding up inspections and repairs, and we’re committed to doing so.
Our approach
We take a proactive approach to prevent and respond to damp and mould, including:
Surveying all homes every five years
Monitoring homes at higher risk
Acting on customer reports
Preventing water from entering homes by replacing doors, windows and roofs when needed
Improving energy efficiency of homes
Training teams to better identify and resolve issues
A timeline of some of our key actions:
2023
Reviewed our approach and created an action plan
Introduced a damp and mould policy
Launched new training for our teams
Created a risk rating, ensuring we prioritise any high-risk cases
Improved customer communications and made them available in multiple languages
Improved our record keeping
2024
Recruited more surveyors to do damp and mould inspections
Invited customers to review our overall approach and suggest changes
Trialled sensors in several homes to better understand causes of damp
2025
Prepared for Awaab’s Law – making sure we can respond within timescales
Created a dedicated Damp and Mould Team
Created a Major Works Team to resolve complex cases
Introduced technology to check customers are satisfied the issue has been resolved and to help to manage appointments
Visit our dedicated damp and mould webpage for more information, including every day tips we can all follow to help to manage the issue, here: damp and mould webpage.
What is Awaab’s Law?
Starting 27 October 2025, housing associations must investigate serious repair issues within strict timeframes, including 24 hours for emergencies posing immediate risk and 10 working days for extensive damp and mould.
If the issue can't be resolved immediately, a letter or email will be provided to customers within three working days, detailing findings and next steps. After any damp inspection, customers will receive a summary with outcomes, recommended works and timelines.
From 2026, the rules will go beyond damp and mould, covering a wider range of risks like extreme temperatures, fire safety, structural issues and hygiene hazards.
In 2027, Awaab’s Law will extend again to cover a wider range of health and safety issues in homes, based on the national Housing Health and Safety Rating System, excluding overcrowding. It includes pest infestations, lighting issues, acoustic problems and more.
Please contact us if you're experiencing damp and mould
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