Making sure our customers live in safe, well-maintained and energy efficient homes is at the heart of what we do. This includes homes free of damp and mould.
Earlier this year, the Government announced the introduction of Awaab’s Law from October 2025. The law is named in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically passed away after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s home in Rochdale.
The law means social landlords, like us, must respond to resolving health hazards, like damp and mould, within set timeframes. We sat down with our Assistant Director of Operations, Andy Lessels to find out more.
Hi Andy, tell us more about Karbon’s approach to damp and mould.
We take a active approach – we carry out five-yearly surveys of all homes, and we keep an even closer eye on those more vulnerable to damp. To stop water getting into homes, we replace doors, windows and roofs when needed. We’re also making improvements to homes to make them more energy efficient, because poor insulation can be a cause. We train our teams to spot signs, too.
On top of that we respond quickly to customer reports and concerns. We’ve updated our customer advice materials, sharing our approach and everyday tips we can all follow to prevent issues. We’ve also translated the materials into different languages, which you can find on our website.
What improvements are you making?
We’ve been preparing for Awaab’s Law for some time, we didn’t want to wait, we’ve been exploring ways to ensure we meet its requirements. For us, this isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about doing the right thing for our customers. We were pleased to ask one of our customer groups to examine our approach last year. Their feedback also helped shape action we’re taking.
We still have some work to do, and a key priority is accelerating the speed of both inspections and repairs. One of the biggest changes is our new dedicated Damp and Mould Team, which will solely focus on delivering repairs to resolve damp and mould issues.
What are the timeframes for Awaab’s Law?
We already work to respond to all emergency repairs within 24 hours – whether it’s a gas leak, electrical issue or unsafe damp and mould. However, from October 2025, this will be a legal requirement. Within 48 hours of our investigation, we’ll provide you with a written summary, too.
Looking ahead, these protections will expand over the next few years. By 2026, new safety standards will cover dangers like excess cold and fire risks, with even more improvements coming in 2027.
If you spot damp and mould in your home, please let us know straight away. Call us on 0808 164 0111, email info@karbonhomes.co.uk or report it via the MyKarbon portal.
This article was written in May 2025 prior to the Government publishing the full details and timeframes of Awaab’s Law.
Making sure our customers live in safe, well-maintained and energy efficient homes is at the heart of what we do. This includes homes free of damp and mould.
Earlier this year, the Government announced the introduction of Awaab’s Law from October 2025. The law is named in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically passed away after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s home in Rochdale.
The law means social landlords, like us, must respond to resolving health hazards, like damp and mould, within set timeframes. We sat down with our Assistant Director of Operations, Andy Lessels to find out more.
Hi Andy, tell us more about Karbon’s approach to damp and mould.
We take a active approach – we carry out five-yearly surveys of all homes, and we keep an even closer eye on those more vulnerable to damp. To stop water getting into homes, we replace doors, windows and roofs when needed. We’re also making improvements to homes to make them more energy efficient, because poor insulation can be a cause. We train our teams to spot signs, too.
On top of that we respond quickly to customer reports and concerns. We’ve updated our customer advice materials, sharing our approach and everyday tips we can all follow to prevent issues. We’ve also translated the materials into different languages, which you can find on our website.
What improvements are you making?
We’ve been preparing for Awaab’s Law for some time, we didn’t want to wait, we’ve been exploring ways to ensure we meet its requirements. For us, this isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about doing the right thing for our customers. We were pleased to ask one of our customer groups to examine our approach last year. Their feedback also helped shape action we’re taking.
We still have some work to do, and a key priority is accelerating the speed of both inspections and repairs. One of the biggest changes is our new dedicated Damp and Mould Team, which will solely focus on delivering repairs to resolve damp and mould issues.
What are the timeframes for Awaab’s Law?
We already work to respond to all emergency repairs within 24 hours – whether it’s a gas leak, electrical issue or unsafe damp and mould. However, from October 2025, this will be a legal requirement. Within 48 hours of our investigation, we’ll provide you with a written summary, too.
Looking ahead, these protections will expand over the next few years. By 2026, new safety standards will cover dangers like excess cold and fire risks, with even more improvements coming in 2027.
If you spot damp and mould in your home, please let us know straight away. Call us on 0808 164 0111, email info@karbonhomes.co.uk or report it via the MyKarbon portal.
This article was written in May 2025 prior to the Government publishing the full details and timeframes of Awaab’s Law.
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