Feb

Councils struggle with damp and mould targets under Awaab’s Law

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Councils struggle with damp and mould targets under Awaab’s Law

Two councils in Suffolk that manage 700 homes have failed to meet targets for addressing damp and mould, according to a BBC report.

Under Awaab’s Law, social housing landlords must investigate any significant hazards, including damp and mould, within 10 working days of becoming aware of them.

However, Mid Suffolk District Council resolved only 63% of hazards, while Babergh District Council resolved 78%.

100% resolution rate challenging

David White, the head of housing transformation and regulation at the two councils, admitted an 100% resolution rate was challenging due to issues with contractors, but the councils have undergone changes to improve their housing stock.

Mr White told the BBC: “Over the last 18 months we have implemented over 40 new contracts with repairs, assets and asset management because we had none before, and we were doing it on a piece-by-piece basis. We had none of the performance measure in the contract.”

Mandeep Bhogil, interim director of housing at the councils, told the BBC that they are now “embedding” the new contractors and “finessing” the data they can extract from them.

Fair, proportionate and effective

The news comes as Awaab’s Law is set to be extended to the private rented sector. The government has not confirmed a date, but it is expected to come into force in 2027.

It says it understands the differences between social housing and the private rented sector and will apply the law in a way that is “fair, proportionate and effective” for both landlords and tenants.

The post Councils struggle with damp and mould targets under Awaab’s Law appeared first on Property118.

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