Though this is the first time dates have been assigned to the legislation, charities have criticised how long it will take to fully enforce.
This week, housing secretary Angela Rayner and her housing minister Matthew Pennycook announced three key dates relating to the implementation of Awaab’s Law – a legislation that was originally proposed in February 2023.
The law is part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act and was introduced after two-year-old Awaab Ishak was killed by prolonged exposure to damp and mould in his flat in Rochdale in 2020.
‘We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again,’ said Rayner when announcing the bill’s implementation. ‘Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk.
‘Our new laws will force them to fix problems quickly, so that people are safe in their homes and can be proud to live in social housing.’
The government have revealed that Awaab’s Law will be phased in from October this year, where social landlords will have 24 hours to make emergency repairs, including damp and mould.
Against this backdrop, by next year landlords will be required to make immediate repairs to a wider range of problems which are expected to include excess cold and heat, structural collapse, fire, electrical problems and hygiene hazards. The timeframe here is far from satisfactory, however the final date announced has caused more controversy.
Officials have unveiled that landlords have until 2027 before having to begin repairs on issues such as asbestos, exposure to lead or radiation and contaminated water supplies.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter – the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charity – said the grace period given to landlords simply isn’t good enough and still ‘puts lives at risk’.
‘Awaab Ishak’s legacy must be that no other family has to witness poor housing conditions putting their child’s life at risk. The government promised to bring in Awaab’s law, forcing landlords to deal with serious hazards in social homes with clear timeframes, last autumn,’ she explained.
‘However, four years after Awaab’s death…[the] announcement means social housing tenants will have to wait years longer for this vital protection. These delays to implementation represent a real risk to the health and safety of tenants and puts lives at risk.’
Meanwhile, experts at the Local Government Association (LGA) have claimed that whilst the timeframe isn’t ideal, it gives the government a chance to curate a well-established plan on how they plan to fund the changes.
‘Everyone serves a safe, decent, warm and affordable place to live, and health hazards should be investigated and fixed in a timely manner,’ Cllr Adam Hug, a spokesperson for the LGA said. ‘It’s positive that the introduction of Awaab’s law will be phased in and that the initial focus will be on damp and mould, as the LGA has called for.
‘However, councils still need sufficient funding to mitigate the existing pressures on housing stock to be able to put these measures in place as swiftly as needed. It is vital that a long-term, sustainable funding framework for social housing is introduced as quickly as possible.’
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