Newark & Sherwood District Council has revealed how it plans to better tackle damp and mould across its housing stock after a new law came into force.
The first phase of Awaab’s Law came into force on Monday (27 October). It will force social landlords to take urgent action to fix dangerous homes or face the full force of the law, the Government says.
Changes in rules come after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his Rochdale home – which was managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).
Newark and Sherwood District Council says there has been a 500 per cent increase in damp and mould reports in its council homes.
In August, the authority announced it would be increasing spending by almost £250,000 to help tackle the problems – including disrepair cases.
The council has now published its updated policies and procedures, with the law change now having come into force for social landlords.
Some of the key changes include that emergency hazards – which include a family with young children reporting extensive black mould covering bedroom walls, severe damp causing structural damage, mould growth so severe it’s causing respiratory problems, and water ingress that’s creating dangerous electrical hazards – must be investigated within 24 hours.
If the council is unable to make the property safe for the tenant, it says it must then “offer suitable accommodation immediately.”
Significant hazards – which include persistent condensation causing mould growth in bathrooms, damp patches that are getting worse but aren’t immediately dangerous, and ventilation problems leading to humidity issues – must also be investigated within 10 days.
The council’s new policy adds: “We must begin remedial works within five working days. If we cannot begin remedial works within five working days, we must start within 12 weeks.”
The same rules will apply to all social landlords – including all councils with housing stock.
According to the Government’s English Housing Survey – a national survey of people’s housing circumstances – a notable increase in levels of dangerous damp and mould in all tenures was observed when compared to the pre-pandemic levels (2019).
In 2023, five per cent of homes in England had a problem with damp, higher than in any of the last five years (three to four per cent).
In Newark and Sherwood, there has been a 500 per cent increase in reports of damp and mould in council homes, and a 670 per cent increase in disrepair reports.
The district council says the surge in reports has put “significant” pressure on its existing teams and resources.
According to the latest available council figures, 811 repairs relating to damp, mould, and other issues were made between 1 April and 4 December last year, while 795 inspections were raised relating to damp and mould over the same period.
In total, £135,820 from the council’s housing compliance and modernisation reserve is now being invested in new staff members to help tackle the influx in damp and mould reports, on top of £112,000 to resolve disrepair problems.
The money has been invested in a new supervisor responsible for coordinating maintenance and the damp and disrepair team, and a new surveyor for damp and disrepairs.
The council says it only had one surveyor, who was unable to tackle the increasing workload on their own.
The council further said it would be hiring a new customer service adviser to assist with the increase in calls relating to the problems, as well as a joiner, a plasterer, and a bricklayer who will work to resolve the hazards.
In August, the authority said new vans would be bought for the new staff members.
The second phase of Awaab’s Law, which will cover hazards like excess cold and heat as well as fire risks, will be implemented next year, while 2027’s third phase will cover other remaining hazards, the Government says.