Awaab’s Law, which requires social housing landlords to comply with new rules to fix dangerous homes and protect tenants – which was brought in following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in 2020 after being exposed to mould at his home in Rochdale, comes into force on Monday 27 October.
Responding, Cllr Tom Hunt, Chair of the LGA’s Inclusive Growth Committee, said: “Everyone has the right to live in a safe, decent, warm, and affordable home, and health hazards should be investigated and fixed in a timely manner.
“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 need sufficient funding to mitigate the existing pressures on housing stock so that they can put these new measures in place swiftly. The Government’s commitment to a 10-year rent settlement is a positive move towards a more sustainable funding model for social housing. We also urge swift progress on the introduction of rent convergence, which will go some way to addressing the growing deficits in councils’ Housing Revenue Accounts.
“Clarity on the future regulatory environment and related expenditure requirements for stock-holding councils will also be essential to support long-term investment planning for both existing and new homes.”