Kirklees Council says it is prepared for the roll out of tough measures for social housing landlords when Awaab’s Law is introduced next month.
From 27 October, 2025, social landlords will have to address damp, mould and condensation (DMC) hazards and other emergency hazards within strict timescales as Awaab’s Law comes into effect. The law, which is named after two-year old Awaab Ishak who died from exposure to damp and mould in his Rochdale home, will extend its scope in 2026 and 2027, also covering falls risks, structural issues, and fire and electrical safety, among other issues.
The legislation mandates that social landlords investigate reported cases within 10 working days, provide written feedback within three working days, and carry out any necessary treatments or repairs within set timescales: five working days for significant hazards and 24 hours for emergencies. The treatment of mould is generally classed as a significant hazard but can be classed as an emergency in some cases.
This is explained in a report to next Monday’s (22 September) meeting of Kirklees Council’s Growth and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel. Here, members will hear how the local authority has prepared for the introduction of the new legislation.
The local authority has struggled to tackle some safety issues in its housing stock in previous years, self-referring to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) – the public body that regulates registered providers of social housing in England – in March 2024. The council had been aware of a “considerable” backlog of works, with the RSH finding it had put tenants at risk of ‘serious detriment’. As a result, a regulatory notice was issued.
Earlier this year, Cabinet Member for Transport and Housing, Cllr Moses Crook, said that the council is “very confident” that the regulatory notice will be removed by the end of the calendar year. Looking ahead, the council says it is “equipped” to manage damp, mould and condensation cases in line with Awaab’s Law.
As well as its in-house team, the council has two external mould treatment contractors which are delivering an average of 91 inspections and 89 treatments per week. This exceeds a projection which suggested there would be a weekly demand of 83 cases per week this winter. Between September 2024 and March 2025, the council received 2,196 reports of damp, mould and condensation, averaging at 73 cases per week in the autumn and winter months.
The council has allocated additional staff to damp, mould and condensation triage and inspection teams and rolled out specialist training. The local authority says that its efforts have enabled it to reduce the backlog and reach a “business-as-usual” position by June 2025. It has gone from having a backlog of more than 1,800 damp, mould and condensation cases in March 2024, to an open caseload of 380 in July 2025.
The report adds: “These internal and external resources, now embedded in the council’s operational model, have proven essential to our current success and will be critical to sustaining compliance with Awaab’s Law moving forward. Continued investment in staffing, contractor capacity, and service coordination will ensure that the council is well positioned to meet both seasonal increases in demand and the statutory timeframes for investigation, treatment and follow-up.”
