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Labour pledges to extend Awaab’s Law to private landlords
The Labour Party would extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector (PRS), its shadow housing secretary has announced.
Angela Rayner, also deputy leader of the party, made the pledge this week when she said “mould is mould” and “there is no justification for letting private landlords off the hook for resolving mould and damp issues in their properties”.
It comes after the government launched a consultation on the proposals in Awaab’s Law, which will see strict timescales for social landlords to respond to hazards, including damp and mould.
It is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in a Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) flat.
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The law was tabled as an amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act four months after the 2022 inquest into the toddler’s death and following a campaign by Manchester Evening News and Shelter.
Proposals include a legal requirement for landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days.
Once a hazard is identified the landlord must start fixing it within a further seven days, and make emergency repairs within 24 hours.
However, it only applies to social landlords.
Labour is urging the government to back the extension of Awaab’s Law in amendments to the Renters’ Reform Bill, due to be debated in parliament in February.
Alongside the announcement, Labour published an analysis of data from Citizens Advice, which found that more than 1.5 million children in England live in cold, damp or mouldy private rented homes.
The data showed that 14.2% of people privately renting across the UK are experiencing Category 1 hazards, which includes dangerous forms of damp and mould.
Nearly 11% are experiencing damp in their homes.
Ms Rayner said: “Under this government, renters are being hit by a triple whammy of spiralling bills, skyrocketing rents and mould-ridden housing.
“There is no justification whatsoever for letting private landlords off the hook for resolving mould and damp issues in their properties.
“The private rented sector has widespread problems with damp, mould and cold, driven by the poor energy efficiency of privately rented homes.
“It is a no-brainer to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector and that is exactly what Labour will do.”
She added that she is putting landlords that fail to provide safe, quality housing for their tenants “on notice”.
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