Awaab Ishak: New landlords law to be introduced quickly, says minister

Jul 31, 2023

A proposed law in memory of a toddler who died after being exposed to mould in his flat will be tabled as soon as possible, the housing minister said.

The family of Awaab Ishak, who died aged two in 2020 in Rochdale, want landlords to be compelled to quickly investigate and repair damp and mould.

Earlier this month Housing Secretary Michael Gove said the government was reviewing existing guidelines.

Housing minister Felicity Buchan said proposals were "being worked through".

Awaab's inquest concluded that he died from a respiratory condition caused by mould exposure.

His family want strict time limits for damp and mould issues to be rectified, and for associated health risks to be addressed.

Ms Buchan told MPs in the House of Commons: "The proposed law aims to make sure that landlords respond to complaints about damp and mould quickly and with the proper regard to risk to health.

"We are working through the specific recommendations to consider how changes could be made as soon as possible."

The inquest heard Awaab's father Faisal Abdullah repeatedly raised the issue with housing association Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), but no action was taken.

Rochdale Coroner's Court heard he first reported mould developing in the one-bedroom flat to RBH three years prior to Awaab's death and was told to paint over it.

Senior coroner Joanne Kearsley said RBH was not "proactive" and the ventilation in the one-bedroom flat was not effective.

She begged the question: "How in the UK in 2020 does a two-year-old child die as a result of exposure to mould?"

Ms Kearsley asked the government to take action to prevent future deaths and address the fact its housing health and safety rating system does not reflect the known risks of damp and mould to health.

Mr Gove repeated a previously announced commitment to introducing a new private rented sector landlord ombudsman scheme.

More than 170,000 people have signed a petition calling for Awaab's Law, to ensure no other child dies due to mould in their home.

In response to the inquest's findings, RBH said it had made boardroom changes

Its new chair started this month and a specialist task force to deal with damp and mould has been created.

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Rochdale Borough Council

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH)

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities