Government to review damp and mould guidance following death of Awaab Ishak

This follows the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from a respiratory condition caused by long term exposure to mould at his Rochdale flat, which his parents rented from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).

Following her inquest into Awaab’s death, Senior coroner for north Manchester, Joanne Kearsley, told the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in November that the Government’s 16-year-old ​​housing safety rating system “did not reflect the known health risks posed by damp and mould”.

The ministers, Michael Gove and Steve Barclay, said new guidance would be published by the summer with the UK Health Security Agency involved in the review.

In a statement in response to the coroner’s report, Gove and Barclay said the Government was working on policy that would “specify time limits landlords must meet on investigating hazards, and acting where there are health concerns”.

They noted: “Damp and mould can have a serious impact on the health of tenants, and it is unacceptable for anyone to have to live in such conditions. While the requirement to deal with them is implicit in the current Decent Homes Standard (“DHS”), it is clear that the review of the standards which is currently underway is necessary”.

It was revealed the Government has suspended £1m of funding to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing that was allocated under the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026, “until they can demonstrate that their stock is fit for purpose and does not pose any risks to tenants”, Michael Gove said.

The Government also announced plans to introduce a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman. The proposal is for all private landlords in England to be required to be members of the new Ombudsman, to ensure that all tenants have “access to redress where they have a legitimate complaint about their home”.

Michael Gove said in a statement: “Awaab’s case has thrown into sharp relief the need for renewed action to ensure that every landlord in the country makes certain that their tenants are housed in decent homes, and they are treated with dignity and fairness”.

Lottie Winson