Awaab’s Law: keeping your home safe, healthy and mould-free

You may have heard about Awaab’s Law, which was introduced to ensure everyone in social housing has a safe home that’s free from damp and mould.

The law was named in memory of Awaab Ishak, a young boy who sadly lost his life due to severe mould in his home. Awaab’s Law makes it a legal duty for all social landlords, including Connect, to take prompt and effective action when problems like damp and mould are reported.

Under Awaab’s Law, social landlords must:

• Investigate any reports of damp or mould within 14 days.
• Investigate emergency hazards within 24 hours and investigate significant hazards within 10 working days.
• Begin work to fix serious issues within seven days of finding a health or safety risk.
• Complete the repairs within a reasonable time depending on how severe the problem is.
• Keep residents informed at every stage, so you always know what’s being done.

Following changes we have made over the past few years, we want to reassure you we are fully compliant with Awaab’s Law. We respond quickly to all reports of damp and mould, and treat health and safety repairs as a top priority. We also keep clear records of all reports and actions taken; and work closely with tenants to make sure any issues are fully resolved.

We’re committed to providing warm, dry, and healthy homes for all our residents, and we’ll continue to improve how we manage cases of damp and mould.

If you notice any signs of damp, leaks, or mould in your home, it is your responsibility to let us know right away by calling our Repairs team on 0300 5000 600, making a report online or speaking directly to your Housing Officer. The sooner we know, the sooner we can fix it and the less extensive it will be