Labour has committed to extending Awaab’s Law into the private sector, but the CIEH argues that more comprehensive action is needed
Awaab’s Law entered the statute book through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act in July 2023.
It allows tenants to better hold landlords to account for not complying with new requirements as part of the social housing tenancy agreements. Tenants will be able to take landlords to court over a breach of contract.
The Government is currently consulting on Awaab’s Law
Led by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, key proposals in the legislation will require social landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days and start necessary repairs within a week, or emergency repairs within 24 hours.
The consultation is open until the 5th of March 2024, and industry professionals are encouraged to answer the survey.
Labour will extend these requirements to the private rented sector
Deputy leader Angela Rayner confirmed that Labour plans to extend Awaab’s Law into the private rented sector, saying:
“There is no justification 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.”
But a single law is not as effective as systemic reform, argues CIEH
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)has welcomed the interest of the political parties in tackling poor housing conditions but stressed that new laws alone will not solve the problem.
Louise Hosking, executive director of Environmental Health at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said:
“We want to see more awareness and better resourcing of the crucial role played by environmental health professionals in tackling poor housing conditions in all types of tenure and thereby reducing ill health and saving lives.
“Local authorities are severely under-resourced. There is a need for sustained and predictable funding for the enforcement of housing standards – and a lot more of it.
“Poor housing imposes substantial costs on the health and care system, including costs associated with its impact on mental health.
“The regulatory framework around poor housing is already very complex and it can be hard for tenants themselves to use legal remedies. We would therefore like to see a greater focus on enabling local authorities to enforce existing legislation and will look forward to working with all the political parties on this issue.”
