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Influential MPS are urging the government to extend damp and mould laws for social housing to cover private landlords.
The Housing and Communities Select Committee wants Levelling-UP Secretary Michael Gove to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.
Awaab Isak was a two-year-old boy whose family lived in a rented social housing flat in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. A coroner ruled that Awaab died from the effects of appalling condensation, dampness and mould in his home.
His death prompted a law demanding that social landlords investigate reports of dampness and mould within 24 hours and fix the causes within 14 days.
The MPs want the same rules to apply to private landlords, who are currently exempt.
Gove argues that clauses in the new Renters (Reform) Bill navigating Parliament will do the job. The Bill includes provisions to apply a decent home standard to privately rented homes. The government also doubts contractors could quickly respond to landlord time-limited requests for building works.
The committee chair, Tory Steve Brine, points out that the latest official data suggests more privately rented homes fail the standard (12 per cent\2 million properties) than social housing (10 per cent \ 380,000 properties).
The committee’s report says: “We recommend the government proceeds without delay to implement the Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector. It is welcome that the government has proposed measures to protect social sector tenants from the worst impacts of unhealthy homes via the implementation of Awaab’s law.
“ It should also consider how similar safeguards could be extended to tenants in the private rented sector who are affected by housing hazards, such as damp and mould, that can pose an immediate danger to health.”
Meanwhile, two private landlords have been penalised for letting out homes infested with damp and mould.
Watford Council ordered James Smith to fix mould problems in a children’s bedroom after environmental health inspectors found the room was dangerous to health after the worried family renting the home raised the alarm.
Smith admitted failing to comply with an improvement notice at St Alban’s Magistrates Court, where he was ordered to pay a fine and costs of £10,451.
The renters have moved to another home.
In a separate hearing, the First-Tier Tribunal Property Chamber awarded three students a £10,060 rent reimbursement and £300 costs against absentee landlord Mr C Ifeayni.
The tribunal heard that the students rented a three-bed garden flat in Odessa Road, Kensal Rise, London, riddled with damp and mould from a leaking pipe. The property had no fire alarms or safety features, no gas or electrical safety certificates and problems with locks on the bedroom doors.
The students complained about their living conditions to Brent Council, who discovered the home was rented as an unlicensed shared property.
The students applied to the tribunal for a rent repayment order, which was granted.