In the King’s Speech earlier this month, it was announced that the government intends to extend Awaab’s Law to private tenants through The Renters’ Reform Bill. Under this law, it will mean that private landlords will be given strict timescales to remedy health hazards such as damp and mould in their properties.
Elta, a leading UK manufacturer of ventilation equipment, is now encouraging installers and merchants to prepare for this incoming legislation, and urges that installers and distributors will need to act fast, especially given the scale of the issue.
Research found that almost 40% of private renters who have moved in the last year (2023-24) said they had experienced damp and mould in their property, according to a study by New Economics Foundation. A recent government survey of more than 300 councils found that local authorities in England received 23,727 complaints in total for serious damp and mould issues in the year 2021-22.
David Millward, Group Product Manager at Elta Group, said: “We welcome this announcement from the government, and it is a step-change in how we as a nation should view and deal with damp and mould issues.
“It is now imperative that electricians and ventilation installers are now armed with the right knowledge and products to tackle poor airflow challenges in the home. For distributors, trade counter staff must stand ready to advise contractors, and also readily have access to supply contractors with fans and ventilation units that they need, given the tighter timescales they will have to work to.”
Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak – a two-year old boy who died after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s poorly ventilated home. The law was introduced in July 2023 through the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023. In January 2024, the government opened a consultation on how its proposals to implement the law for the social housing sector, which concluded in March 2024.
If there is no change to the government’s tabled proposals, social landlords, and therefore private landlords, will be expected investigate reported hazards within 14 days. If the hazard, such as damp and mould, is deemed to be a risk to occupants’ health by a health practitioner, then remediation works must begin within seven days.
David said: “At Elta and through our Elta Trade division, we stand ready to help. We can assist with fan selection based on of bedrooms, internal floor area, type of room the fan is being installed into, and more parameters, to ensure the ventilation works as required. Meanwhile for distributors, we have a large team of ventilation experts who can advise trade counter staff, and with our manufacturing facilities in the UK, we have stock ready to ship from our warehouses.”