Latest news with #Awaab'sLaw
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
TPAS Cymru: Tenants demand faster action on housing hazards
A new Tenant Pulse report from TPAS Cymru highlights growing concern among tenants in Wales about issues such as damp, mould, faulty electrics, and poor ventilation. The findings come following the death of Awaab Ishak and the introduction of Awaab's Law in England. David Wilton, chief executive of TPAS Cymru, said: "This report shows that tenants expect clear action and consistent standards when it comes to housing safety. "The message is clear: listen to tenants, act quickly, and communicate clearly." The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on proposed changes to housing standards. In response, TPAS Cymru gathered tenant views on updates to the Welsh Housing Quality Standards. The report reveals that 71 per cent of social housing tenants want all hazards addressed, not just high-risk ones. 83 per cent want consistent rules for all landlords in Wales and believe hazards should be investigated within three days.
Evening Standard
5 days ago
- General
- Evening Standard
'Simmering anger' over poor social housing conditions could lead to 'disquiet', warns watchdog
"We will clamp down on damp, mould and other hazards in social homes by bringing in Awaab's Law for the social rented sector from October, while we will also introduce a Competence and Conduct standard for the social rented sector to ensure staff have the right skills, knowledge and experience to do their jobs effectively."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Labour councils accused of ‘double standards' in war on landlords
Labour councils have been accused of double standards for fining private landlords while leaving their own properties in poor condition. The Housing Ombudsman found that 11 housing providers, including four Labour-run councils, were guilty of failing to make emergency repairs in a review of 'severe maladministration decisions'. Tenants were found to have been left battling broken ceilings, mould and broken heating systems by councils, despite those same local authorities fining private landlords tens of thousands for similar reasons. It comes as the controversial Renters' Right Bill makes its way through Parliament towards Royal Assent. From October, landlords will be required to carry out essential repairs within fixed time periods, such as dealing with damp and mould, under an element of the Bill known as 'Awaab's Law'. Last year, the Ombudsman recorded a three-fold increase in complaints about mould and damp in council homes. Local authorities were ordered to pay out a record £1.7m in compensation to tenants as a result. At the same time, councils have raked in some £300m in fees from licensing schemes as cash-strapped local authorities look to private landlords to balance their books. Councils named in the more recent report included the Labour-run Brent, Hackney and Lambeth in London, as well as North Tyneside in the North East and Conservative-run Harlow. Lambeth Council was singled out for leaving a mould complaint unresolved for four months, and for neglecting to inspect the property until it was contacted by the tenant's MP. Nonetheless, in 2018, the council fined a landlord £10,000 for cramming nine tenants into a five-bedroom property with an 'unsatisfactory' fire alarm system. In 2023, the council was found to have paid out £120,615 in compensation to tenants, the highest amount out of any local authority in England. A Lambeth Council spokesman said: 'We have fully accepted and complied with the Ombudsman's findings; we have apologised to the tenant and paid them compensation – including for the cost of replacing her floor – in recognition of the inconvenience and frustration this had caused her.' Brent Council, meanwhile, was found by the Ombudsman to have left five children in a house with a broken ceiling for six weeks. Last year, a private landlord in the borough was fined £50,000 for charging a family of eight £3,500 a month to live in a 'house of horrors' that included a rat infestation, a leak and a broken toilet. The Ombudsman said landlords falsely claimed 'no access' to avoid making repairs, 'despite sometimes limited evidence that the landlord notified the resident it would be attending'. Other common failures highlighted by the Ombudsman included record-keeping, communication and the wrong trades being sent to do work. In one case, a plumber was sent to fix a roof leak. The report said: 'This matters because there is a power imbalance, with most residents having limited choice over their landlord. 'So, it is unfair for neighbours living in similar properties with similar problems to experience different service levels.' Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, told trade publication The Negotiator that the law would mean 'the same local authorities that currently enforce housing standards against private landlords will themselves be accountable to their tenants, who will be able to take them to court'. The Local Government Association, which represents councils across England and Wales, was approached for comment. Brent, Hackney, North Tyneside and Harlow councils were approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Herald Scotland
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
100,000 Scots private rented homes not fit for human habitation
It is classed as a basic "condemnatory" standard, with a wider scope than the Scottish Housing Quality Standard for social housing which means that it is not reasonable to expect people to continue to live in a house that falls below it. It is all despite the fact that of the 2.7 million homes in Scotland, 23% are socially rented, aimed at individuals and families who have a limited income - against 13% that are private lets. The number of privately rented homes that are falling below the 'tolerable standard' has shot up nearly sixfold from an estimated 7,020 (4%) in 2018 to 94,770 (27%) in 2023. Meanwhile, the number of affordable social rented homes that are falling below the standard has shot up less steeply from 9,499 to 46,922. It comes as a survey by Scots tenants' rights group Living Rent found that one in three private sector tenants in Scotland were living with mould and damp in what they are describing as a "disrepair endemic". It has led campaigners to demand that new rules to combat housing disrepair across Scotland must apply to those renting privately. The Living Rent survey of hundreds of Scots renters found that nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents lived with some form of disrepair and 82% have lived in disrepair since they began taking on lets in Scotland. It has led to new concerns that proposed new laws to deal with Scottish homes that are classed as not fit for habitation - will not cover those that are privately rented. The Scottish Government has said that landlords would be forced to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould in homes under new measures being proposed. But it has emerged that proposals so far announced are focussed on the social rented sector which comprises properties owned by councils and housing associations. Awaab IshakConcerns had been raised about a north-south divide over housing standards after the death of toddler Awaab Ishak over four years ago due to conditions at the family's Rochdale flat ushered in tough legislation forcing landlords to fix damp and mould in properties within "strict new time limits". But it will only be enforceable in England and Wales. The UK government has already committed to apply Awaab's law to privately rented homes in England and Wales in a way that is 'fair and proportionate' for tenants and landlords. A petition lodged with the Scottish Parliament urged ministers to introduce an Awaab's Law for Scotland, requiring all private and registered social landlords to investigate and remediate damp and mould within specified timeframes and to high-quality standards. Some have named the new rules as Leighton's Law after The Herald revealed the extent of sub-standard housing across the nation and how 28-year-old single mother Michelle Ure called for changes in how families like hers are dealt with in dealing with defective homes. She revealed that her two-year-old toddler Leighton's life is lucky-to-be alive due to rampant damp and mould problems in her council flat which resulted in him being at risk of choking on his vomit. READ MORE: The survey of 567 people carried out by Living Rent over January and February has shown that the overwhelming majority of respondents had outstanding repairs in their home, with most saying that their health and mental health was particularly affected by living with disrepair. The study also suggested that the most vulnerable tenants were hit the hardest by poor quality housing. It found that 38% said they had structural issues, 28% had broken appliances and 17% experienced low temperatures due to their properties' disrepair. Of those living with disrepair, 66% had a rent increase last year. Some 41.1% of tenants who had experienced disrepair earned below £20,000 per year and 16% spent at least half their wage on rent. Nearly 100,000 privately rented homes are classed as not fit for human habitation (Image: Newsquest) Most tenants have experienced disrepair at some point during their time renting in Scotland. When asked about disrepair since they started renting in Scotland, 82% said they have had disrepair in their tenancy at one point and 61.9% say they have experienced mould and damp. Half (52.7%) of tenants say they have had structural issues and 60% say they have had broken appliances. 45.8% say they have experienced low temperatures due to their housing. Living with disrepairs also severely impacts tenants' health. When asked whether disrepair had impacted their health over their time renting in Scotland, 62% of respondents said that it had impacted their physical health. And 86% said that it has impacted their mental health. According to the Marmot review exposure to poor housing conditions (including damp, cold, mould, noise) is strongly associated with poor health, both physical and mental. In particular the report points to an increase in 'respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease and communicable disease transmission, and increased mortality' as well as 'increased stress, a reduction in a sense of empowerment and control over one's life and depression and anxiety.' Living Rent says that a Leighton's Law "can't come soon enough" to give social housing tenants "greater protection against disrepairs" such as damp and mould. However it said that the housing quality crisis is not limited to social housing and that private tenants face "the worst quality housing in Scotland". Living Rent said: "Disrepair in Scotland is endemic throughout our homes. The Scottish government has fallen asleep at the wheel and needs to be doing far more to protect tenants from chronic disrepair. "Landlords allowing tenants to live with disrepair should be seen in a similar light as employers putting their workers at risk in a work setting. Mould and damp is a health and safety issue and needs to be treated like one." The proposed new Scottish Government laws emerged after The Herald revealed more than 700,000 Scottish homes were classed as not fit for habitation. The analysis revealed that an estimated 270,000 Scottish homes are suffering with mould while 81,000 are hit by rising or penetrating damp. Campaigners believe even these numbers are underestimated and have complained about a lack of clarity in tracking the issues. The rise in 'tolerable standard' failures is believed to be primarily fuelled by amendments to Scots law which came into force in February 2022, and states that smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors are a requirement of private rented properties to meet the tolerable standard. It was brought in to reduce the risk of loss of life, injury, and damage to property in the event of fire. Failures have also been linked to an inability to be free from rising and penetrating damp and having unsafe electrical systems. The Scottish Government has been planning to amend the Housing (Scotland) Bill to give ministers the power to impose repair deadlines on landlords to investigate disrepair such as damp and mould and start repairs. But the proposals highlighted by the Scottish Government as housing campaigners were raising issues about damp and mould in the Scottish Parliament concentrated on dealing with the social housing sector. Registered social landlords are required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) which requires housing to be free from rising or penetrating damp, to have satisfactory ventilation and meet minimum energy efficiency standards. And the Scottish Government has said their proposed new regulations will "build on provisions already in the Bill on strengthening tenants' rights and Scotland's existing legal protections for social tenants such as the SHQS and the Right to Repair Scheme". The Scottish Government said it would "consider" how to implement any new laws for private tenants. Living Rent's chairman Aditi Jehangir added: "Right now there is a failure of regulation and accountability for landlords. As a result, landlords are getting away with inaction and tenants are scared of raising issues for fear of eviction. With landlords able to get away with charging extortionate rents whilst their properties sit in disrepair, tenants are left powerless in a perfect storm. "The Scottish government needs to take the lack of repairs and mould and damp in the private sector as seriously as in the social sector and introduce the equivalent to Awaab's law for private tenants. "Tenants need this government to legislate to introduce clear mechanisms to ensure repairs happen, compensation for tenants and penalties for landlords if repairs are not completed in time. The responsibility for disrepair needs to be put firmly back where it belongs, at the door of the landlords." A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We are committed to tackling disrepair in housing. The overall condition of housing in Scotland has been steadily improving over the years, driven by existing standards. 'Landlords for social or private rented homes in Scotland are required to make sure properties are free from damp, have adequate ventilation and are suitably insulated. "We have also introduced amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill that will broaden ministers powers to impose timeframes on social landlords to investigate disrepair, such as damp and mould, and start repairs. 'Just like the social rented sector, the Scottish Government is committed to and will consider how to implement Awaab's Law for private tenants, using existing powers, after engagement with the private rented sector.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts warn of health epidemic sparked by Britain's housing crisis
Kyra, 46, had been trying for months to get her landlord to deal with the mould in her Tottenham flat. Living with her 16-year-old daughter and struggling with her own health, the London-born mother is worried about the physical and mental effect her housing issues are having on them. 'I'm always sick,' she says, 'I'm always sick in the house. I'm always sick. 'My blood pressure is rising, my anxiety ... I went to my GP thinking maybe it's the mould – I'm having a constant cough that's not going away. 'Every minute I'm at the doctor, my house is full of medications.' Health inspectors from the council have visited the property every month, and have asked Kyra's landlord to resolve the issue. But last month she says one told her that the council 'can't force him' to do anything. However, the council says that her landlord has made 'several important improvements' following their intervention. Not long after, Kyra received a section 21 'no-fault' eviction notice telling her she had to leave the flat she's lived in for four years. She's now looking for a new place to call home as her daughter tries to study for her upcoming GCSE exams. 'I don't want this to affect her because she has been working so hard and studying and extra classes,' says Kyra, 'I'm just so worried.' And she is far from alone in her challenging experience of being a private renter. A new first-of-its-kind survey of thousands of health workers has revealed that most believe housing issues are worsening health conditions in the UK. Conducted by health justice charity Medact, the survey of over 2,000 health workers including nurses and doctors found that two-thirds believe that making rent more affordable would reduce the strain on NHS. A similar proportion say that they regularly see children with health problems likely caused or worsened by insecure housing, while seven in ten have seen patients' mental health conditions caused or worsened by their housing problems. The shocking results come as part of Medact's 'Home Sick Home' report, which makes several recommendations to the government to break the link between housing issues and poor health. These include building good-quality social housing and introducing rent controls. Dr Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy is a Medact member and children's doctor. He deals with children's health problems on a daily basis, telling The Independent that the issues he's seeing are 'increasingly to do with the the homes in which they're living.' The pediatrician points to the tragic death of two-year old Awab Ishak in 2020, whose respiratory condition was caused by the mouldy conditions of the flat he was living in. The toddler's death sparked a review of landlord guidance and ultimately 'Awaab's Law' in 2023, which will require social landlords to fix dangerous damp and mould issues within a set time from October this year. In February, Labour pledged to widen the law as part of its landmark Renters' Rights Bill, extending it to private landlords. But damp and mould issues are 'just tip of the iceberg,' says Dr Amaran, adding that another key issue is 'how housing has become so unaffordable to people. 'And the extent to which, how much of the monthly income is going to rent means there's nothing left over for all the material needs that allow for a healthy childhood and for a healthy adolescence. 'So that means that children won't have money left for things like, particularly at the moment, energy bills, but also essentials like the school uniform, sports equipment, the opportunity to participate in social clubs, sports clubs, and so on.' Dr Abi O'Connor, researcher at the New Economics Foundation, said 'Private landlords have been allowed to increase rents to eye-watering levels and now we're seeing the consequences – it's making people and our economy sicker. If the government are interested in improving the economy for ordinary people, it is clear they must address the plague of unaffordable rents. 'In the short term they should introduce rent controls to give people stability, and in the long term they will need to build more social housing which is the only way to provide people with safe, affordable homes." Responding to Kyra's housing situation, Cllr Sarah Williams, Haringey Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning said: 'Our priority is to continue to raise standards in privately rented homes in the borough and make sure that tenants live in healthy, safe and well-managed homes. 'Following a report of poor standards, the landlord has undertaken several important improvements to the property in response to our intervention, including the installation of cavity wall insulation and added air vents to help remedy the damp and mould. 'We don't want to see any private renters evicted and our specialist team can provide additional support.'
