ROGUE landlords who ignore hazardous mould for more than 24 hours will be forced to pay compensation under a government crackdown.
They must also start investigating all damp complaints within a fortnight and begin repairs within a further seven days, Michael Gove has proposed.
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And those who fail to act quickly can be taken to court by their tenants where they face being ordered to cough up.
Housing Secretary Mr Gove announced the strict time limits following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 due to extreme mould in his Rochdale flat.
The heartbreaking case sparked a major review of the housing sector and a government commitment to an Awaab’s Law to strengthen protection for renters.
Launching a consultation on the plans today, Mr Gove said: “The tragic death of Awaab Ishak should never have happened.
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“His family have shown courageous leadership, determination and dignity to champion these changes and now it’s time for us to deliver for them through Awaab’s Law.
“Today is about stronger and more robust action against social landlords who have refused to take their basic responsibilities seriously for far too long.
“We will force them to fix their homes within strict new time limits and take immediate action to tackle dangerous damp and mould to help prevent future tragedies.”
Awaab’s father Faisal Abdullah said last night: “We hope that Awaab’s Law will stop any other family going through the pain that we went through.
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“Landlords need to listen to the concerns of tenants and we support these proposals.”
It follows the Social Housing Act last year becoming law that gives the regulator powers of unlimited fines for bad landlords who fail to make repairs.
