The father of a two-year-old boy who died from black mould in his social housing flat says he never wants anyone else to go through what they have – as a new law brought in after his death comes into effect.
Awaab Ishak died in 2020 from a severe respiratory illness caused by prolonged exposure to the mould in his family’s housing association flat in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
His throat, windpipe and other airways were swollen and congested. Fungus was found in his blood and lungs, with such severe inflammation that his official cause of death was given as “environmental mould pollution”.
His father, Faisal Ishak, had complained repeatedly to the housing provider, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, about the mould in the three years leading up to his son’s death – but nothing was done.
The toddler’s death caused outrage and prompted the passage of Awaab’s Law with a requirement for landlords to fix reported hazards in social housing more speedily and rehouse tenants in safe accommodation if necessary.
But as the rules come into force in England, a UK-wide survey found 23% of those who said they had issues such as damp, mould or condensation in their homes were social renters.
Some 3,982 adults were surveyed by Censuswide earlier this month for the Health Equals campaign, which claims lives are being cut short across the UK, with damp, cold and mould in people’s homes being part of the problem.
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Speaking to Sky News, Mr Ishak said he was grateful there was now a new law protecting people going forward, and although it would “never bring Awaab back… it might be enough to protect others”.
Following Awaab’s death, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing was eventually stripped of its funding, and its chief executive, Gareth Swarbrick, was sacked after it emerged that he earned £170,000 during the year of Awaab’s death.
Mr Ishak added: “It was really hard for me. I lost my first child suddenly – it was really hard.
“We were very angry but couldn’t do anything about it. We didn’t get help.
“They have to learn from our case.”
The first phase of Awaab’s Law takes effect today and will compel landlords to rectify all emergency hazards and hazardous damp and mould. For emergency hazards, an investigation and the work to fix the problem must take place within 24 hours of the landlord becoming aware of the issue.
If they don’t – tenants can take legal action.
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Next year, the regulations will be extended to further issues like excess cold, fire and electrical hazards.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “Everyone deserves a safe and decent home to live in and Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life or death.
“Awaab’s family has fought hard for change and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son.
“Our changes will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.”
In 2027, the government plans to extend the law to cover all remaining health and safety hazards. There are also plans to eventually extend the rules to the private rented sector, although no date has been given for this as yet.
While the government has committed to extending Awaab’s Law, through the Renters’ Rights Bill, which is currently awaiting royal assent, no firm timeframe has been given.
The research by Health Equals also found people from the lowest-income households were almost twice as likely to live in homes with issues like damp or mould than the highest income households – 21% compared with 12%.
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‘It’s getting worse’
Some charities and campaign groups fear Awaab’s Law will not go far – or fast – enough to offset this disparity.
Kirby Hoyle of the Greater Manchester Tenants Union said: “It’s shocking – we’ve seen families coming forward whose children have been hospitalised with damp and mould. And this is even after Awaab’s death
“I think it’s getting worse”
Health Equals’ chief campaigns officer Paul McDonald said while Awaab’s Law was an “important milestone”, its research also shows “we need to go further”.
