Havering Council has adopted a revised Damp and Mould Policy, incorporating the requirements of Awaab's Law, to ensure the health and wellbeing of its residents. The policy, approved by the Cabinet on 11 June 2025, clarifies the council's commitment to addressing damp and mould issues in its properties and is based on Awaab's Law, the Housing Act 2004, and the Decent Homes Standard.
The Place Overview & Scrutiny Sub Committee received information on the council's damp and mould policy at their meeting on 1 July 2025, including revisions related to Awaab's Law. Awaab's Law, which comes into force on 31 October 2025, mandates that social housing landlords in England address damp and mould hazards within fixed timescales.
Under the new policy, Havering Council will implement several measures to tackle damp and mould effectively. These include:
- Raising an emergency 10-day priority mould treatment.
- Conducting a pre-inspection by an area surveyor within 14 calendar days.
- Automatically generating and sending letters to residents with key information required by Awaab's Law.
- Ensuring surveyors check for penetrating or rising damp and provide lifestyle and condensation advice.
Havering Council will raise an emergency 10-day priority mould treatment. The council has also introduced a Damp and Mould MOT approach to support residents during colder months, when condensation-based mould is more prevalent. This includes monthly mould treatments for four months, along with a surveyor's inspection to identify and address any necessary remedial works.
The council is actively collecting and using data to identify areas prone to condensation-based mould, including environmental monitoring and thermal imaging surveys. This data helps target retro-fit improvements in susceptible building types.
Guidance for residents on the causes and treatment of mould growth, as well as instructions on how to report issues, is available both online and in hard copy. This guidance explains to residents some of the causes of mould growth and also how this can be treated in their properties. The guidance also explains what to do if there are persistent mould problems along with details on how to report an issue and the process once an issue has been reported. Havering Council is working in partnership with its repairs contractor, Mears Limited, to deliver these services.
Awaab's Law requires landlords to:
- Investigate and inspect properties
- Send a summary to the resident explaining when works will begin
- Demonstrate reasonable and documented steps taken to address the issue
- Make at least three attempts to gain access to the property