On Monday 27 October 2025, the law on how social landlords approach damp, mould and condensation in tenants homes is changing. This means that Barnet Homes may now deal with tenants reports of damp and mould differently than how you are used to.

Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in December 2020 as a result of a severe respiratory condition, caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s flat in Rochdale. Awaab’s father had repeatedly contacted his Local Authority to report the mould in their home but was just advised to paint over it.

This tragedy prompted the government to introduce Awaab’s Law, new legislation to ensure that social landlords do not leave their tenants at risk. Awaab’s Law requires landlords to investigate and address damp and mould within strict timeframes.

What does this mean for tenants?

  1. When you report damp and mould in your home, it will be investigated by the Healthy Homes Team within 10 working days.
  2. You will then receive a report on the findings of the investigation within 3 working days, informing you of the outcome from the visit and what to expect next.
  3. The Healthy Homes Team must then take action to make your home safe promptly – how quickly depends on the level of severity, but it could be as quickly as within 24 hours for emergency cases.
  4. You are still responsible for making sure you take steps to prevent condensation inside your home by following the advice and guidance in the Damp and Mould Resident’s Guide, but the Healthy Homes Team will support you to do this if needed.
  5. You can expect Barnet Homes to be more proactive when it comes to damp and mould. This might mean more regular inspections to ensure your home is not affected. You also may find that our staff ask more questions about your household when they visit – this is so we can understand whether there are any vulnerabilities we need to be aware of and ensure you are supported.

Tenants can still report damp and mould to us using the same methods as before:

To find out more about the new legislation click here. To read our Damp, Mould and Condensation Policy click here.