UK Academy of Mould Experts
Mould in the news.
A daily round-up of official coverage of mould, damp and Awaab's Law: GOV.UK and its regulators, the devolved governments, the Housing Ombudsman and the BBC. Each headline opens the original page.
Latest
Recent coverage.
BBC
City tackles 1,800 cases of mould under new law (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
Awaab's Law was brought in after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from exposure to black mould in his home More than 1,800 incidents of mould in homes have been dealt with by Hull City Council ...
MHCLG
Extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and to licences (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
We are seeking views on proposals to apply Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and to accommodation occupied under licence.
GOV.UK
Clampdown on dangerous homes to protect more tenants and families (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
Private renters are next to benefit from the protections of Awaab's Law. A government consultation is now open, looking at how to implement these new rights.
MHCLG
Guidance: Awaab's Law Phase 2: Hazards guidance for social landlords (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published non-statutory guidance on 13th July 2026 to help social landlords in England understand the thresholds for each hazard under Awaab's Law Phase 2. The document, titled Awaab's Law Phase 2: Guidance to support triaging of hazards, is published as an annex to the main Phase 2 guidance for social landlords. On 31st July 2026 the original PDF was replaced with an HTML version.
MHCLG
Guidance: Awaab’s Law Phase 2: Guidance for social housing landlords (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published non-statutory guidance for social housing landlords on Phase 2 of Awaab's Law on 13th July 2026, with an HTML version replacing the original PDF on 31st July 2026. The guidance applies to England. It supports implementation of Phase 2 and also explains the requirements already introduced by Phase 1. A separate annex, Awaab's Law Phase 2: Hazards guidance for social landlords, has been published to help landlords triage hazards.
MHCLG
Guidance: Awaab’s Law: Regulations (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published guidance on 13th July 2026 setting out the text of Awaab's Law, formally the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, as it will apply from 30th November 2026. The 15 page PDF shows how the regulations will read once amending regulations come into force, subject to Parliamentary approval. The amended text covers both Phase 1 and Phase 2 and applies to England.
MHCLG
Impact assessment: Awaab’s Law Phase 2: Final stage impact assessment (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the final stage impact assessment for Phase 2 of Awaab's Law on 13th July 2026. The document is a 33-page PDF and applies to England. The GOV.UK page gives no summary of the assessment's findings, so the detail is only in the PDF itself.
MHCLG
Guidance: Awaab’s Law Phase 1: Guidance for social landlords (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has updated its non-statutory guidance for social landlords on Awaab's Law, which sits alongside the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025. The page was first published on 17th October 2025. On 13th July 2026 it was renamed to add 'Phase 1' to the title, and on 16th July 2026 it was updated with information about separate guidance supporting the implementation of Phase 2. The main document covers timeframes for repairs in the social rented sector, and the page also links to separate guidance for tenants.
MHCLG
Research: Awaab's Law Phase 1: Test and Learn research report (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the executive summary of its Awaab's Law Phase 1 Test and Learn research on 13th July 2026. The research was carried out by Verian, an independent research company, alongside further evidence gathered by the department. It used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to gather feedback on how Phase 1 is working in practice. The page states that the findings have informed policy development for Phase 2. The summary is available as a 12 page PDF and as an accessible HTML version.
MHCLG
Safer homes for 4m tenants with quicker action on dangerous homes (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced on 13th July 2026 that phase 2 of Awaab's Law will come into force for social landlords in England on 30th November 2026. It extends the timescales that already apply to damp and mould to seven more hazard categories: electrical hazards, falls, fire and explosions, excess cold, excess heat, structural collapse and falling elements, and domestic hygiene, including pest infestations. The regulations were laid in Parliament on 13th July 2026, and new guidance on the extended hazards was published at the same time.
Housing Ombudsman
Early lessons from Awaab’s Law cases central to ending disruption caused by roof leaks (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Housing Ombudsman published its latest learning from severe maladministration report on 2nd July 2026, focusing on roof leaks, which it describes as an emerging issue in its casework. The cases pre-date Awaab's Law, but the Ombudsman says they reflect early lessons from cases investigated under it. Examples include water running down a child's bedroom wall for two years and a resident recovering from chemotherapy left with an unusable bedroom. Landlords named include East Devon Council, the London Boroughs of Haringey, Lambeth and Wandsworth, L&Q, Riverside, Sanctuary, Southern Housing and Stonewater.
MHCLG
Accredited official statistics: English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025: perceptions and impacts of housing quality (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025 report on perceptions and impacts of housing quality. The GOV.UK page shows a publication date of 9th July 2026, and the report applies to England. It assesses housing conditions using several measures, including whether homes meet the Decent Home Standard and whether they have problems with damp. It also covers more subjective measures such as satisfaction with accommodation and with repairs. The report has five chapters covering households in poor quality dwellings, perceptions of housing quality, repairs and complaints, noise and neighbourhoods, and costs and finances. Each chapter comes with annex tables and figures.
MHCLG
Official Statistics: English Housing Survey: local authority housing stock condition modelling, 2024 (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the 2024 edition of its local authority housing stock condition modelling, based on the English Housing Survey. The page states it was published on 25th June 2026 and applies to England. This Official Statistics in Development series gives modelled estimates, for each local authority, of the number and proportion of occupied homes that fail the Decent Homes Standard, that have an HHSRS Category 1 hazard, and that have a problem with damp. Each measure is broken down by tenure and dwelling type. The release includes a main report, annex tables of local authority and regional data, and figures showing confidence intervals.
Housing Ombudsman
Onward Homes introduces new processes after vulnerable family left living with multiple hazards (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Housing Ombudsman reported on 30th April 2026 that Onward Homes has overhauled how it handles reports of damp, mould and other hazards after a wider order followed a severe maladministration finding. A vulnerable family lived in poor conditions for nearly two years, repeatedly reporting damp, mould and mites, with support from medical letters and a social worker. Surveys found roof, guttering and insulation defects and several hazards at once. The landlord washed mould and treated mites without tackling the underlying damp, kept no formal record of considering a temporary move, and closed the case unresolved. The complaint predates Awaab's Law.
Housing Ombudsman
Plexus overhaul voids process after young child moved into damp home (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Housing Ombudsman reported on 23rd April 2026 that Plexus has overhauled how it prepares empty homes between tenancies, after a finding of severe maladministration in its handling of a complaint about damp, leaks and mould. A resident, her young child and disabled partner were moved because of damp and mould into another damp Plexus home. Records showed a known leak, water damage and a recommendation for a damp survey, but the landlord let the property after spending over £5,000 on repairs without acting on that recommendation. An independent review was ordered under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act.
MHCLG
Guidance: Damp and mould: understanding and addressing the health risks for rented housing providers (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has updated its guidance on the health risks of damp and mould for rented housing providers. The guidance is published jointly with the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency. The 1st April 2026 update revises the list of support available from local councils for tenants who need extra help. The guidance was first published on 7th September 2023. It responds to matter of concern 3 in the Coroner's prevention of future deaths report following the death of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak, which found that up-to-date health information on damp and mould was not easily accessible to the housing sector. It applies to England.
Housing Ombudsman
Housing Ombudsman shares learning from ‘complex’ leak cases (opens the publisher's site in a new tab)
The Housing Ombudsman published its latest severe maladministration report on 20th November 2025, focusing on leaks, which it describes as one of the primary causes of damp and mould in homes. The report looks at cases where landlords' weak oversight of works complicated complaints, and where gaining access to other properties, whether leasehold or tenanted, slowed resolution. Cases include leaks leading to electrical hazards and collapsed ceilings, uninhabitable rooms, and repairs left undone until the Ombudsman investigated. The landlords named are A2Dominion, Birmingham City Council, Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, the London Boroughs of Camden, Ealing, Lambeth and Tower Hamlets, L&Q, Onward Homes, Riverside and Southern Housing.