Social Housing Damp and Mould Work in Liverpool

What is Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law is the name given to new legal duties on social landlords, introduced after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020 from a respiratory condition linked to prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s rented flat. The duties are set out in The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025. The first phase came into force on 27 October 2025 and covers emergency hazards and significant damp and mould hazards in social housing.

The rules apply to registered providers of social housing, which includes housing associations and councils that own homes. They do not replace the Housing Health and Safety Rating System or a landlord’s repairing obligations; they add fixed timeframes and written communication on top. Private landlords have separate rules, covered on our landlord damp and mould page.

What timescales does Awaab’s Law set?

Under the government’s published framework, the key phase 1 timescales are:

Phase 2, from October 2026, extends the regime to further hazards such as excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and electrical hazards. Phase 3, planned for 2027, is intended to cover the remaining HHSRS hazards except overcrowding. Timings can change, so housing teams should check the latest GOV.UK guidance rather than rely on any summary, including this one.

How we support housing providers

Housing providers usually need three things from a damp and mould contractor: a visit soon enough to fit their investigation window, findings that stand up to scrutiny, and repair work that tackles the cause rather than the symptom. We plan our work around that.

1. Booking the visit. When a provider passes us a job, we contact the household directly to arrange access and ask about the rooms affected, how long the problem has been there, whether it worsens in winter, and whether anyone in the home is vulnerable, such as young children, older people or someone with asthma or another breathing condition.
2. Investigation. We inspect every affected room and the rooms around it, take moisture and humidity readings, check extractor fans, trickle vents and window use, note the heating set-up, and look outside for obvious causes such as leaking gutters, downpipes, plumbing leaks or raised ground levels.
3. Written findings. We record what we saw with dated photos, the likely cause or causes, the extent of mould, and what we recommend as immediate safety work and as longer-term prevention. The notes are written so a housing officer can use them to prepare the tenant’s written summary.
4. Safety work. Typically this means cleaning and treating mould, removing contaminated materials such as mouldy silicone, wallpaper or plasterboard, and making urgent fixes such as restoring a failed extractor fan.
5. Preventative work. This is where the cause is dealt with: improved ventilation, a positive input ventilation unit, leak repairs, damp treatment or replastering, depending on what the investigation showed.
6. Re-check. The 2023 government guidance on damp and mould encourages landlords to re-inspect after works. We can return to check the rooms and add the result to the record.

Why finding the cause matters more than ever

A repeat complaint about the same flat is often a sign that mould was cleaned but the reason it grew was never found. Under a regime with fixed timeframes, that becomes costly for the provider and distressing for the household. Most mould in social homes we see is condensation-related, but a meaningful share comes from leaks, failed rainwater goods, penetrating damp through exposed walls or low-level damp in older terraces. Each needs a different fix, which is why our investigations look at the whole home, not just the patch on the wall. Our damp survey approach is the same one we use here.

We also avoid language that blames residents. The 2023 government guidance is clear that landlords should not attribute damp and mould to tenants’ “lifestyle” and should not wait for medical evidence before acting. Cooking, washing, bathing and drying clothes are part of everyday life; a home should be able to cope with them. Our notes describe moisture sources neutrally and focus on what the building needs.

Which Liverpool homes do we see most often?

Social housing across the city region ranges from inter-war council-built estates to post-war flats, maisonettes and newer housing association homes. In Norris Green, the large 1920s and 1930s estate means many semis and terraces with solid walls, older windows in some properties and bathrooms on cold outside walls. In Kirkby and Huyton, post-war estate housing brings its own patterns, including maisonettes and flats where moisture from one room can travel to cold bedrooms. Across Merseyside, flats without a loft often need wall-mounted ventilation solutions rather than a loft PIV unit.

Wherever the home is, the method is the same, and we keep our findings specific to the property rather than using standard wording. If you would like an overview of our wider damp and mould services across Merseyside, the homepage sets out everything we do.

What if you are a social housing tenant?

If you rent from a housing association or council and have damp or mould, report it to your landlord first, in writing if you can, and keep a copy along with photos and dates. Under Awaab’s Law the clock for your landlord starts when they become aware of a potential hazard. If anyone in the home has symptoms you are worried about, speak to your GP or NHS 111. If your landlord does not respond or you are unhappy with how they handle it, use their complaints process and then the Housing Ombudsman. Shelter can give free advice.

We usually work in social homes on instruction from the housing provider, but we are happy to talk through what you are seeing so you know what to describe in your report. Our damp and mould problems guide may also help you tell condensation from a leak or rising damp.

What affects the cost for a housing provider?

We do not publish prices because every job is different. The main factors are the number of rooms affected, how far mould has spread into porous materials, whether the cause is condensation, a leak or damp in the walls, whether ventilation equipment and electrical work are needed, how much plaster has to be renewed, access in blocks of flats, and the level of written reporting required. We give a written quote after the investigation so the provider can approve the scope before work starts.

Working with a local damp and mould specialist

For providers, the practical value of a local damp and mould specialist is quick access to Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Wirral homes, consistent written records and a clear line of communication with residents. For residents, it is someone who explains what is going on in plain English and treats them with respect.