REDDITCH Borough Council has introduced a new dedicated Damp and Mould team to meet the requirements of the new nationwide Awaab’s Law.
Awaab Ishack, a two-year-old boy, was exposed to mould at home for prolonged periods of time, which tragically caused his death in December 2020.
Parliament then passed a law after this which included a requirement for landlords to investigate mould-related potential hazards within 14 days and, where health risks were identified. They must then begin repairs within a week.
This came into force at the end of last month – the borough council got ahead of this new law’s introduction in January by designating a specialist Damp and Mold Team.
This team of ten consists of multi-trade builders, decorators, a senior supervisor and two administrators.
They have joined the council’s already existing maintenance workforce to tackle damp and mould issues quickly and efficiently when they arise in the council’s 5,500 properties.
This service costs nearly £500,000 a year and means the new statutory response times can be met and that any Redditch tenants affected by mould will have their issues resolved.
Leader of Redditch Borough Council, Coun Sharon Harvey, said: “As a landlord, we have a duty to ensure our tenants live in safe, clean homes and I am pleased to say we are well ahead of the national law coming into effect.
“This team is already taking major strides toward banishing damp and mould from our homes.”
Coun Bill Hartnett, the council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “We’ve shown our tenants we take this issue seriously,
“Our local, in-house team is improving our service and cutting waiting times cost-effectively.”
As winter approaches, the council is urging tenants to keep their homes properly ventilated and report any concerns as soon as possible.
Visit: redditchbc.gov.uk/residents/my-home/repairs-and-maintenance/preventing-damp-and-black-mould/ for more tips and support.
