Social tenants are being urged to speak out against 'rogue' landlords in the wake of the Awaab Ishak tragedy. A major campaign is being launched today (March 6), pushing the vital message that social landlords must 'make things right' when tenants are faced with issues, including damp and mould.
Awaab died aged two in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould in Rochdale, which the family's social landlord failed to treat. The campaign for Awaab's Law, backed online by more than 175,000 people, passed a major hurdle in the House of Commons last week.
Kwajo Tweneboa, who endured social housing with 'mould on every wall' before exposing shocking conditions elsewhere, says the national campaign is the 'start' of delivering real change for tenants. He said: "What we’ve learnt is that social housing in the UK is far from where it should be, and tenants have been monumentally let down whilst enduring terrible living conditions.
READ MORE: Little Awaab's death shamed our country - now the tide could be turning
“It’s clear things must change, this campaign is the start of that. The campaign makes clear that disrepair issues from damp and mould to collapsed ceilings must be fixed. Tenants have a right to complain and be listened to, treated with dignity, fairness and respect but most of all live in a house they can call a home.”
The campaign sees social housing tenants being encouraged to make their voices heard by making a complaint about damp, mould or disrepair to their landlord in the first instance. If they are unhappy with the landlord's final response, tenants are urged to escalate the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.
It comes as research from the government’s social housing resident panel, made up of more than 200 residents from across the country, found 65% of members said their experiences of raising complaints with their landlord had been unsatisfactory. Concerns raised included the time taken for complaints to be addressed and resolved, 'disrespectful' conduct and a lack of communication or accurate information during the previous complaints process.
Tenants also highlighted a lack of repercussions for landlords if residents are not taken seriously or complaints are not resolved satisfactorily, and the complexity of the complaints process. Almost a third of all social renters considered making a complaint in 2020-21, but 27% chose not to because they thought nothing would be done in response, according to figures from the English Housing Survey.
Last October, changes were made to help speed up complaints with the Housing Ombudsman. Tenants now no longer have to go to their MP or councillor first, while the requirement to wait eight weeks after completing the landlord's complaints process has also been removed.
Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: “Effective complaint handling starts with landlords getting things right first time. If and when things do go wrong, landlords must fix the issue, apologise, offer appropriate compensation, and show they have learnt from those errors.
"If that doesn’t happen then residents can take their complaint to us at the Housing Ombudsman. We’re free, independent and impartial in order to help residents and landlords find a resolution to their complaint.”
A major advertising campaign has been launched by Government today as part of the project - on social media platforms, radio stations and streaming services. Meanwhile, Citizens Advice in the North West and London will receive funding for training to support more residents with problems in their homes.
The campaign comes less than a week after the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill made progress in the House of Commons, with MPs backing amendments made following the campaign for Awaab's Law. It also follows an announcement in January that Greater Manchester would receive £15 million to improve social housing, with the West Midlands receiving another £15 million.
Housing secretary Michael Gove said: "Too many social housing tenants are being let down and ignored. This government is determined to stand up for them and give them a proper voice. They deserve a decent, safe and secure home, just like everybody else.
“So we are shining a light on rogue landlords that ignore their tenants time and again and allow families to live in disrepair. This campaign will make sure tenants know their rights and how to make a complaint - giving them the confidence to go to the Ombudsman and ensure action is taken.”
Following the Awaab's Law campaign, the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill will see time limits introduced social landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould, while housing managers will need mandatory qualifications. The Bill will also strengthen the powers of the Regulator by allowing it to enter properties with only 48 hours’ notice, make emergency repairs with landlords footing the bill and issue unlimited fines to failing landlords.
MPs across the political divide backed Awaab's Law in the House of Commons, but there are growing calls for the changes to be extended to private renters, who are not able to make complaints to the Housing Ombudsman. Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey called for an 'equivalent Awaab's Law' for private tenants in last Wednesday's commons debate.
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