Burnley Express petition calls for more protections for private tenants against deadly impact of damp and mould

The Burnley Express has launched a petition calling for more protections for private tenants after several residents reached out to us about their concerns.

The campaign urges the Government to extend Awaab's Law to help protect vulnerable people from dying from damp and mould, or those living with eczema, mental health conditions and/or respiratory illnesses like asthma and COPD from suffering worsening health.

Why was Awaab’s Law created?

The law changes, which currently only apply to social tenants, follow the death of two-year-old Rochdale boy, Awaab Ishak, who died of heart failure due to living in a mouldy and poorly ventilated flat.

What does Awaab’s Law call for?

The proposal will require social landlords to:

1. Investigate damp and mould within 14 days of them being reported;
2. Start repairs within a further seven days;
3. Make any emergency repairs within 24 hours;
4. Provide tenants with a written summary of their two-week investigation within 48 hours of its conclusion. It must include a plan of action for temporary and permanent repairs, plus timescales. This doesn’t apply to emergency repairs;
5. Begin work on a property within seven days if a medical professional believes there is a risk to residents’ health. Medical evidence would not be required to determine this risk;
6. Damp and mould cases should not be dismissed as caused by residents' “lifestyle choices”. Social landlords should avoid automatically blaming tenants or using language that leaves them feeling at fault.

How do mould and damp impact people’s health?

If you have damp and mould in your home you are more likely to have respiratory problems/infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.

Who is most at-risk?

While all people are vulnerable to mould and damp, the Government's most at-risk categories are:

1. People living with a mental health condition;
2. Pregnant women, their unborn babies, and women who have recently given birth, who may have weakened immune systems;
3. Children and young people whose organs are still developing and are therefore more likely to suffer from physical conditions, such as respiratory problems.
4. People with a pre-existing health condition (for example allergies, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, other lung diseases and cardiovascular disease);
5. People with a weakened immune system;
6. Older people;
7. People who are bedbound, housebound or have mobility problems.

To sign the petition, please visit https://chng.it/kfLxzjN2dF