Social housing tenants in Sheffield set for better protection against fire, cold and structural collapse from November
“Tragic events, such as the Grenfell Tower Fire and the death of Awaab Ishak, exposed serious failings in building safety and housing conditions in social housing”
New changes will require social housing landlords to take action on more hazards, following the death of a two-year-old boy who lived in a flat with black mould.
Awaab’s Law is named in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 from a severe respiratory condition after prolonged exposure to mould in his parents’ social home in Rochdale.
His law was first introduced in October last year, requiring landlords to investigate and fix damp, mould, and other serious hazards within strict timeframes.
South Yorkshire Housing Association welcomed the additional regulation for the housing sector “to ensure we are all providing people with safe homes to live in”.
Sheffield City Council are now preparing for new protections to come in for tenants of social housing at the end of November.
On 30 November 2026 social landlords will have to take action on excess cold and excess heat, falls, structural collapse and falling elements, fire and explosions, electrical hazards and hygiene hazards.
This will join damp, mould and condensation that are already covered under Awaab's Law.
The new regulations will also make provision for how Awaab’s Law will operate alongside existing fire safety legislation.
However, this comes as The Guardian reported yesterday (21 September) that Awaab’s Law is “not working”.
The article mentions the story of a single mother with five children living in Sheffield who claims it took months for damp and mould problems to be addressed by her social housing landlord after Awaab’s Law came into effect.
The LDRS reported earlier this month that the family had needed significant repairs in their Broomhill home for more than 15 years.
They had been living with damp, mould, a broken shower and a “huge hole” in a bathroom wall, according to tenants’ union ACORN.
Sheffield City Council told the LDRS it is investigating all concerns raised with this family's story and is seeking to establish the current condition of the property and complete any outstanding repairs as a priority.
A report to Sheffield City Council’s housing committee says: “Tragic events, such as the Grenfell Tower Fire and the death of Awaab Ishak, exposed serious failings in building safety and housing conditions in social housing.
“As a result, there is rightly enhanced scrutiny of how councils like SCC manage building safety risks, maintain our stock, and ensure tenants remain safe and well in their homes.”