VOICES | HYWEL DAVIES After Awaab The tragic death of Awaab Ishak in 2020, caused by damp and mould in his familys flat, prompted a national outcry. Government has now issued detailed guidance to help landlords understand and address the health risks of damp and mould in the home. Hywel Davies outlines the guidance and the other actions government is taking to avoid another tragedy P DR HYWEL DAVIES HonFCIBSE is chief technical officer at CIBSE and a member of the DHSC expert group ublication of the coroners report into the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, and her formal letters to the health and levelling up Secretaries of State, were national news and the subject of this column in December 2022. Both departments have moved swiftly in response. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) set up a team to develop upto-date guidance for landlords, working with a multidisciplinary expert group and advice from the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. The resulting guidance was published on 7 September. The guidance sets out the responsibilities of landlords, in both the social and private sectors, for ensuring that their accommodation is fit to live in and free from serious hazards, including damp and mould. It makes very clear that they must act with urgency to deal with damp and mould in their dwellings, and must protect their tenants health. It includes guidance on the requirements of the Building Regulations that relate to minimising the risk of damp and mould, and that they apply whenever building work is carried out in the dwelling. The coroner in the Awaab Ishak case found that his familys flat was not compliant with Building Regulations. The guidance is very clear that tenants should not be blamed for damp and mould in their home, and that salixfinance.co.uk 16 October 2023 www.cibsejournal.com they are absolutely not the result of so-called lifestyle choices. Washing, showering and doing your laundry are not lifestyle choices, and any dwelling must be adequately heated and ventilated to prevent them causing damp problems. Where moisture problems are reported, landlords are required to act quickly to determine the underlying causes, whether they are down to inadequate ventilation or structural faults in the building. In addition to the new guidance on avoiding damp and mould, the government released further guidance on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, used to assess the safety of homes and identify and prioritise health and safety risks. Forthcoming legislation in the Renters (Reform) Bill and the new Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, are The guidance is very clear that tenants should not be blamed for damp and mould in their home... they are absolutely not the result of lifestyle choices