Government Initiatives to Improve Rental Housing Safety : A Response to Recent Tragedies

Just after the fatal and preventable death of Awaab Ishak, the government has instigated a complete program to boost the quality of life for renters all across the country. The government is saying to the social housing providers directly, that the main concern should be the safety and health of the tenants in every dwelling.

The government, through the recently published “Guidance on understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home,” stresses the importance of the newly understood legal obligations of landlords in both the social and private sectors. It puts strongly the point that dampness and mould are not just ‘lifestyle choices,’ but the landlords have the task of finding and getting rid of the hidden causes of these hazards.

“Damp and mould should not be dismissed as a ‘lifestyle choice’”

The government is also a part of the agreement in improving of the housing standard and hence, it has promised to introduce more legislative and regulatory measures. The following are the measures that are being taken in this area some of which are the introduction of ‘Awaab’s Law,’ which is the law that forces landlords to do something about hazards like dampness and mould in social homes, and also it is giving tenants the right to talk to the Housing Ombudsman directly to fix their grievances.

Through these combined actions, the government tries to stop the recurrence of similar awful incidents like Awaab Ishak’s premature death. It shows the common obligation of landlords, policymakers, and society in general that it is the duty of everyone to make sure that safe and decent housing is a basic right of all.

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