Gove urges landlords to ‘absorb lessons’ from Awaab Ishak’s death as RBH chief removed

In his letter, Mr Gove called the coroner’s report into Awaab’s death a “litany of failure” and said he expects housing providers to “read it in full and absorb its lessons”.

Providers must undertake “rapid remedial works” on any of their homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard, Mr Gove said. 

But in light of the case he said he expects providers to “go further” and give “particular regard” to damp and mould.

“Where people complain about damp and mould, you must listen; where you find them, you must take prompt action,” he wrote. “To keep tenants safe, you must not hide behind legal process.”

Mr Gove said that “damp and mould are not ‘lifestyle issues’ as the Housing Ombudsman Service underscored last year”.

He said he expects providers to be assessing damp and mould issues affecting their properties, including the prevalence of Category 1 and Category 2 damp and mould hazards.

Mr Gove said that providers must also assess the action they have identified that may need to be taken in relation to damp and mould issues.

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) will be writing to landlords on the issue. “You should… self-refer to the Regulator of Social Housing should you become aware through those assessments, or other means, that you may be in breach of its regulatory standards,” Mr Gove’s letter said.

“Together, we must raise the bar dramatically on the quality of social housing and empower tenants so that their voices are truly heard,” he wrote.

“I want to be clear about what this must mean in relation to damp and mould, as I have been made aware of many cases where this has gone unaddressed for far too long and am concerned that they are not treated with sufficient seriousness.”

Mr Gove also wrote a similar letter to the chief executives of local authorities and council leaders. 

Mr Gove, who returned as housing secretary last month, said the Social Housing Regulation Bill will enable a “rigorous new regime” that holds all landlords to account for the decency of their homes and the service they provide.

The bill aims to grant the RSH greater powers to protect residents, including plans for Ofsted-style inspections of housing associations’ stock and unlimited fines for poorly performing social landlords.

In October, new amendments were brought into the bill in the House of Lords to make social housing providers ensure their staff meet new competency standards.

“I am more determined than ever to deliver our drastic reforms to the housing sector, protecting the rights of tenants and ensuring social landlords do not put people’s lives and livelihoods at risk,” Mr Gove said.

“It is vital that we learn from the mistakes that led to the tragic death of Awaab, and I look forward to working collaboratively with you to improve standards.

“I firmly believe in the right of everyone to feel safe in the place where they and their loved ones sleep at night. I hope you will join me in doubling down on our efforts to provide the high-quality social housing this country deserves.”

After the coroner’s report was published last week, the Housing Ombudsman moved to fast-track investigations into three other complaints involving RBH.

Just over a year ago, the ombudsman published a report highlighting issues relating to damp and mould in the sector. And in July this year, the watchdog said it was also planning an investigation into the “systemic” problem of poor record-keeping in the sector.