Content

REASON FOR
DECISION:
As
per Cabinet decision under item 25 on 09 July 2024, Cabinet
approved delegated authority for minor amendments to be made to
current and new Mid Devon Housing (MDH) Policies by the Head of
Housing and Health.
 
The
MDH Damp and Mould Policy 2023 was approved by Council on 1
November 2023 following consideration by Cabinet and Homes Policy
Development Group. As such it is a current, adopted MDH
Policy.
 
Minor amendments are required to bring the policy fully in line
with the ‘Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements)
(England) Regulations 2025’ also known as Awaab’s Law, which were laid in Parliament on
25 June 2025.
 
This
decision records the policy amendments to be made as set out
below.
 
Section 2 – Legal Framework and Context
·        
Added explicit reference to Awaab’s Law as binding
legislation.
·        
Commits MDH to compliance with statutory timeframes
for hazard response.
·        
Reinforces MDH's duty to safeguard tenant
health.
·        
Explains exclusions and limitations in relation to
Awaab’s Law

 
Section 7 – Investigations and Repairs
New
clauses outline the legally required response times and context for
consistency with Awaab’s
law:
·        
Emergency hazards must be investigated within 24
hours.
·        
Significant hazards must be investigated within 10
days and make safe within 5 working days
·        
A written summary must be provided to the tenant(s)
within 3 working days.
·        
If significant hazards cannot be addressed within
five working days, MDH must provide suitable alternative
accommodation. This is also the case for emergency hazards that
cannot be made safe within the 24 hour timeframe.
·        
Where supplementary works are needed to prevent
recurrence, these must be completed as soon as reasonably
practicable, and within 12 weeks.
·        
Applies to significant health hazards such as mould
growth, structural leaks, and high indoor humidity.
·        
Formalises MDH’s commitment to swift,
risk-based action and clear tenant communication.