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Dear resident,
A new law that strengthens your rights as a council tenant was introduced last month. Awaab’s Law changes the way landlords, including the Council, must deal with hazards in the home, including damp and mould, which we know can have a serious impact on people’s health.
The new law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak from Rochdale in Greater Manchester, who sadly died after an asthma attack made worse by mould in his home. His social landlord had not properly fixed the issue following several complaints about the mould.
The law sets out important steps to make sure councils, and other social landlords, respond quickly to reports about damp and mould, within an established timeframe that starts as soon as you have made us aware of the problem.
We have been working hard to make sure that we meet this new legal duty. We have put specialist teams in place to make sure that we can respond to emergency hazards within 24 hours and inspect significant damp and mould within 10 working days.
This is part of our commitment to improve Newham’s housing services, to make sure that you have a warm, healthy, and safe home, and that any problems you have are managed quickly and effectively.
I strongly encourage you to use our reporting tool on our website for any damp and mould. There is a form for you to report any damp and mould directly to our specialist teams, or, if you can’t use the council website, you can call our contact centre on 0203 373 5500, and we have a dedicated damp and mould team waiting to speak to you. Please report emergency repairs on 0800 952 5555 or you can report non-emergency repairs here.
Please report any issues as soon as they occur. The sooner things are reported the sooner we can provide quick action that prevents the problem from getting worse.
Best wishes,
Cllr Blossom Young
Cabinet Member for Council Housing Improvements |
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Awaab’s Law – how we’re taking action
With Awaab’s Law now in place, we want to be clear about your rights and what we’re doing to deliver an improved repairs service.
Awaab’s Law tells us, as your landlord, how we should go about fixing things in your home that can be dangerous. We have new time limits for taking action. We have a legal duty to identify, investigate, and resolve hazards in our tenants' homes within a set time limit, including fixing emergency hazards within 24 hours. - The day that you contact us counts as day zero, and depending on our assessment of the issue, we have 24 hours or up to 10 days to arrange for an inspection.
- We will quickly decide whether the hazard is an emergency or a potentially significant one.
- We will take reasonable steps to understand anything in your personal circumstances that could make the potential impact of the hazard worse. These could include age, health conditions, or disabilities in any member of your household.
If you need to report damp and mould, please don’t delay. Contact our specialist team immediately via our dedicated form or ring 0203 373 5500. You can also contact our call centre to report any other emergency or standard repairs or hazards within your home on 0800 952 5555 or you can report non-emergency repairs online. |
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Damp and mould in your home?
Your health and safety are important to us.
Damp and mould can cause breathing problems like asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing, and sinus infections, along with allergy-like symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes or skin rashes. People with weakened immune systems, allergies, or pre-existing conditions are particularly vulnerable. If you spot damp, mould, or anything broken or unsafe; report it immediately.
Report it: Please share your contact details and let us know if anyone at home has any health needs, so we can get you the right support quickly. |
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Keeping your home healthy and safe
We have been carrying out stock condition surveys through our Healthy Homes surveys which help us to improve the condition of your home. We will be checking every tenant’s home to make sure that your home is safe, warm, and comfortable.
Around 40% of homes have already been checked. We’ve been looking at items such as kitchens, bathrooms, and heating to check that they are in good working condition and to plan future work. By December 2025, half of our checks will be finished, and all homes are planned to be completed by the summer of 2027. We have also begun to look at areas such as roofing, windows, and external walls.
The surveys are being carried out by our commissioned partners, who are all pre-checked and carry identification. You will receive a letter before their visit with full details. Please read it carefully. These inspections are important, so we ask that you let them into your home.
The survey findings are sent to our specialist teams to find out more about any issues identified and decide how to fix them. They also help us plan investment in future home improvements and help prevent health and safety issues. |
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How is the Housing Service performing?
As part of Improving Your Homes, we promised to be more transparent with you about how Newham’s Housing Services are performing. We have recently set up a Performance and Statistics page on our website that will be updated each month with the latest statistics. You will also be able to compare performance against previous months.
Below are the latest figures. There is a lot more information on our Improving Your Homes website about the Housing Services Improvement Plan and what we are doing to improve the quality of our service to you. |
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Copyright © 2025 London Borough of Newham, All rights reserved. |
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Our mailing address is: London Borough of Newham, Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, London, E16 2QU. |
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