Newark and Sherwood District Council is anticipating the upcoming Awaab’s Law by spending more than £250,000 on dealing with damp and mould issues.
The cash is being spent on an additional damp and disrepair surveyor, trade operatives, an additional painter, a customer service advisor and a supervisor.
Awaab’s Law will come into effect for social housing landlords in October this year and will them to fix damp and mould with strict timeframes.
The rules will expand to private landlords in early 2026.
Councillor Lee Brazier, portfolio holder for housing at Newark and Sherwood District Council, told Property118: “We take the safety of tenants very seriously and, following a number of tragedies in social housing across the country, the government has intensified the scrutiny on social landlords.
“Awaab’s Law will be phased in from October 2025, introducing strict response times for social landlords, including us, to address potential hazards in our homes.
“We already respond to reports of damp and mould and have seen an increase in the number of repairs being reported, which could be for a number of reasons.”
Nottinghamshire Live reports that damp and mould have increased by 500%, as last year between April 1 and December 4 there were 811 repairs relating to damp, mould, and other issues.
There were 795 inspections related to damp and mould during that period.
Brazier added: “Once established, this team will be specialists in damp and mould, targeting these work areas specifically.
With this additional resource, we can respond to the new timescales whilst not taking away hope tenants will notice an improved service and reduced timescales for repairs.
“We are also providing additional training for our staff and information for tenants to ensure they are more aware of managing damp and mould and can identify it quickly. Early identification makes removal easier and reduces risks to tenants’ health.”