Croydon Council is preparing for Awaab’s Law, a new national standard, which comes into force on 27th October 2025.
The new law brings in strict deadlines for landlords to fix damp and mould in homes and is designed to protect residents.
Under the law, landlords will have 10 working days to investigate reports, three days to share findings with residents, and five days to make homes safe if there is a serious risk.
If repairs cannot be done in time, landlords must provide safe temporary housing.
The rules will extend to other hazards, such as fire and electrical safety, from 2026, and all remaining hazards from 2027.
Croydon Council has introduced a new household risk system to deal with urgent cases first.
The council has also improved cooperation between the call centre and surveyors so inspections can be booked more quickly.
For complex cases, a resident liaison role has been created to give residents a single contact.
Additionally, the damp and mould policy has been updated to meet the new law and provide clear guidance to residents, such as reporting problems early and allowing access for inspections.
There is also a video on the council’s website with practical advice on reducing condensation and damp at home.
Tracking systems are now in place to monitor cases more clearly and allow the council to step in quickly if repairs are delayed.
Joint inspections are being carried out in blocks where damp and mould have been a recurring problem so these can be prioritised.
All new reports of damp and mould after 27th October will be managed under the new timescales.
Any repairs already raised will still be completed.
These changes are part of Croydon’s wider housing transformation plan, which aims to put residents at the heart of decisions and support the executive mayor’s priority to provide more affordable, safe and well-designed homes for Croydon.
Executive Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry, said: “Awaab’s Law is an important step forward for housing across the country and here in Croydon.
“Everybody deserves a safe and healthy home, and no family should have to live with conditions that put their health at risk.
“As part of my drive to raise standards in council homes, we are taking action to protect residents from damp and mould, and to make sure that urgent cases are dealt with swiftly and any recurring issues are properly investigated.”
Perry added: “By improving how we deal with damp and mould, keeping residents better informed and acting faster on the most urgent cases, we are building a housing service that listens and acts.”
