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<p>It is unacceptable for anyone to have to live in damp and mouldy conditions. Damp
and mould can have a serious impact on the health of tenants. That is why the Secretary
of State wrote to all providers of social housing, including local authorities, setting
out his expectations that they go further than the letter of the Decent Homes Standard
and have particular regard to damp and mould. He also wrote to local authority chief
executives and council leaders making it clear they must take action to resolve poor
housing conditions in their area.</p><p>Social housing tenants of local authorities
who are unsatisfied with their landlord’s response to their complaint on damp and
mould can raise their issue with the Housing Ombudsman. Our new guidance on damp and
mould can also be accessed by tenants at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/damp-and-mould-understanding-and-addressing-the-health-risks-for-rented-housing-providers"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/damp-and-mould-understanding-and-addressing-the-health-risks-for-rented-housing-providers</a>.</p><p>We
have committed to introducing ‘Awaab’s Law’, which will set requirements for social
landlords to investigate and fix hazards such as damp and mould in social housing.
Our consultation on Awaab’s Law closed on 5 March and we will bring forward secondary
legislation to bring this into force as soon as practicable.</p><p>We have also given
local authorities strong legal powers to use where privately rented or housing association
houses or flats are in a seriously dangerous condition, including through damp and
mould.</p>
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