The government will introduce new legislation to crack down on damp and mould which will force landlords to investigate and fix serious problems within strict time limits. 

The move comes in the wake of the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak. Senior coroner Joanne Kearsley found that the toddler died as a direct result of prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) property. 

A consultation will be launched later this year to set the timeframes within which landlords will have to act to investigate hazards and make repairs. The new rules will form part of the tenancy agreement, so tenants can hold landlords to account by law if they fail to provide a decent home.