Tenants living in rented homes in the South Hams are to be offered support to make sure their homes are fit to be lived in, writes Guy Henderson, local democracy reporter.

The move is prompted in part by the death of toddler Awaab Ishak at the age of two as a direct result of mould in his home in Rochdale.

The government is close to passing an ‘Awaab’s Law’ to make social landlords investigate and fix reported hazardous homes within a specified time frame or rehouse tenants where homes can’t be made safe. 

A new initiative from South Hams District Council aims to help tenants in the social and private sectors take action when there are unacceptable delays or challenges in getting repairs done.

A report to a meeting of the council’s executive committee says: “We will ensure every tenant can expect to live in accommodation that is free of damp and disrepair, and commit to ensuring the highest possible standard of accommodation in the social and private rented sectors.”

South Hams Council says the case of Awaab Ishak serves as a reminder of the dangers of living in poor quality accommodation.

The government’s Social Housing Bill, which aims to give more protection to social housing tenants, is expected to become law this summer.

If South Hams adopts the new initiative, it will inspect properties and contact landlords directly in serious cases. It will also consider prosecutions or civil penalties.

Private and social landlords will be made more aware of their responsibilities.

Chief officers from Livewest – the South Hams’ largest registered social housing provider – will be invited to council meetings to be questioned by members.

Councillors say that while out canvassing for the recent council elections they found more and more social housing tenants who were not satisfied with the responses they received to their complaints or the time it took to get repairs done.

South Hams has around 3,450 social rented properties, with the council receiving 75 complaints last year on subject incuding mould and damp, and structural issues.

The new strategy pledges: “We will ensure we lend a voice to those tenants experiencing difficulty and that, according to the severity of the damp or disrepair, complaints are dealt with in a timely manner.”

The report sums up: “If we do not respond to and enforce social and private sector housing standards we could miss an opportunity to improve housing stock and improve the health and wellbeing of South Hams’ residents.”