Diagnosing Damp Before Enforcing Deadlines
14th January 2026
Andy Cameron-Smith
What Awaab’s Law is revealing about skills, systems and the limits of compliance.
The introduction of Awaab’s Law has brought renewed urgency to how damp and mould are managed in social housing. While the issue itself is longstanding, the statutory timeframes now attached to it are reshaping operational behaviour across the sector. Early indications suggest that compliance alone will not resolve the problem. Instead, the legislation is exposing deeper weaknesses in diagnostic capability, asset strategy and organisational readiness.
This assessment reflects the combined professional experience of Lucy Mullineux, Senior Associate Partner at Baily Garner, and Simon Thirtle, Partner and Head of Affordable Housing at Ward Hadaway. Drawing on building surveying, asset management and housing law perspectives, their insights highlight how Awaab’s Law is interacting with existing practice, and where risks remain.
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