From risk to resolution: how Active Assessor helps you stay ahead of Awaab's Law
What does Awaab's Law mean and why does it matter? Damp and mould aren’t just inconvenient maintenance problems - they’re serious risks to tenant health, regulatory compliance, and the reputation of housing providers. Nearly 1 in 7 social homes in England failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard in 2023¹. On top of that, the NHS is estimated to spend £1.4 billion a year treating health issues related to cold, damp housing². And yet, more than half of tenants experiencing condensation, damp or mould don’t report it. Often, they don’t recognise the early signs, or they simply don’t believe they’ll be taken seriously. This silence leaves landlords in the dark and turns small, fixable issues into expensive, high-risk problems. From October, social landlords will be legally required to fix emergency hazards within 24 hours and investigate and repair dangerous damp and mould within set timeframes, under new legislation known as Awaab’s Law. Introduced in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his social housing, the law represents a major step toward improving housing safety and quality. It allows tenants to take legal action if landlords fail to comply and will be rolled out in phases, beginning with damp and mould, to ensure effective implementation. This approach aims to deliver meaningful, lasting change while honouring the efforts of Awaab’s family to secure justice. Awaab’s Law also supports the government’s broader plan for change, which includes a commitment to building 1.5 million new homes and delivering the biggest improvement to social and affordable housing in a generation. The challenge: strained teams & outdated systems Most housing providers care deeply about tenant safety. The problem isn’t willingness—it’s capacity. Maintenance teams, IT departments, and customer contact centres are already stretched thin. Spotting early-stage issues requires tools they simply don’t have. Traditional, manual inspections are expensive and slow. Reactive workflows leave little room to get ahead of problems. And despite growing demand for proactive service, only 13% of customers actually receive it. The systems many teams rely on today are fragmented, outdated, and not fit for the pressures of a post-Awaab world. The solution: Active Assessor by 8x8
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