In 2025, netMAGmedia staged our first sponsored Housing Management & Maintenance round table, to discuss the vital issue of how the housing sector is gearing up to tackle the impacts of Awaab’s Law and the wider Social Housing (Regulation) Act. The death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale social housing due to mould was a watershed moment for the sector, and the new regulations put the legal responsibility firmly on landlords to ensure that their homes are healthy and safe.
Following the anticipated implementation in October 2025 of Awaab’s Law as the first stage of the Act, in February 2026 we will again convene a broad mix of social housing professionals, supply chain representatives, and industry bodies to review how the sector has risen to the challenge. There will be strict new rules on tackling specific hazards in properties, and clear penalties from the Social Housing Regulator awaiting those who don’t comply.
The Social Housing Act has a broad remit, including greater accountability and focus on healthy homes, and therefore landlords’ and tenants’ responsibilities in terms of maintenance and upkeep. Innovative methods of monitoring risks as well as improving engagement between landlords and tenants to foster a collaborative trust-based approach will be a key focus at the round table.
The round table will allow specifiers for the social housing sector to discuss measures with the construction supply chain and Healthy Homes advocates such as air quality, temperature control, sanitation, and other tenant safety measures such as preventative maintenance covered by the Act. The meeting will again have a practical, solutions-focused emphasis, enabling the sector to discuss key issues and share knowledge with construction sector professionals, and will refer to research in social housing to bring a strong evidence base for building best practice for compliance with the new legislation.