MS, Cabinet Secretary for
Housing and Local Government: Ensuring that tenants in Wales have
safe, secure, and high-quality homes remains my fundamental
priority. I recently consulted on proposed changes to the Welsh
Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) to ensure social landlords take
prompt action on health hazards in the home.
This follows the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in England, caused
by prolonged exposure to damp and mould; a stark reminder of the
devastating consequences when housing standards fail. That case
underlines the critical importance of listening to tenants,
understanding their circumstances, and ensuring every home is
safe and healthy to live in.
As a result of this consultation, I will be updating the WHQS to
set out clear timescales for investigating and remedying hazards,
including those relating to damp and mould. I am grateful for the
valuable input from the stakeholder group in shaping these
changes to the WHQS. These measures are not optional; they are
designed to strengthen accountability and transparency across the
sector. Social landlords must now publish response times and
report on their performance as part of the WHQS compliance
return, ensuring tenants can see how their landlord is meeting
obligations.
Recent reports by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales have
highlighted unacceptable failures by some social landlords to
respond adequately to damp and mould complaints. These findings
are deeply concerning and reinforce the urgent need for all
landlords to adopt a person-centred approach that prioritises
tenants' individual circumstances when addressing repairs and
maintenance.
It is essential that all landlords act without delay when issues
of damp and mould, as well as other hazards, are reported. This
means having systems in place to respond quickly, keep tenants
informed, and treat their concerns with empathy and respect, not
just as technical problems. Compliance with statutory
requirements is the baseline, but my expectations go further.
Landlords should demonstrate a proactive, person-centred
approach: identifying risks before they escalate, engaging with
tenants to understand their needs, and prioritising well-being.
Improvements in how damp and mould issues are managed are a key
expectation, and robust processes are vital to deliver safe,
healthy homes for all.
The Welsh Government is determined to improve accountability and
transparency for tenants, and the new WHQS rule, which will come
into force on 1 April 2026, is a direct response to these
concerns. Landlords should view this as an opportunity to rebuild
trust and continue to show their commitment to tenant safety.
While these provisions focus on the social housing sector, it is
equally important to consider how we can protect tenants and
occupiers in the private sector from undue risk posed by hazards.
All landlords are reminded of their legal duty under the Renting
Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to ensure homes are fit for human
habitation. This includes addressing issues such as damp and
mould promptly and effectively. Failure to do so is not only a
breach of statutory obligations but a failure of duty to tenants.
The Welsh Government will continue to monitor compliance closely
and expects to see tangible improvements in how these issues are
addressed across the sector. Our message is clear; tenants
deserve homes that are safe, healthy, and free from hazards and
landlords must put people first in making that a reality.
