Jeff Charlton, founder and Technical Director of Building Forensics and widely recognised as the UK’s foremost mould and building-related illness expert, is calling for an urgent reassessment of Awaab’s Law following concerns that the legislation may not achieve its intended purpose.
Charlton states that the law is “not fit for purpose” and cautions that, without substantial amendments, it may unintentionally cause further injury to the vulnerable tenants it aims to protect.
The law was enacted in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in Rochdale in 2020 from a mould-related respiratory condition after his parents’ repeated reports were ignored by their landlord. Awaab’s Law was introduced to ensure that landlords respond promptly to damp and mould issues.
Charlton’s commitment to exposing the dangers of mould stems from more than three decades of professional experience and a deeply personal tragedy. During his daughter’s battle with aggressive leukaemia, he discovered toxic mould in her flat contributed to her illness, prompting him to investigate the link between indoor contamination and long-term health problems.
“I have written this in respect of the mum and dad because if we don’t get this right, and we haven’t, this is going to cause more harm,” said Charlton.
“For the good of the country, I am making this available for free because this needs to be seen and understood. The law is a nonsense. That is why I have written my report, ‘The Failures within Awaab’s Law,’ which examines all the failures that are unfortunately present.
“There were at least 270 flaws identified during the inquest into Awaab’s death, yet these were used to create the law. It is not worth the paper it is written on, and I want to shine a light on this situation,” Charlton explained.
Anyone wishing to review the findings can request a complimentary copy of Charlton’s report, “The Failures within Awaab’s Law,” by emailing [email protected].
