The Property Care Association (PCA) is set to discuss the impacts of Awaab’s Law at its annual conference exactly one month after the regulations come into force.
Officially titled the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, Awaab’s Law comes into force on October 27 and will be the subject of a panel debate at the Property Care Conference on November 27.
The discussion will be chaired by PCA Deputy Chief Executive James Berry, and panellists will include Siobhan McCoy from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, who will also be presenting at the conference.
They will be joined by James Wood, Head of Policy at National Residential Landlords Association, Andrew Bradshaw of RTC Group, Paul Harrington from Vortice Ltd and freelance public safety consultant Kevin Dawson.
Sarah Garry, PCA Chief Executive said: “We have heard from members for some time that they would face a significant challenge in meeting the proposed timescales for responding to hazards, which are set out in the Act.
“This anecdotal evidence featured in our response to the Awaab’s Law consultation in early 2024 and was reinforced by the responses received in a recent survey of our members.
“Although we support the regulations and recognise its positive intention, we believe the blanket response times will have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents which this legislation is designed to protect.
“There is concern that the timescales will lead to unexperienced, unqualified operatives undertaking damp surveys and remediation, which could result in incorrect works being carried out and additional expense for housing associations.
“For PCA members, social housing, public health and contracting professionals, this panel debate will be a key opportunity to review the implementation of the regulations exactly one month on.”
The Awaab’s Law: Implementation and Impact panel debate will take place at the Property Care Conference on Thursday 27 November.
The Association has transformed the format for its annual conferences, holding the three separate events covering the key areas of Preservation (Timber and Damp), Structural Waterproofing and Invasive Weeds in one day at Manchester United Football Club’s Old Trafford.
The conference is aimed at professionals in surveying, local government, social housing, construction, as well as the civils and waterproofing sector, developers, ecologists and biodiversity experts.
Early booking is advised, to avoid disappointment. More details can be found at https://www.property-care.org/events/conferences
