Damp and Mould make Newcastle Council Flats Uninhabitable

Breamish House, located in the East End of Newcastle, has been left in an “unacceptable” condition by Newcastle City Council due to unresolved damp and mould issues.  

Conditions have become so bad inside Beamish House that it is now deemed too dangerous for residents to live there. Campaigners and residents have since urged Newcastle City Council to urgently repair health-threatening disrepair, including damp and mould, as major concerns are expressed over several council-owned tower blocks across the city. 

In a confrontation with Newcastle Council housing chiefs, the true living conditions of residents were revealed, including one resident's flat in which the damp and mould had become so severe that his ceiling had collapsed.  

On 27 October 2025, Awaab's Law came into effect, requiring housing associations and councils to address all emergency hazards and all damp and mould hazards that are assessed to pose a serious risk within a set timeframe. 

Awaab’s Law: know your rights 

Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two- year- old boy who tragically died of mould exposure in social housing in December 2020. Since his death, widespread criticism has been put on social housing providers landlords who have not dealt with housing disrepair complaints appropriately, leading to residents living with health-threatening hazards within their homes.  

Awaab’s Law was passed in 2023 as part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and was enacted on the 27th October 2025. The Law will gradually be phased over the next two years, with major milestones including: 

Since the implementation of Awaab's Law, social housing landlords will need to adhere to strict government guidance on how and when housing disrepair hazards, such as damp and mould, should be addressed. This includes strict timeframes highlighted above that landlords must meet in assessing and carrying out the repair of the hazard. 

What if my complaints are still ignored? 

Since meeting with residents of Breamish House, Newcastle City Council housing bosses have admitted that the conditions within the building are "unacceptable and fall significantly short of the standards [they] are committed to". Since then, emergency repairs have been carried out in three flats, and a full inspection of the building has been conducted.  

However, residents should not have to wait years for emergency repairs to be undertaken, particularly in the wake of Awaab's Law. If residents find that their social housing landlord is unresponsive, they can take their complaint to the Housing Ombudsman (HOS) or seek legal advice for a potential housing disrepair claim. HOS is an independent body dedicated to investigating social housing disputes between residents and their landlords fairly and impartially.  

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