New Rule for social landlords in Wales - Responding to Hazards
On 19th December 2026 the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Housing , Jayne Bryant, announced a new Rule requiring all social landlords in Wales to take prompt action in responding to health hazards in the home, including damp & mould.
Welsh Government (WG) 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.
As a result of this consultation, WG will be updating the WHQS with a new ‘Rule’ setting out clear timescales for investigating and remedying hazards, including those relating to damp and mould.
The new Rule will make it essential that all landlords act without delay when issues of damp and mould, as well as other hazards, are reported to them. 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. Landlords should also 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.
Social landlords will also be required to 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. The Welsh Government will monitor compliance with this nee Rule closely and expects to see tangible improvements in how these issues are addressed by all social landlords in Wales.
This new WHQS rule will come into force on 1 April 2026
Tenants Voice Influence
A lot of the positives in this announcement have been significantly down to the feedback of Tenants which we gathered and shared with WG . We held a number of tenant engagement sessions to enable WG officials to hear the views of tenants to help shape and influence the new Rule. This included the importance of listening to tenants, understanding their circumstances, designing appropriate response times and ensuring every home is safe and healthy to live in.
We have offered our continued support to Welsh Government to ensure Tenants views are heard going forward on the implementation and monitoring of this important new Rule. We have also them to be part of events and communications so that Tenants can hear directly from WG about what the new Rule will mean.
Look out for more details.