LONDON, UK. December 11th, 2025 – Jeff Charlton, founder and Technical Director of Building Forensics and the UK’s foremost authority on mould and building-related illness, has called for an urgent review of the government’s newly introduced Awaab’s Law.
Charlton describes the legislation as “not fit for purpose” and warns that, without significant changes, it could cause further harm to vulnerable tenants.
Awaab’s Law was enacted in memory of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who tragically died in Rochdale in 2020 from a respiratory condition linked to mould in his social housing. Despite repeated complaints from his parents, no action was taken by their landlord. The new law aims to compel landlords to address damp and mould issues promptly.
Drawing on over 30 years of experience, Charlton’s commitment to this cause is deeply personal. After his own daughter was diagnosed with aggressive leukaemia, he discovered toxic mould in her flat as a contributing factor. This experience propelled him to investigate and expose the connection between environmental contamination and chronic illness.
“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.
A free copy of Jeff Charlton’s report, “The Failures within Awaab’s Law,” is available upon request by emailing awaab@buildingforensics.co.uk.
ENDS