The Housing Select Committee of Lewisham Council met on 14 January 2026 to discuss several key issues, including compliance with Awaab's Law¹, rent setting, temporary accommodation, and private sector licensing.

Awaab's Law Compliance

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Housing Service's compliance with Awaab's Law, which is part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. This law introduces strict timeframes for social landlords to address serious hazards, particularly damp and mould, in response to the death of Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould.

The report pack stated that the law applies to social housing in England, excluding temporary accommodation and long leasehold properties, and is being phased in between 2025 and 2027. The council, as a social landlord managing approximately 12,500 homes, must comply with these requirements.

The report pack noted that a stock condition survey identified 6,840 hazards, including 1,508 Category 1 (severe) hazards, of which 397 were damp and mould. Actions taken to prepare for Awaab's Law included:

• Improved web-based information for tenants.
• Working with a residents' working group to refine the Damp & Mould policy and procedures.
• Creation of a specialist team focused on Damp & Mould.
• Improved call waiting times and a direct line for Damp and Mould.
• Introduction of a new repair ICT system.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) for November and December 2025 were included in the report pack, showing the number of new damp and mould cases, triage response times, and the percentage of cases responded to within the set timeframes.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) - Rent Setting

The committee was scheduled to discuss rent, service charge, and garage rent increases for 2026/27. The proposed rent increase was 4.8%, or £5.95 per week on average, subject to a convergence element to be confirmed by the government. The council intended to increase rents by the maximum allowable amount.

The report pack stated that the government had consulted on reintroducing rent convergence to align rents for similar properties across the country, potentially allowing rents to increase faster than inflation.

The report pack also detailed proposed service charge increases, with an average increase of £7.57 or 22.28% for tenants with communal heating charges, and £2.36 or 14.14% for those without. Garage rents were proposed to increase by 4.5%.

The report pack included comments from tenant and leaseholder consultation meetings, with residents raising concerns about persistent repairs issues, rising costs, and the need for better education on waste disposal.

Update on Temporary Accommodation in Lewisham

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on temporary accommodation (TA) in Lewisham, noting that as of 30 June 2025, there were 132,410 households in TA across England, an increase of 7.6% from the previous year.

The report pack stated that as of 1 December 2025, Lewisham was providing TA to 2,450 households, a decrease from 2,799 in December 2024, achieved through proactive prevention work and procurement activities. Demand for TA arises from newly accepted homeless households and those needing to move from existing TA.

The council's TA portfolio includes nightly-paid properties, Privately Managed Accommodation (PMA), Private Sector Leased (PSL) properties, and council-owned properties. The report pack noted a reduction in PMA and PSL properties, increasing reliance on nightly-paid accommodation.

The report pack also detailed prevention activities, such as financial support, landlord negotiations, and income maximisation advice, and procurement efforts, including the Housing Acquisitions Programme to purchase up to 300 homes for TA.

Private Sector Licensing Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the council's property licensing schemes, including Mandatory HMO Licensing, Additional HMO Licensing, and Selective Licensing.

The report pack stated that as of December 2025, the council had issued 764 Mandatory HMO Licences and 881 Additional HMO Licences. The report pack also noted challenges in quantifying the exact number of HMOs due to market fluidity and the absence of a national database.

The report pack detailed progress made with the borough-wide Additional HMO licensing scheme, including the procurement of the Metastreet IT system and strengthened staffing capacity. As of 1 December 2025, 14,083 properties had been issued with a selective licence.

The report pack also included an update on the implementation of recommendations from the Private Rented Sector Task and Finish Group, focusing on improving tenant information, updating enforcement policies, and strengthening landlord engagement.

Finally, the report pack provided an update on the Renters' Rights Act, outlining the key changes and the council's preparations for its implementation, including staff training and collaboration between different services.

Select Committee Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review its work programme and consider items for the next meeting, including major works and stock condition, and updates from housing providers.