JV North has prepared members and the contractors on its framework for the housebuilding implications of Awaab’s Law.
The consortium partnered with Anthony Collins Solicitors ahead of new legislation that came into force in autumn requiring landlords to manage damp and mould cases within fixed timeframes.
An information event was held by the consortium for its 15 housing association members with a presentation from the national law firm followed by a question and answer session.
This covered development agreements, defects procedures, warranties and the approach later this year when all repairs will need managing in the same way.
Following the session, JV North created a dedicated working group so its members can go into more detail and outline the impact, actions and procedures required.
The consortium and Anthony Collins Solicitors also held a seminar at member Southway Housing’s headquarters for contractors who were appointed to JV North’s £500 million housebuilding framework late last summer.
JV North Chair, John Bowker, said: “While housing associations have prepared for Awaab’s Law, we wanted to support our members with a specialist review of the implications specifically for housebuilding development teams so it can be integrated into organisations’ wider approach.
“Members sharing their knowledge and sparking debate with a leading law firm while working together instead of in isolation is another great benefit of being part of the consortium.
“It is vital effective risk management controls are in place for all aspects of housebuilding and Awaab’s Law is no different which is why it has been added to JV North Board’s risk register.”
Saffer Cooper Consultancy, which manages JV North’s housebuilding development programme that sees over 4,000 homes built in the 2021/26 Affordable Homes Programme, is leading the project.
Director Sean Stafford said: “If there is a complaint about a newbuild property, the law poses a serious challenge for the landlord and it needs managing really carefully.
“Our members remain responsible for compliance but how they work with their supply chain to reach this point within the required timeframes is vital because the implications are far-reaching and they want to be fully satisfied.
“We made sure everyone was as best prepared as they could be for when the law came into force and we are also taking a long-term view, raising questions about what will happen later this year when all defects, not just damp and mould, require time-sensitive action.
“Being part of a consortium means we have capacity to get into the fine detail in the working group which allows members to navigate the wider implications and share knowledge.
“For example, who is going to be responsible for going out on a Sunday night to fix a front door that won’t close properly, who is making the assessment, who will be able to do this and take into account the tenant’s personal circumstances or spot any vulnerabilities?”
Development and Regeneration Manager at Weaver Vale Housing Trust, Louise Marsden, attended the session and is part of JV North’s new Awaab’s Law working group.
She said: “It was very informative and contained the latest information on the impact of Awaab’s Law.
“The session highlighted some essential points. At Weaver Vale Housing Trust we have a multi-disciplinary project team to further strengthen our approach and this session gave us additional structure on how to approach these important issues and enabled some interesting and useful discussion amongst members.
“We all found it extremely valuable to be able to discuss our approaches with other registered providers as we work towards the greater safety and comfort of our customers.”