Listening First: How Tenants Shaped Our Awaab's Law Response
Tuesday 6th of January 2026
Listening First: How Tenants Shaped Our Awaab's Law Response
Awaab's Law came into force on 27 October. Behind this legislation, as we know, is a heartbreaking story. This law exists to ensure no family faces such a tragedy again.
At Bernicia, we knew that implementing Awaab's Law wasn't just about ticking compliance boxes. If we truly wanted to keep our tenants safe, we needed to learn from those who'd already lived through our damp and mould processes.
Starting With Lived Experience
We began with a simple question: ‘What was it actually like to report damp and mould and experience our approach to fixing it?’
We had a number of tenants who'd dealt with these issues in the past year, and we invited them to share their experiences with us.
Four tenants joined our first discussion which was a hybrid session held later in the day to remove barriers to participation. Some joined in person, others via MS Teams. What struck us immediately was the diversity of voices in the room: different life stages, different property types, different locations across our region, and different lengths of tenure. This wasn't a homogeneous group, and their experiences reflected that.
What we heard was occasionally uncomfortable but invaluable. Tenants described how quality, consistency and clarity were important, with communications, processes and when undertaking the repairs themselves. There was sometimes some confusion over where tenant responsibility ended and Bernicia’s began, which highlighted the need for support and guidance, as well as undertaking physical work.
We followed up with a wider survey, using what we'd learned to shape the questions, ensuring we captured perspectives beyond that initial conversation.
Building Solutions Together
The feedback was clear: our tenants needed consistency, clarity, and communication. So we developed three key tools based on these learnings: a detailed Management Plan and Policy that mapped every stage of the damp and mould journey; a structured communications journey with standard touchpoints that would meet both legal requirements and tenant needs; and a comprehensive internal training program for Bernicia colleagues.
But the real difference is this. We didn't just create these documents and roll them out. We consulted with tenants before the processes were developed, listened, learned, and then brought tenants back to check our understanding. Three of them joined our follow-up session, again hybrid, again accessible to review what we'd built and answer the question: ‘Had we actually listened?’
In Their Words
Jane, one of the participating tenants who stayed with us throughout the process told us this:
"I found the discussion enlightening. The difference between our (the tenants) experiences was quite acute. We were able to identify areas for improvement and discussed how to make sure all Bernicia tenants received the same consistency of treatment."
She continued: "Since my being involved in the damp and mould focus group, we have had a further session to give feedback on the documentation provided. All the concerns and experiences from the previous meeting had been addressed... A lot of time has been put in to developing communication and we found very little needed to be changed – the group had been listened to. Glad to have been involved."
That phrase "the group had been listened to" matters enormously. Because this wasn't just ticking boxes. This was genuine co-design with the people who know our service best.
What Comes Next?
Awaab's Law will help us keep our tenants safe, but the real change comes from our tenant engagement approach. By making our sessions accessible through hybrid delivery and evening timing, by actively seeking diverse voices, and by genuinely acting on what we heard, we've started to bridge the gap between policy and practice.
Ends.