A Somali-speaking tenant has been living in a council flat in east London with severe black mould in two bedrooms and the bathroom. She has lived with it for two years. She did not know she had a legal right to make a formal complaint, and the language barrier made it hard to understand the council's repair process.
A local housing charity worker who has been supporting her makes a referral using the refer page on the Support for Tenants website. The referral notes that she needs Somali language support.
Support for Tenants contacts her using a bilingual caseworker. She sends photos that clearly show the extent of the mould. The team notes that Awaab's Law applies here: she is a council tenant, the landlord is a social landlord, and the conditions meet the threshold.
The team helps her submit a formal written report to the council in English, which starts the statutory clock running under Awaab's Law. The council misses the required deadline for action.
The case is referred to a panel solicitor on a no-win-no-fee Conditional Fee Agreement. The mould is resolved. Compensation is agreed for two years of poor conditions, including the health impact on her children. The housing charity worker is told once when the outcome is reached.