Marshalled list of amendments
Tuesday 24 February 2026
Item 6 - Order Paper 154/22-27 – Tuesday 24 February 2026
Motion: Tackling Disrepair, Damp and Mould
Proposed:
That this Assembly expresses deep concern regarding the state of disrepair of many social and private rented properties; recognises the serious adverse impact that damp and mould have on human health; welcomes the introduction of Awaab’s Law following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak; is concerned that much of our housing stock is in urgent need of retrofitting to ensure it meets the minimum standards required for human habitation, and the challenges posed by climate change; further recognises that many private tenants feel disempowered and unable to ask their landlords for basic repairs due to the fear of a retaliatory eviction; and calls on the Minister for Communities to urgently introduce legislation, similar to Awaab’s Law, to compel landlords to tackle damp, mould and disrepair in both social and private rented accommodation.
Mr Gerry Carroll
Amendment 1
Leave out all after ‘retaliatory eviction;’ and insert:
‘believes it is unacceptable that more than 630 people have presented as homeless to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive since 2018-19 due to the loss of private rental accommodation as a result of issues with property fitness and repairs; and calls on the Minister for Communities to urgently introduce legislation, similar to Awaab's Law, to compel landlords to tackle damp, mould and disrepair in both social and private rented accommodation, with statutory maximum timescales for investigating and carrying out repair works.’
[Ms Kellie Armstrong]
[Ms Sian Mulholland]
Amendment 2
Leave out all after ‘retaliatory eviction;’ and insert:
2 ‘further expresses serious concern that single let temporary accommodation utilised by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is not subject to routine, ongoing inspection beyond initial acquisition; notes that maintenance responsibility rests with private providers, with the Housing Executive acting as an intermediary where issues are reported; and calls on the Minister for Communities to urgently introduce legislation, similar to Awaab’s Law, to compel landlords to address damp, mould and disrepair within strict timeframes across both social and private rented sectors, and to place a clear statutory duty on the Housing Executive to regularly inspect and enforce minimum fitness standards across all temporary accommodation.’
[Mr Mark Durkan]
[Mr Daniel McCrossan]
Amendment 3
Leave out all after ‘retaliatory eviction;’ and insert:
‘calls on the Minister for Communities and the Minister of Finance to make access to borrowing for the Housing Executive their top priority in order to target additional investment in our housing stock; and further calls on the Minister for Communities to reflect the principles of Awaab’s Law in the development of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and a revised Decent Home Standard so as to require landlords to tackle damp, mould and disrepair in both social and private rented accommodation.’
[Mr Maurice Bradley]
[Mrs Pam Cameron
