LOBBYING
Nobody deserves to live with a pest infestation. Sharing what you’ve seen in people’s homes can help BPCA secure stronger, workable protections for residents.
SPEED READ:
- BPCA welcomes the consultation to extend Awaab’s Law to private rented accommodation in England and wants workable protections that help keep homes free from pests
- Having helped secure pest management’s inclusion in the law’s expansion, BPCA is gathering evidence to shape its consultation response and wider housing policy work
- You can contribute by submitting an anonymous case study and sharing the form with fellow technicians and clients affected by infestations.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector and temporary accommodation in England.
British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is inviting pest professionals and people affected by infestations to submit an anonymous case study about pests in housing. Your experiences will inform our consultation response and wider work to improve housing policy.
A home should be a place where people feel safe. Living with pests can affect your health, wellbeing and everyday life. We’re championing pest management’s role in healthy lives and making sure housing policy reflects the expertise needed to protect residents.
Take part yourself, encourage fellow technicians to contribute and share the form with clients who have experienced an infestation.
Submit a case study
Experience into evidence
Pest professionals see the consequences of unresolved infestations.
You also know what it takes to put things right, from gaining access and carrying out treatment to securing repairs that stop pests returning.
Your experience can show policymakers where current arrangements fail residents and what effective protection needs to look like.
Rosina Robson, BPCA Chief Executive, said:
Nobody deserves to live with a pest infestation, whether they rent privately, live in social housing or have been placed in temporary accommodation.
Rosina Robson, BPCA Chief Executive
“Pest professionals see the consequences when problems are left unresolved. We need your help to make sure the people shaping housing policy understand what’s happening in these homes and what needs to change.
“Please complete the survey and pass it on to your colleagues and affected clients. We want both professional experience and residents’ voices to inform our response.”
Extending Awaab’s Law
Awaab’s Law followed the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020 after exposure to dangerous mould in his social home. It sets specific timeframes for social landlords in England to respond to housing hazards.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gave the government powers to extend protections to privately rented homes and accommodation occupied under licence. This could include accommodation for care leavers, supported housing and temporary accommodation for people experiencing homelessness.
The reality of temporary accommodation
Local authorities provide temporary accommodation to households experiencing homelessness, using everything from social housing to hotels, hostels and bed-and-breakfasts.
Government figures show that 135,580 households were in temporary accommodation in March 2026, including 177,530 children. Just over a quarter of households with children had spent more than two years there.
A report published by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee earlier this year found that:
Infestations of rats, mice, cockroaches and other pests are […] common.
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Residents can also fear the consequences of speaking up. The Committee found that people were “reluctant to complain about poor conditions out of fear they could be moved elsewhere or deemed intentionally homeless”. This could mean being asked to leave without further support.
Others feared they would “be poorly treated or penalised for doing so.” The Committee heard evidence that these fears had become reality.
Poor conditions in private rented homes
Around one in five households in England, approximately 4.7 million, rent privately.
A separate report published by the same Committee earlier this year found that, despite improvements in housing quality over the past 20 years, poor conditions remain “more prevalent in the PRS [Private Rented Sector] than in other tenures”.
The most serious health hazards, known as Category 1 hazards, were also most common in privately rented housing.
Making protections work
BPCA welcomes the proposals. Having played a key role in ensuring pest management was included in the expansion of Awaab’s Law, we want to make the next stage workable and effective.
Rosina said:
“Stronger protections need to deliver results for residents. That means getting professional help promptly, addressing the causes of infestations, and making responsibilities clear.
We welcome these proposals and want to help government get the detail right. Evidence from technicians and residents will help us do that.
Rosina Robson, BPCA Chief Executive
Be part of the change
BPCA’s work to protect homes from pests extends across the UK, including calls for stronger protections in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Whether you’ve treated an infestation or lived with one, your experience can help inform that work.
Submit an anonymous housing case study and share the form with fellow technicians and affected clients.
Submit a case study